Recruiting the right employee for your team is an incredibly important decision. The process itself can be both time-consuming and costly, so attracting and selecting the very best candidate for your position is an essential outcome. This one-day course provides a solid foundation for anyone new to recruitment or those seeking a refresher or update. The emphasis is on the use of a structured approach where good preparation and effective interviewing skills and techniques help maximise the success of your process, ensure consistency with your internal procedures, and minimise risk.
Participants will be asked to bring along information that relates to a vacancy they are, or are likely to be, recruiting to in the future, such as a relevant job description and person specification. They will work with this material throughout the training including reviewing criteria, determining appropriate selection methods and writing high quality interview questions. Participants will have the opportunity of trying out these questions in the afternoon when they will prepare for and conduct an interview. Participants will receive individual feedback, coaching and support throughout the session to enhance their skills and to build their confidence as interviewers.
- Understand the importance of getting recruitment right by adopting a structured, objective and consistent approach in line with internal procedures
- Know the importance of the job description and person specification in underpinning the recruitment process and have identified appropriate selection criteria for a relevant role
- Understand how to shortlist effectively and how to gain evidence by using different assessment methods appropriately
- Know how to prepare for and conduct effective interviews; including how to write high quality interview questions and how to assess candidates’ responses
- Have explored typical barriers that prevent an interview being robust and adopt practical strategies to keep an interview on track
- Be able to objectively evaluate all candidates and make the right selection
- Have built knowledge, skills and confidence through practical exercises including preparing for and conducting a practice interview
Workshop outline
1. Welcome
- Workshop objectives and benefits from attending
- Participants’ experience and confidence in this area
- Personal objectives
2. Getting recruitment right
- The purpose and importance of recruitment and selection
- The cost and potential consequences of poor selection
- Minimising legal risk: practical implications of The Equality Act 2010 and other relevant legislation
- The benefits of a structured, objective and consistent approach
3. The process
- Key stages (with reference to internal procedures)
- Roles, responsibilities and sources of support
- The importance of having robust job descriptions and person specifications
- Identifying specific knowledge, skills and behaviours required for the role
- Checking and refining essential and desirable selection criteria
- Advertising the vacancy and how to screen / short-list against your selection criteria
- Essential documentation and data protection
4. Selection methods
- Assessing candidates against your selection criteria; the search for evidence
- Understanding and using a range of different assessment methods and tools
- Exploring common beliefs about interviewing; understanding the psychology and limitations of interviewing, eg, the ‘Horn and Halo’ effect, unconscious bias, etc
- Making interviews robust and ensuring a fair and objective approach
5. Preparing to interview
- Preparing for different types of Interview, eg, 1:1, panel interviews
- Preparing your questions; the value of different question types; questions to avoid
- How to write high quality behavioural questions for the role
- Structuring the interview; developing an interview plan
- Planning the logistics and preparing the interview room
- Preparing yourself; planning your approach; creating a positive impression
6. The interview
- Welcoming the candidate and creating rapport
- Essential interviewing skills, eg, questioning, active listening skills and non-verbal communication
- How to assess responses; looking for STAR answers
- Controlling the interview; practical tips on managing difficult situations
- Taking notes; documentation
7. Interviewing skills practice
- Participants prepare for and conduct an interview in small groups
8. Evaluation: making the right decision
- How to evaluate candidates against your criteria
- Making an objective decision
- Next steps: offering the position, feedback to unsuccessful candidates, etc
- Taking time to reflect: enhancing your skillset and incorporating learning for next time
9. Evaluation: making the right decision
- Open forum – remaining challenges and ‘what if’ scenarios
- Action planning – identifying how participants will transfer this learning into the workplace and what else they may need which will help them to do this effectively
- Review and close
