Tips for Thorough Screening and Interview Processes

𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧: 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 When teams are lean and resources are tight, the pressure to “just fill the seat” is real. But speed without structure is one of the biggest drivers of early exits. Here are a few strategies I’ve seen work when the goal is making the right hire—not just a fast one 👇 🚫 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 “𝐀𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞” 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 Taking shortcuts can be costly. A rushed hire often incurs greater expenses than a more structured search, especially in today’s talent market where exceptional are available, but poor screening can obscure them. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: ✅ Separate “Speed” from “Quality” ☞ Fast hiring doesn’t mean fewer steps; it means clearer ones. ☞ Define must-have versus trainable skills upfront. ☞ Align hiring managers on what success looks like in 90 days. ☞ Remove subjective criteria that create bias or confusion. ☞ Clarity accelerates decision-making. ✅ Use a Tiered Screening Model ☞ Not every candidate requires the same level of review. ☞ Stage 1: Resume + knockout criteria (automated or recruiter-led). ☞ Stage 2: Structured phone or video screen (skills + motivation). ☞ Stage 3: Focused panel or role-based assessment. ☞ This approach saves time while maintaining quality. ✅ Standardize Interviews (Especially Now) ☞ Recessions amplify hiring mistakes. ☞ Use consistent interview questions. ☞ Score candidates against defined competencies. ☞ Train interviewers to evaluate evidence rather than relying on instincts. ☞ Structured interviews consistently outperform gut feelings. ✅ Keep a Warm Bench (Even When You’re Not Hiring) ☞ Hiring should never start from scratch. ☞ Maintain relationships with silver-medalist candidates. ☞ Partner with training programs or workforce pipelines. ☞ Build talent pools for hard-to-fill roles. ☞ Future you will appreciate this preparation. ✅ Measure What Actually Matters ☞ If you don’t track it, you can’t improve it. ☞ Focus on time-to-productivity, quality of hire at six months ☞ Early turnover signals The best organizations don’t rush decisions. They design processes that scale with pressure. 💬 How are you adjusting your hiring process right now? #hire #jobs #jobseekers #hiringtips #interviewtips #interviewprocess

Let's talk about #Hiring 🤝 Most people use the "gut feel" method and it's not good. It leads to biased hiring and bringing on bad-fit candidates. Instead, build a process that encourages *objective* evaluation. Here's ours at @draftdev: 1. Create a List of 3-4 Essential Job Skills Everything else stems from these. 2. Create the Job Listing and Application Form List the essential skills and the expectations as well as perks candidates get. Use your application form to help you weed out people who don't read the job listing. 3. Set Compensation We use fixed, transparent compensation and hire globally. I don't want to waste candidates' time if we're not able to meet their salary expectations and I don't think it's fair to underpay someone just because they live in another country. 4. Build a Candidate Pipeline You need 30+ candidates for every role to have a basis for comparison. If you don't get enough applicants, either: - Spend more to promote the job listing or - Raise the compensation 5. Resume/Application Screening Use your application form and work history to evaluate the potential for your job's required skills. Pick your top 10%-25% of candidates to invite to the next step. 6. Mini Assignment Assignment-based evaluations are core to our hiring process. The first is a 30-minute email-based assignment that gives the candidate an idea of what the job entails and us an idea of how the candidate communicates and responds. 7. Screening Call By this point, we're down to the top 5%-10% of candidates and we invite them to a 30-minute call. Questions are pre-planned and based on assessing the required skills. End by "selling" the opportunity and leaving 5 minutes for candidate questions. 8. Paid Trial Assignment The next assignment is longer (2-6 hours of work) and the candidate is paid for their work. The goal is to imitate a day in the life in this role, giving us and candidates a better idea of the fit and skills. 9. Reference Checks Only once have I gotten a negative reference about a candidate. I hired them anyway and regretted it. Don't skip/ignore these. 10. Offer Letter Should include: - Potential start date - Salary/other comp - Job description - Manager - Hours/week expectation - Acceptance deadline We give 3-4 days to accept so we don't lose other candidates during the wait. Hope this helps, but of course, there's much more to it! Leave your questions in the comments and I'll share more.

We’ve conducted hundreds of interviews for our clients, and perfected our approach to conducting a truly effective interview. Here are 6 things you want to *nail* in every interview:  📝    1. Prepare Thoughtfully: Draft your questions in advance. Focus on the character qualities you're seeking. 2. Assess Candidate Preparation: Do they arrive on time? Ask: "What could we improve about our business?" 3. Ask Open-Ended, Evidence-Based Questions: E.g. "What does 'blessing our customers' mean to you?" AVOID yes/no questions like "Do you show up on time?" 4. Take Detailed Notes: Focus on predetermined character qualities. Document responses thoroughly. 5. Set Clear Expectations: Commit to a response timeline (e.g., within one week). This shows respect and helps retain top candidates. 6. Review as a Team: Gather all interviewers and their notes, and discuss observations together to avoid confirmation bias. Remember, a well-structured interview process not only helps you find the right fit but also showcases your company's professionalism and values. What are your go-to interview questions? Share in the comments! #Hiring #Interview #Interviews

Screening interviews filter out the obvious “no’s.” Experience interview reveals the real “yes.” What it is: A 45–60 min, chronological deep-dive into the candidate’s career to spot performance patterns—mapped to your scorecard (mission, outcomes, competencies). How to run it (simple flow): Set the target:  ↳ “Success in this role = [X] outcome in [X] timeframe.” Walk their timeline:  ↳ Last 3–5 roles, project by project. For each project, ask the same 4 prompts: ↳ Context: What problem were you solving? Baseline? ↳ Role: What were you directly responsible for? ↳ Actions: What levers did you pull? (steps, tools, cadence) ↳ Results: What changed? Numbers + timeframe. While screening interviews: ✔ Surfaces red flags quickly ✔ Confirms basic fit and availability ✔ Decides who should not move forward ✔ Tests communication and clarity under light pressure ✔ Aligns expectations on pay, schedule, tools, and timeline Experience interviews: ✔ Probes for mechanics (exact steps) and repeatability (SOPs) ✔ Separates confident talkers from consistent performers ✔ Pressure-tests problem-solving and judgment ✔ Maps real projects to your scorecard targets ✔ Validates outcomes, not opinions You don’t need more interviews—you need a better signal. Ask for stories, steps, and stats.  Patterns tell you who will win in the role. Helpful?  ♻️Please share to help others. 🔎Follow Michael Shen for more.

In today's dynamic job market, skills-based hiring has emerged as a game-changer! This approach focuses on evaluating candidates based on their abilities, knowledge, and competencies rather than solely on traditional criteria like degrees or previous job titles. By prioritizing skills, organizations can build more diverse, agile, and high-performing teams. 💪 Here's some tips on how to interview for skills: 1. Define Key Skills 📝: Before the interview, clearly define the essential skills required for the role. These should align with the job responsibilities and the company's strategic goals. 2. Structured Interviews 🏗️: Use a structured interview format with standardized questions to assess each candidate consistently. This ensures a fair comparison of their skills. 3. Behavioral Questions ❓: Incorporate behavioral interview questions that ask candidates to provide examples of past experiences demonstrating their skills. For instance, "Can you describe a time when you had to solve a complex problem? What was your approach?" 4. Skill Assessments 🛠️: Use practical assessments or tasks related to the job. For example, if you're hiring for a marketing role, you might ask candidates to create a brief marketing plan or analyze a campaign. 5. Focus on Transferable Skills 🔄: Recognize and value transferable skills that can be applied across different roles and industries. Skills like problem-solving, communication, and teamwork are valuable in many contexts. 6. Peer Interviews 👥: Involve team members in the interview process to provide insights into the candidate's skills and cultural fit. Peer interviews can offer different perspectives and help assess collaboration skills. 7. Feedback and Continuous Improvement 🔄: Gather feedback from interviewers and continuously refine your interviewing process. This will help ensure that you're effectively identifying the best candidates based on their skills. Skills-based hiring not only helps you find the right talent but also promotes a culture of continuous learning and development within your organization. By focusing on what candidates can do rather than where they've been, you open the door to a broader pool of talent and foster innovation and growth. 🌟 #SkillsBasedHiring #TalentAcquisition #InterviewTips #HR #RecruitmentStrategies