In recruitment, impartiality is not just an ethical issue. It can also be a legal matter if an appointment is seen as unfair and a complaint is made or if a candidate feels they were overlooked and discriminated against for any reason.
It is therefore important to observe and maintain consistent standards when evaluating candidates objectively at every stage of the recruitment process.
Key Takeaways:
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There are multiple types of assessments for potential employees, including phone screenings, face-to-face assessments, and reference checks.
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When hiring for a position, be sure that the selection criteria is well-defined and documented to ensure that all candidates will be judged by the same criteria.
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Assessments and other types of benchmarking should be considered as just part of a candidate’s overall application, and should not be used as a sole deciding factor.
Creating a Fair Benchmarking and Assessment Process
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Evaluating applications. Consistency in candidate evaluation can best be achieved by developing the selection criteria prior to the job being advertised. It can then be clearly seen that the selection criteria determined the outcome of the hiring process and the successful candidate was selected in a fair and transparent manner.
If you have asked candidates to address certain key criteria as part of their application, then you need to stand firm and if they haven’t addressed them in either their cover letter or résume, you should not proceed with their application – regardless of their qualification or anything else that may sway your bias.
Personally if I have included my full name in an advertisement and the application is addressed to “Dear Sir/Madam” or “To Whom it May Concern”, I actually don’t even read any further. Harsh but true.
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Phone screening. Think of the fly screen door on your balcony at home. The fresh air and sunlight can still come in, but the mosquitos are kept away. The phone screen has the same objective. It will help you let the good candidates in for interview, while keeping out those that will do nothing more than waste your time.
But it’s not just a matter of asking prospective candidates where they live, what salary they are on, and when they might be able to start (most of which is probably included either in the covering letter or CV itself anyway). You need to ask them more in-depth questions.
Every single candidate phone screened for the same role, must be asked exactly the same set of questions. Otherwise there is no benchmark and you will end up inviting in only those candidates that you “like the sound of”.
It’s exactly the same if you screen candidates via video interview. Every applicant will be responding to exactly the same set of pre-determined questions.
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Face-to-face assessment. If you are lucky enough to have identified more than one candidate to invite in for interview, you must ensure that you have some structure around the interviewing process. There is no point asking one candidate a series of behavioural- or competency-based questions and then asking the other candidate(s) an entirely different set of questions.
Like with phone screening, every candidate being interviewed for the same position must be asked exactly the same set of questions. Then you can actually rank each response based on an even scoring process.
It is also important not to make on the spot decisions. The results of candidate evaluation should be discussed by everyone involved, notes compared and references checked before any decision is reached.
If several candidates are a close match, conduct a second round of interviews and if none of the candidates seem suitable, don’t just select the best of a bad lot. Rather re-advertise the position and start again.
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Reference checking. It’s frightening to think of the number of people who will actually bring someone into their organisation relying on the feedback gained from a 2-minute phone conversation; Perhaps trusting a 2-line email; or maybe without even carrying out any reference checks at all. They’re usually badly burnt after 3 – 6 months of the new employee being in the job.
You need to think back to the core skills (the job description) as well as the core competencies and key success measures (the performance profile) that you had created for the job.
If during your interview you asked the candidate questions around communication, decision-making and time management, you should then ask the referee (ideally the candidate’s former boss) exactly the same questions.
You’re probably getting sick of seeing these same 4 words over and over … “exactly the same questions” … yes even when you are conducting a reference check.
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Psych testing. Regardless of when in the process it is incorporated, psych testing should always be considered as just one aspect of the recruitment process.
It should never be the decision making tool, and it should never take the place of the tried and tested methods of performing background checks, verifying references and conducting thorough behavioural-based or competency-based interviews as outlined above.
Rather, it should be used as a means of confirming what you already suspect … that you have in fact found the right candidate for the job.
Benchmarking and Assessment FAQs
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What type of testing is is the most fair?
Quantitative testing is the most fair. Compared to the more subjective qualitative testing, quantitative testing gives more objective results. Make sure the test criteria and scoring system are clear and defined.
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How do you conduct phone screenings fairly?
You conduct phone screenings fairly by asking every candidate the same set of questions. Create a list of questions to ask candidates, and ensure that you ask every candidate the same questions. This way, everyone has the same opportunities to present themselves professionally.
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How do I make sure my job posting is available to everyone?
You make sure your job posting is available to everyone by making sure it meets accessibility standards. Check the websites that you use to list your job posting, and ensure that they use accessible web design.
This means making sure that they appear function similarly across a variety of devices like smartphones and tablets, as well as making them compatible with screen readers and other disability aids.
Final Thoughts
Objectivity is crucial for the employee screening and hiring processes. Benchmarking can be used to assess the skills, competencies, and behaviour required for positions in an organization, as long as the standards and criteria used are kept identical for every applicant.
Making an effort to assure that assessments are fair and impartial is highly important, from both an ethical and legal standpoint.