Chapter 10., Section 4. Interviewing for Positions — Main Section | Community Tool Box

• How do you prepare for a job interview?

• How do you conduct an interview?

• What do you do after the interview?

The way you conduct an interview for a position is important and takes thought and preparation. The interview may be one of an applicant's first substantial interactions with your organization and will often influence both the organization's assessment of the candidate and the candidate's assessment of the organization. Preparing carefully can help you obtain useful, job-related information and make the process more consistent, accessible, and fair.

This section discusses how to prepare for interviews, conduct them, evaluate the information you receive, and follow up with candidates afterward.

How do you prepare for a job interview?

There are many ways to organize an effective hiring process. Whatever structure you choose, several principles can strengthen it:

• Use the same job description, essential qualifications, and major selection criteria throughout the process unless you formally revise them.
• Give candidates being considered for the same position substantially comparable opportunities to demonstrate the competencies being assessed.
• Use an interview format appropriate to the position and accessible to the candidate. Interviews may take place in person, by video, by phone, or through another appropriate method. Don't assume that physical presence provides more valid information about a person's ability to perform the job.
• Train interviewers on the job criteria, questions, scoring process, legal and ethical boundaries, accessibility, and documentation expectations before interviews begin.

Choosing interviewers

The first question is who should participate in screening, interviewing, and selection. Some organizations give hiring authority to one manager; others use an interview panel or hiring committee. A group can be helpful when several perspectives are genuinely relevant to the position, but simply having more interviewers does not automatically eliminate bias.

A panel might include:

• The position's supervisor or hiring manager
• A staff member who will work closely with the person hired
• A person with technical or professional knowledge relevant to the position
• A community member, program participant, partner, or other person whose perspective is directly relevant to the work, when appropriate

Keep the group large enough to provide useful perspectives but small enough to conduct a manageable interview. All participants should understand the position, confidentiality expectations, applicable hiring criteria, and how their input will be used.

Decide in advance who has authority to make the final hiring decision. A collaborative organization may choose to give panel members equal input, while another organization may use the panel's ratings and recommendations to inform a decision made by a hiring manager or chief executive. Either approach can work if responsibilities are clear before interviews begin.

Consistency also matters. Using the same interviewers for every candidate can be useful when practical, but it is not always possible. If panel membership changes, use the same interview structure, job-related competencies, questions, scoring standards, and interviewer training so candidates are evaluated through a comparable process.

Choosing applicants to interview

Use the application materials and the selection criteria established for the position to determine whom to interview. The purpose of screening is not to interpret an applicant's personality or personal circumstances from a résumé but to determine whether the available evidence shows that the person meets the qualifications you intend to assess.

Before screening begins, reviewers should understand:

• Which qualifications are required
• Which qualifications are preferred
• What evidence may demonstrate each qualification
• How equivalent education, training, work, volunteer, military, community, or lived experience will be considered
• How the organization will document decisions

Avoid making assumptions about unexplained résumé gaps, short periods of employment, changes in career direction, or other circumstances that the applicant has not explained. Those patterns may have many causes. If a matter is genuinely relevant to the job, the organization can ask an appropriate job-related question later rather than guessing.

A structured screening system can help reviewers focus on the same qualifications. For example, an organization might use a rating guide showing whether each applicant meets, exceeds, or does not yet demonstrate particular criteria. If different criteria are weighted differently, identify the reason before reviewing applications rather than adjusting weights after seeing particular candidates.

Don't award points for characteristics unrelated to the work. Residence in a particular neighborhood, for example, should not be used merely as a substitute for community knowledge or trust. If knowledge of a community is relevant, evaluate that knowledge directly. If residence is genuinely required by law, funding, or the essential nature of the position, state that requirement clearly.

Evaluate application materials according to their purpose. If strong writing is an essential part of the position, a cover letter or writing sample may provide useful evidence. If writing is not important to the job, small errors should not become an informal test of commitment or competence.

Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation in the application or assessment process. Do not assume that spelling, formatting, communication style, or another characteristic reveals how much an applicant cares about the job or how well they would perform unrelated responsibilities.

Reviewers should document job-related reasons for screening decisions. Notes should identify relevant qualifications and evidence rather than whether the reviewer personally "liked" or "disliked" an applicant.

Other decisions to make

• How many people will you interview? There is no ideal number. Consider the number of qualified applicants, available time, the importance and complexity of the position, and the usefulness of interviewing additional candidates.
• How many interview stages will you use? One well-designed interview may be sufficient for some positions. Other positions may justify a second stage, particularly when it assesses additional job-related competencies or includes people who have a legitimate reason to participate in the decision.

A later stage may include a job-related work sample, presentation, writing exercise, simulation, case discussion, or other assessment. Use these methods only when they provide relevant information that the interview does not already provide. Keep the assignment proportionate to the hiring decision and avoid asking applicants to produce substantial unpaid work that the organization intends to use.

• How long will each interview be? Allow enough time to ask the planned questions, permit appropriate follow-up, give the candidate information, and answer the candidate's questions. Interviews for complex or senior positions may require more time than those for more narrowly defined positions.
• What questions will you ask? Develop a consistent set of core questions tied to the competencies identified in the job description and selection criteria. Behavioral questions may ask candidates to describe relevant past situations, while situational questions may ask how they would respond to realistic job circumstances.

Examples might include:

• "Tell us about a time you had to explain complicated information to someone unfamiliar with the subject. What did you do, and what was the result?"
• "Describe a situation in which you disagreed with a colleague or community partner about how to approach a problem. How did you handle it?"
• "Suppose you are responsible for a project that is behind schedule because an important partner has not completed its part. What would you do?"

Open-ended questions can provide useful information, but they should still have a clear connection to the job. Very broad questions such as "Who are you?" may produce interesting conversation but make it difficult to compare applicants fairly or determine what competency is actually being assessed.

• What questions should you avoid? Avoid questions about protected personal characteristics or other matters that are not relevant to the hiring decision. Before a conditional job offer, employers generally should not ask whether an applicant has a disability, the nature or severity of a disability, medical history, medications, or other questions likely to reveal disability-related information. Ask instead whether the candidate can perform specific job functions and assess the qualifications required for the work.
• How will candidates request reasonable accommodation? Explain how applicants can request accommodations for interviews, work samples, testing, or other parts of the selection process. An accommodation should provide equal access to the assessment rather than change the job-related competency being evaluated.
• How will you schedule interviews? Balance organizational efficiency with reasonable access for candidates. Video or phone interviews can reduce travel barriers, while in-person interviews may be useful when there is a legitimate reason connected with the job or hiring process. Tell candidates in advance about the format, expected length, participants, and any assessment activities.

How do you conduct an interview?

An interview has two purposes. It gives the organization an opportunity to gather job-related information about the candidate, and it gives the candidate an opportunity to learn enough about the organization and position to decide whether they remain interested.

As you plan the interview, ask:

• How can we give each candidate a fair opportunity to demonstrate the competencies required for the position?
• What information does each candidate need in order to understand the organization, position, and hiring process accurately?

Establishing an atmosphere

A professional, respectful interview environment usually produces better information than unnecessary intimidation. Nervousness during an interview is not necessarily evidence of how someone will perform in the actual job, and deliberately trying to rattle applicants can introduce irrelevant differences into the assessment.

If a position genuinely requires performance under particular pressure, use a job-related simulation or situational question designed to assess the relevant competency rather than trying to create generalized stress.

For in-person interviews, consider:

• Physical accessibility
• Privacy
• A comfortable and professional setting
• Clear directions and arrival procedures
• Transportation and parking information when useful

For remote interviews, consider:

• Providing the meeting link and instructions in advance
• Whether the platform is accessible
• What to do if the connection fails
• Whether telephone participation or another alternative is available when needed
• Protecting privacy and confidential interview information

Interviewers should be attentive and respectful. Avoid judging a candidate on clothing, eye contact, speaking style, physical mannerisms, camera background, or other characteristics unless a particular behavior is genuinely relevant to an essential job competency.

Nuts and bolts

Most interviews will include introductions, an explanation of the process, core questions for the candidate, relevant follow-up questions, information about the organization and position, and time for the candidate's questions.

• How will you rate responses? Develop rating criteria before interviews begin. Ratings should be tied to the competencies the questions were designed to measure and to the content of the candidate's response rather than to general impressions such as whether someone seems relaxed, funny, charismatic, familiar, or "down-to-earth."

For example, a communication question might be rated according to whether the candidate:

• Identified the audience's needs
• Explained information clearly
• Adapted the approach appropriately
• Checked for understanding
• Described the result and what was learned

Train interviewers in advance on what each question is intended to measure, how the rating scale works, appropriate follow-up questions, note-taking, confidentiality, reasonable accommodation, and subjects that should not be discussed.

• Who will do what? Decide who will welcome the candidate, explain the interview structure, ask each core question, watch the time, provide organizational information, and explain next steps. Follow-up questions should clarify job-related responses rather than turn into unrelated conversation about someone's personal life.
• What information will you give every candidate? In general, provide:
  • An accurate description of the organization's mission, goals, work, and current priorities
  • A clear explanation of the position and its major responsibilities
  • Relevant information about the communities, programs, or context connected with the work
  • The organizational structure and reporting relationship for the position
  • The salary or wage range, benefits, schedule, work location, remote or hybrid expectations, travel, and anticipated starting date if these have not already been clearly communicated
  • Any important conditions of employment that candidates should know before accepting an offer
  • What happens next in the hiring process and approximately when candidates can expect an update
• Will the interview include another assessment? You might use a presentation, writing exercise, simulation, technical demonstration, or another job-related activity when it adds useful information. Tell candidates what the assessment is intended to evaluate and provide reasonable accommodation where required.

Group exercises involving several applicants can sometimes assess collaboration or facilitation, but they should be used only when interaction with others is actually relevant to the job. Establish evaluation criteria in advance and avoid turning the exercise into an informal personality contest.

Interviewers should take concise, professional notes about responses and evidence. Notes such as "described three examples of resolving partner conflict and explained the outcomes" are more useful than labels such as "great personality" or "seemed weird."

What do you do after the interview?

Once interviews are complete, use the evidence collected to determine which candidate best meets the established requirements.

When several interviewers are involved, it can be useful for each person to complete their ratings independently before the group discusses candidates. This reduces the chance that the first or most confident speaker will shape everyone else's judgment before individual observations have been recorded.

The group can then discuss significant differences in ratings, referring to candidates' actual responses, work samples, qualifications, and the established criteria. The purpose is not to argue until everyone likes the same person; it is to reach an informed decision through the process established by the organization.

Be aware of common sources of bias, including:

• Giving disproportionate weight to the most recent interview
• Favoring candidates who share interviewers' backgrounds, interests, communication styles, or career paths
• Allowing one especially strong or weak characteristic to dominate the overall evaluation
• Comparing candidates primarily with one another instead of with the job requirements
• Giving excessive weight to confidence or charisma when those qualities are not what the position requires

If additional information is genuinely necessary to distinguish between finalists, consider a second interview, reference checks, or another job-related assessment rather than making the decision through intuition alone.

You may also identify more than one candidate whom you would be willing to hire. If the first candidate declines, you can consider another qualified finalist without automatically repeating the entire search.

References and background checks

If references are part of the process, contact them at an appropriate stage and use consistent job-related questions. Depending on the organization and position, you might ask about:

• The applicant's responsibilities
• Quality and reliability of work
• Relevant skills and competencies
• Supervision or collaboration
• Eligibility for rehire, where the reference's organization provides that information

Don't ask references to provide information that would be inappropriate to ask the applicant directly, such as protected medical or family information.

Background checks should be conducted only when relevant and in accordance with applicable law and organizational policy. Criminal-record information should not automatically disqualify an applicant unless the policy is lawful and appropriately related to the position.

When a third-party company supplies a background report for employment purposes, additional requirements may apply regarding disclosure, authorization, providing copies of reports and rights notices, and adverse-action procedures. State and local laws may impose additional restrictions.

Making an offer

Once the organization has identified its preferred candidate and completed any checks that must occur before an offer, or determined which checks will be conditions of the offer, contact the candidate and explain the offer clearly.

Give the candidate a reasonable period to consider it. The appropriate amount of time depends on the position and circumstances rather than a fixed one- or two-day rule.

Confirm the offer in writing. Depending on the organization, the written offer may identify:

• Position title
• Supervisor
• Salary or wage
• Benefits
• Employment status
• Schedule and work location
• Anticipated start date
• Any lawful conditions that remain to be completed
• An introductory or evaluation period if the organization uses one
• Other important employment terms

If no candidate meets the organization's requirements, it may be better to revise or reopen the search than to hire someone simply because the position needs to be filled quickly. Before reposting, consider whether the salary, qualifications, title, schedule, work location, advertising channels, or hiring process made it unnecessarily difficult to attract qualified applicants.

Notifying other candidates

Once the organization is ready to close the search, notify other candidates promptly and respectfully. The appropriate method may be phone, email, an applicant-tracking system, or another agreed form of communication.

Candidates who invested substantial time in multiple interviews may appreciate more individualized communication, while a concise message may be appropriate for people who applied but were not interviewed.

If the organization provides feedback, keep it connected with the stated selection criteria and the candidate's demonstrated qualifications. Avoid personal labels such as saying someone was "obnoxious," did not seem to fit the culture, or was simply less likable.

For example, appropriate feedback might explain that the selected candidate demonstrated more extensive experience with a required program model or that another applicant's examples showed stronger experience supervising a comparable team.

Don't promise detailed individualized feedback unless the organization has the capacity and a consistent process for providing it.

In Summary

A strong interview process begins before the candidate enters the room or joins the video call. It starts with a clear job description, job-related selection criteria, trained interviewers, consistent questions, and an evaluation system that identifies what the organization actually needs to learn.

Interviews should give candidates a fair opportunity to demonstrate relevant competencies while also giving them accurate information about the organization and position. In-person interviews are not inherently better than phone or video interviews, and personal chemistry, physical presence, appearance, or resemblance to existing staff should not replace evidence of job performance.

Structured behavioral and situational questions, consistent rating criteria, appropriate work samples, careful documentation, reasonable accommodation, and professional interviewer training can make comparisons more meaningful and reduce the influence of unsupported assumptions.

After interviews, evaluate candidates against the position rather than simply against one another. Check references and backgrounds appropriately, make offers clearly, and communicate respectfully with people who were not selected.

The goal is not simply to hire someone the interview team likes. It is to gather enough reliable, job-related information to identify a qualified person who can perform the work effectively and to conduct the process in a way that reflects the standards and values of the organization.