Interviewing Applicants

Purpose of an Interview

The purpose of conducting an interview is to gather information about an applicant, present a realistic description of the position, ensure a fair selection process, establish adequate records in the event that the hiring decision must be justified, and determine whether the candidate would succeed in the position.

Types of Interviews

Competency-based interview approach: Identifies the criteria for job success and searches for the applicant whose past work experiences, skills, abilities, and talents best match these criteria.
Panel interview: An interview conducted by a small group of managers and/or campus representatives (faculty, staff, students) that allows for various perspectives on the competencies required for the position. This approach may provide a more objective measurement of the applicant’s ability to do the job.
Individual interview: An interview conducted on a one-on-one basis. In some instances, the Human Resources representative may conduct the first round of interviews and select one to three finalists for final interviews with the hiring manager.
Sequential interview: An interview that consists of a series of panel or individual interviews. The purpose is to give different individuals and groups a chance to interview and assess a candidate.

Getting Started

After reviewing the cover letters, applications and résumés for all applicants who meet minimum qualifications, select those who most closely match the job criteria for an initial interview. The JAC (Jobs At Columbia) System will help to screen out those applicants who do not meet the minimum qualifications. Refer to Chapter 2 for more information.

A number of variables affect the size of the initial or first round applicant pool. Some variables include the number of applicants in the pool, the quality of the pool, the budgeted salary versus the applicants’ salary requirements, and whether or not intensive outreach is required. There is not a required number of applicants that must be interviewed. However it is expected that fair consideration be given to all highly qualified applicants to ensure an unbiased and nondiscriminatory search process. Unless intensive outreach is required, you may want to narrow your initial candidate pool to three to six applicants.

Before contacting applicants to verify their continued interest in a position, prepare one set of interview questions directly related to the job requirements. All those involved in the interview process should have a copy of this set of questions.

Note: Prepare one set of job-related interview questions for all applicants.

For information on competency based interviewing and a list of competency based interview questions, click here.

Interviewers are prohibited from asking applicants questions pertaining to race, color, sex, gender, religion, creed, national and ethnic origin, age, citizenship, status as a perceived or actual victim of domestic violence, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, status as a Vietnam era or disabled veteran, or other legally protected status. Questions should also be avoided involving child-care or health-related issues.

Conducting Interviews

Below are guidelines for conducting a first interview. Be mindful that this outline will vary depending upon the nature of the job and the number of interviewers involved in the process.

Schedule the interview so that the applicant and interviewer have adequate advance notice. Allow 30 to 90 minutes for the initial interview depending on the type of the position. Always allow a time-out between interviews.
Make certain that each scheduled applicant has completed an on-line employment application in the JAC System.
Whenever possible, have the interview in a private, quiet space. Avoid interruptions and phone calls. You may want to keep the door open or ajar for safety reasons.
Arrange seating to allow for easy eye contact. Other than handshakes, there should not be any physical contact with applicants.
Consult with HR and the Manager of the Return to Work Program if an applicant needs reasonable accommodation in order to be interviewed. Visit the Workplace Accomodation page under Working at Columbia for more information.

Interviewing Tips

Use the following as a basic guide for preparing interview questions and planning the flow of the interview. As a courtesy, an interviewer may want to advise the applicant at the start of the interview that notes will be taken during the interview. Interviewers should always introduce themselves to applicants at the start of the conversation and should consider following the 80/20 rule—the applicant speaks for 80 percent of the time and the interviewer(s) for 20 percent of the time.

Open the interview by asking the applicant to take several minutes to provide an overview of their background and the reasons why they decided to apply.
Ask open-ended questions which require a response other than “yes” or “no.”
Be prepared to ask appropriate follow-up questions for clarification if needed.
Ask “what if” questions to assess how an applicant might respond to or handle an actual on-the-job situation.
Ask questions to ascertain the applicant’s perceived strengths and areas for development.
Share information about the position.
Ask the applicant to take 3 to 5 minutes to provide any additional information.
Allow the applicant time to ask the interviewer several work-related questions.
Close the interview by explaining the next steps in the process which may include background checking, reference checking and testing for finalists. Follow-up or second interviews are often helpful to narrow the field of finalists, to allow for an exchange of additional information, and to have the finalists meet with colleagues.