After you have received some resumes you will want to begin the prescreening process.  Give each a thorough review.

Things to consider when looking at a resume:

• Compare candidate's experience to your job description.  Does he/she meet the criteria?

• Does the candidate have the appropriate educational degree?

• Are there spelling and/or grammar errors?

• Are there unexplained gaps of employment?

• Are dates of employment missing?

• Is there "job hopping"?

• Is there a specific coverage letter?  Does it include the appropriate job information?

At this point you should separate the candidates into three piles (phone screen, maybe, reject).  The candidates you are no longer considering should be sent a declination letter to reduce follow up calls.  This letter can be sent via email or U.S. Mail.

Prepare in advance for your phone screenings.  Make sure to schedule enough time on your calendar to avoid interruptions.  Have the candidate's resume and any notes you have made ready to discuss.  Allow 10-20 minutes for each candidate -- they usually tend to have just as many questions as you do.  Be prepared to let the candidate know what the next step is.  Are you planning on making decisions to interview in the next two days, week, two weeks, etc.?  To avoid wasting anyone's time, it is best to ask what salary expectations are desired.

After your candidates have been screened over the phone you might be able to narrow down your candidate pool.  It is recommended that you only interview two to four candidates for each position.  If you have decided not to interview any of the candidates then you can return to your "maybe" pool.  If you have exhausted all viable candidates you will need to start the advertising and prescreening process over again.  While this might be discouraging, it is the best long-term decision.  Hiring the wrong person could be costly to your department, other employees and morale.

Following a phone screening, but prior to interviewing you will need to have the applicant fill out an employment application.  The application can provide even more information about your applicant and should be reviewed prior to the interview.  Make sure you have a well-written employment application as it is a legal document.

What to look for on an application:

• Is the work history consistent with the resume?

• Is there incomplete information (i.e. reason for leaving, dates of employment, pay, etc.)?

• If the position requires good communication skills, are there spelling errors?

Now you are ready to begin interviewing.  You will want to decide if you will be the sole decision maker or if there are other key stakeholders.  If you are the only decision maker you will conduct a face-to-face interview.  If there are going to be multiple interviewers it is best to conduct a panel interview versus several separate interviews.  Learn more about panel interviews in our Manager Guide.

The interview is a time to address any questions you may have with regards to the application or experience.  Behavioral interviewing has become commonly practiced amongst corporations and recruiters throughout the United States.  Read more about behavioral interviewing.

Prior to making an offer you will want to check at least two professional references (preferably covering at least five years of employment).  If you are unable to obtain references with someone other than the Human Resources Department, it is appropriate to ask the candidate for his/her last annual evaluation. 

It is a professional courtesy to call any applicants who have been interviewed and were not chosen.  This allows the interviewer an opportunity to provide constructive feedback to the applicant as to why he/she was not selected.  Any applicants who were not interviewed can be sent an email or letter notifying them that the position has been filled with another more qualified candidate.

IMPORTANT:  You will need to keep all interview (even candidates not hired) notes.  If your organization hires several employees throughout the year you should consider an online candidate tracking system.  Otherwise, keep a folder for each position.

If your organization requires a background check and medical assessment as a condition of employment, you will want to make your offer contingent upon those criteria.