Candidate Recruitment Process

Optimize your selection process by creating clear guidelines.

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Candidate Recruitment Process

This is what our candidate interview process looks like. If you have any questions or feedback, please contact @Leah.

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Screening

Recruiter screen

Our HR interns will comb through all incoming applications and screen out candidates who don't fit our minimal requirements. Due to the volume of applications we receive, we do not provide rejected candidates with individual feedback and instead send out an automated rejection email.

Hiring manager screen

The responsible hiring manager will conduct an in-depth screening of the candidates who passed the recruiter screening stage. The manager will then conduct brief phone interviews with selected candidates.

DO

→ Follow our qualifications checklist to evaluate candidate profiles.

→ Make sure candidates’ offline and online information match.

→ Expect a typo-free CV.

→ Check dates of employment and look for gaps.

DON'T

→ Expect or require personal details or candidate photos.

→ Disregard extracurricular activities.

Skills testing

The shortlisted candidates will be asked to perform a take-home test that’s reflective of what they’ll have to do on the job. Each candidate will be given a week to complete the assignment and should receive feedback within two weeks after submission.

DO

→ Use our approved candidate assignments only.

→ Provide feedback in a timely manner.

→ Prioritize quality.

DON'T

→ Give extra points for early submissions.

→ Give extra points for the quantity of output.

→ Use any content created by the candidate during the assignment without their explicit consent. Completed assignments are the intellectual property of the applicant.

In-person interviews

In-person interview #1: Culture fit

During this interview, we will determine whether the candidate's personal and professional values work well with our company values. During the interview, you are expected to find out what motivates them to work and whether they would be able to fit well into our company culture.

In-person interview #2: Team panel

Several members of the hiring team interview the candidate together to get a feel of what it’d be like to work with them and see if the chemistry is right. This interview can be done in an unstructured and informal manner, and the team is allowed to come up with their own questions and activities.

In-person interview #3: Hiring manager 1-on-1

The hiring manager sits down with the candidate for one last 1-on-1 interview, during which they will assess the candidate’s general qualifications as well as their aptitude for the role in question. The manager is expected to communicate to the candidate their management style and give the candidate an opportunity to express their expectations as well.

DO

→ Refer to our recommended .

→ Follow up after each interview with feedback and next steps.

DON'T

→ Ask personal questions that are irrelevant to the candidate's aptitude and qualifications for the job.

Decision

The decision is made after the final 1-on-1 interview by the team and the hiring manager. The hiring manager is then expected to communicate that decision to the candidate in a timely manner in a phone call (in case of an offer) or in a personal email (in case of rejection).

DO

→ Inform the candidate about the result as soon as the decision is made.

→ Inform accepted candidates about next steps in a timely manner.

→ Offer rejected candidates the option of keeping their personal data for future opportunities.

DON'T

→ Keep rejected candidates' personal data without their explicit permission.

Inspiration

Here's a great TED Talk to watch!

Given the choice between a job candidate with a perfect resume and one who has fought through difficulty, human resources executive Regina Hartley always gives the "Scrapper" a chance.

"Choose the underestimated contender, whose secret weapons are passion and purpose," she says. "Hire the Scrapper." 😉👆️

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About this template

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As stressful as the recruitment process can be for the candidate, it can be just as demanding and taxing on the recruiter – if one is not prepared.

Yet the selection process is how most candidates form their first impressions of a company. If their experience is positive, they will be more likely to take the job and be enthusiastic about working for you, and more likely to tell others about your company, spreading the word and making it easier for you to get good candidates in the future.

To maximize the effectiveness of your candidate recruitment process, having a clear structure is key. That means creating – and documenting – a framework for each step of the process so that everyone involved knows exactly what the purpose of each step is. We have put together an example of a candidate selection process which can be used as a template.

How to optimize your candidate recruitment process

The better prepared you are, the better results you are likely to get from your candidate recruitment process. That means, first and foremost, documenting your selection procedure, with each step clearly outlined. Every HR team member involved in the recruiting process needs to be aware of the goals and expectations of each recruitment stage.

To get started, simply use this template and adapt it to your needs. Store the finished recruitment guide in an easily accessible place, such as your company wiki. Share it with your team, encourage feedback, and continuously improve it.

Here are a few practical tips to help your recruitment process go smoothly:

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