The formal interview process is to be designed to gather information to support a final hire recommendation. Focus efforts on gathering information related to the pre-determined search criteria and create a fair procedure with uniformity across candidates.
Seating
Allow candidate to choose their seat during job talks and research presentations during the interview. Specifically, let the candidate enter the room first and choose a space. Also beneficial is building into the candidate itinerary time to familiarize themselves to room technology and/or connectivity. This can accommodate several subtle issues and reduce the need for self-disclosure. For example, an individual with ADHD may want to face away from a busy window.
Structure Interview Questions
In conjunction with a rubric, the search committee should predetermine what information is needed from the interview process that is relevant to the search criteria. Comparable information should be gathered for all candidates by establishing a set of questions in advance that will be asked of each candidate. However, comparable information may present itself in different ways for each candidate.
The wording of questions may differ based on a candidate's experiences. In some instances, candidates may automatically present comparable information in a presentation or conversation, while another candidate may require an explicit question to be posed to elicit comparable information. The comparable information and the planned questions should adhere to the criteria in the position description.9
If individuals or small groups of people are meeting with each candidate, they can be encouraged to develop a set of questions or topics for each of their one-on-one or small group meetings to gather comparable information. Gathering comparable information keeps the entire process focused on the search criteria, not whether someone made a personal connection with a candidate during a discussion (see Appendix V).
Questions to Avoid
There are several personal questions to avoid during the interview because of their potential to introduce discrimination and implicit bias into the process. In many cases, faculty and staff are legally obligated to avoid these topics. These topics include, but are not exclusive to, the following: marital/partner status, child status, race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, and disability. In some instances, carefully crafted questions on some of these topics can be posed, but only if they are directly relevant to job performance. Questions that are potentially problematic should be pre-approved by the UNL Institutional Equity and Compliance Office. A list of potential topics is included in the appendix (see Appendix VIII).
Sharing of Personal Experiences
Sharing information about Lincoln and living in Lincoln is an effective recruitment strategy and something that many people want to provide during the on-campus interview. Alert the candidate prior to the interview that UNL makes it a priority to reduce bias in the hiring process, therefore we are limiting the sharing of personal information and encourage hem to focus on discussing their qualifications for the job during the interview. Candidates should not offer or feel obligated to discuss personal characteristics that are not related to their skills and qualifications to complete job responsibilities. We have the Creating Connections On and Off Campus website and you can ask the candidate if they would like to meet with someone who is not on the search committee to discuss this kind of information.
If you decide to share, inform the candidate you would like to share a personal story; however, state that you do not want or expect them to share the same information about themselves.
Transparency in Hiring Packages
Prior to the candidate visiting, the hiring official needs to create a list of what offer components can be included in the package. A good practice is to determine a budget, hiring package, benefits, and negotiable elements prior to reviewing materials and interviewing candidates. Hiring officials should be clear and explicit with the candidate about hiring packages for the position and provide the same information to all candidates. Include information about salary or wages, research resources and space, graduate assistants, relocation funds, start-up funds, and other relevant support structures. This helps to set the foundation for a more equitable negotiation process in that all candidates will know what may be included in their job offer. Individuals from marginalized populations may feel unwilling to negotiate, so the transparency of hiring packages creates a more equitable process10.Providing this information during the interview allows candidates to prepare in advance the request that will position them for success as a staff or faculty member at UNL. Be sure to use the appropriate offer letter template from the EVC website. For a staff position, this process, information, and discussion may vary. Please see https://hr.unl.edu/policies/recruitment-and-hiring/ for more information.
9 Mello, J. A. (2019). Strategic human resource management (5th Edition). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.
10 Seligman, L. D., Anderson, R. E., Ollendick, T. H., Rauch, S. A. M., Silverman, W. K., Wilhelm, S., & Woods, D. W. (2018). Preparing women in academic psychology for their first compensation negotiation: A panel perspective of challenges and recommendations. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 49(4), 282–289