Human Resources Screening and Interviewing

Pre-Screening

Completed by Hiring Manager

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• Before beginning the review of candidate materials, Hiring Managers will request a demographic* report of your applicant pool from the Office of Human Resources.
  • If your candidate pool is not as diverse as we would like but you are concerned about losing candidates, please reach out to the candidates you are interested in to share your timeline and ask how that aligns with their own timeline.
    • You may have the option of moving forward with some candidates while you continue to perform outreach to increase the diversity of the pool.
  • If the candidate pool is not as diverse as expected given the demography of the field and/or area, the search may pause while additional steps are taken.
  • OHR can also provide options for increased outreach if needed.
  • If you have exhausted your resources and the candidate slate continues to lack diversity, OHR will work with you on next steps.

*Demographic information (gender, race, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status) is requested in Workday of all applicants and is submitted voluntarily. The information is shared with a limited group in order to ensure confidentiality. If your pool is under four people, OHR will review the demographic information but will not share it with you due to confidentiality.

• Meet with the Search Team to discuss the essential must-haves in the role, including skills and abilities of the position, and what it means for a candidate to be a good “fit” for the role, that will drive the search
  • Naming “fit” serves to mitigate bias as it keeps the focus of the term “fit” on the competencies truly necessary for the position
• Develop a screening rubric (example screening rubrics: numerical and non-numerical) that specifically articulates what is necessary for a successful candidate, allowing all members of the Search Team to have the same understanding of what to look for.
  • Criteria should come directly from the responsibilities and competencies in the job description 
  • Criteria should be defined within the context of the job (as opposed to merely listed) so all members of the Search Team know what to look for in candidate materials
  • Competence in the area of DEI as it relates to this role should be included in the rubric.
  • Put into context information that may not indicate the potential for success (such as additional degrees earned or the prestige of the institution attended)
  • Consider the ability of the candidate both to add intellectual and experiential diversity to the department and to work successfully with diverse students and colleagues as important selection criteria 
• Download all candidate materials (use the Bundle Resumes task in Workday)
• Consider redacting identifying information from candidate materials in order to mitigate bias. (example of redacted CV, example of redacted cover letter)
  • Name
  • Address
  • Names of institutions attended
  • Years attended
  • Consider having someone not directly involved in the search screen for minimum requirements so that only those candidates meeting minimum criteria have their information redacted

Screening

Completed by Hiring Manager

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• Use the Quick Reference Guide (QRG) for Managing Job Requisitions & Candidates for Staff Positions in Workday to access and download candidate materials.
• Review all candidate materials in Workday
• Hiring Managers should assign a disposition code or status for each candidate as they are determined.
  • Example: If a candidate does meet the qualifications, they should be “dispositioned” using the Move Forward button. Then the Hiring Manager will select the next step in the recruiting process. Please note that no automatic messaging is sent out to candidates. They will not be notified or otherwise contacted about this change in status. 
  • Decline - choose this option if not qualified or if the candidate withdraws from consideration.
  • Move Forward - use this option if the Hiring Manager will move candidates forward in the screening process (the stages are Review, Phone Screen, Interview, and Offer). Each candidate must go through each stage in order for the process to function correctly.
• To share the candidate materials with other campus partners, or to download to print, etc., use the Bundle Resumes task in Workday.
• Mitigate implicit bias by allowing yourself enough time to read all application materials, knowing and being on the lookout for your own biases, and practicing constructive uncertainty (challenging yourself when you find yourself making judgments or reaching premature conclusions). You may find it useful to raise awareness of biases at https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html 
• Screen candidates using your Screening Rubric (sample screening rubric)
• Select candidates to interview from qualified internal candidates and move them forward in the process by indicating “Phone Screen” as their new “Step/Disposition” status. (Dispositions and Moving Candidates Forward in Workday QRG)
  • It is our practice to extend a first-round (phone screen) interview to all internal candidates who meet the stated minimum qualifications for the position. 
  • If an internal candidate does not meet the minimum qualifications, the Hiring Manager should reach out to them to communicate this information. OHR is available as a resource if necessary.
  • There is no requirement to interview internal candidates who do not meet the minimum qualifications for the position.  
  • The Department Head/Supervisor or Search Team, in consultation with OHR, selects those candidates who they would like to move forward to the next steps in the interview process from the eligible candidates.  
• The Hiring Manager should reach out to OHR to share your progress. We will share an updated comparative demographic analysis of your pool.
  • If there is a disparity between the initial diversity of your candidate pool and that of your first-round interview list, you may be asked to demonstrate how certain candidates fared on your rubric and/or to source additional candidates. 
• Once your initial interview slate has been approved and you are ready to reach out to candidates to schedule interviews, please use the following template:
  • Dear ____,

Thank you for your interest in the position of ______ at Amherst College. We read your application materials with great interest and would like to invite you to participate in a first-round phone (or Zoom) interview with our search committee.

Insert language here regarding available dates and times

If you need to request accommodations for this interview, please reach out to our Office of Human Resources at 413-542-2372. 

We look forward to speaking with you soon,

YOUR NAME

Interviewing

Completed by Hiring Manager and Search Team

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• First round of screening/interviews should be conducted via phone or Zoom.
  • Zoom offers more options for accessibility, including closed captioning and the opportunity to paste interview questions into the chat.
  • Zoom also creates more opportunities for bias, including judgments based on appearance. If you opt for a Zoom interview, please take steps to mitigate bias.
• Develop an interviewing rubric (example interviewing rubric) that follows the criteria included above as well as what you determined are the skills and abilities necessary for a candidate to be a good fit for the role. These criteria are used to drive interview questions, consistently asked of all candidates. (Sample Interview Questions)
• Standardize the interview process as much as possible so each candidate is asked the same questions, ideally in the same order and by the same people. All questions should allow the Search Team to evaluate the criteria specified in the rubric.
  • Follow-up questions may vary from candidate to candidate and can be necessary in order to clarify the information necessary to evaluate a candidate.
  • Questions specific to a candidate’s resume/experiences are welcome and may vary from candidate to candidate .
• Avoid conversational interviews, but rather develop questions directly from the rubric so that each question allows the team to evaluate skills and abilities as they directly relate to the job.
• Amherst is dedicated to DEI and all candidates should be asked questions related to the DEI competencies involved in this position. However, asking about DEI competency is not the same as asking about a candidate’s specific identity, which is to be avoided. Please review our list of topics and questions to avoid during the interview.
• Interviews should be scheduled at mutually convenient times arranged by the Hiring Manager or Search Team.
• Hiring Managers should provide details to candidates about the essential functions of the position, on-site/remote/hybrid eligibility, the starting compensation rate, schedule, and other important information. (Having early communication about compensation will help to have a more efficient process and will help to ensure that transparency.)

Second Round/Final Interviews

Select candidates you are interested in inviting to the next step of the interview process and move them forward in the process by indicating “Interview” as their new “Step/Disposition” status (Dispositions and Moving Candidates Forward in Workday QRG). Second-round interviews typically take place on campus or via Zoom.

The Hiring Manager should reach out to OHR to share your progress. We will share updated demographics of this narrower pool and provide you with an updated comparative demographic analysis of your pool.

• Prior to inviting candidates to visit the College please review the following:
  • Each person involved in the interview or selection process should be familiar with this guide as there are some inquiries that may be illegal and must be avoided. 
    • Interview Topics and Questions to Avoid
    • Sample Interview Questions
  • For candidates applying for full-time, exempt positions, their reasonable travel expenses (one night hotel stay, meals while traveling, transportation expenses) will be covered using the guidelines outlined in the Department Instructions for Payment of On-Campus Interview Expenses and Candidate Instructions for Travel Reimbursement.
    • Information for visiting Amherst College and the area
  • When inviting candidates for a second-round interview, please repeat the language regarding accommodation requests from the screening stage, directing them to go directly to OHR if they need assistance. 
  • OHR and/or the department will determine if the prospective employee is able to work legally in the United States. See the acceptable alternative question under National Origin regarding the ability of an applicant to work in the United States in the Interview Topics and Questions to Avoid guide.
    • The College is able to sponsor Visas for certain positions (they must meet federal regulations). For questions about Visa eligibility, contact Scott Kinney, skinney@amherst.edu.
• Develop a rubric for second-round interviews following the criteria noted above.
• For non-casual staff positions, OHR will collaborate in this process by interviewing the final two candidates chosen by the department. During the OHR portion of the interview process, OHR will provide an overview of the College's benefits and culture, and answer any questions the candidate may have.