Recruitment and Selection

1. Create a search committee

   Your search committee should be broadly representative of Elon; its members should be able to provide a variety of perspectives on the role and function of the position. Consider enlisting those who will be peers of the new hire, in the new hire’s reporting chain, and include other individuals that may interact with the position (e.g., clients, faculty, other departments)

2. Create a space for committee documents

   IT offers several tools you may want to consider for organizing your committee documents (e.g., hiring rubrics, meeting notes, etc.). Review the Technology Hiring Guide for more information.

3. Discuss and develop criteria

   Meet with your search committee to discuss and agree in advance on the criteria to be used in evaluating candidates. Be sure to review the job description and ensure that the committee members understand each component.

4. Narrow the applicant pool

   Review the candidates and begin narrowing the pool based upon the criteria developed by the committee. Be vigilant of biases that may occur in the selection process; encourage your committee to use the predefined criteria and avoid assumptions and stereotypes based upon race, gender, age, etc.

Review Interview Guidelines

Elon’s Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Guidelines for Interviewing Applicants goes through a list of questions that are appropriate, and inappropriate, to ask candidates. Be sure you and your committee members review this document before conducting interviews.

Develop Interview Questions

Work with your committee to develop a set of interview questions that each candidate will be asked. This consistency is important to ensure that each candidate is giving an equal opportunity to answer each question that may guide your decision. Developing interview questions beforehand also ensures that you’ve covered the pertinent questions needed for your decision and that you are utilizing the interview time well.

Consider a Two-Phase Interview Approach

Many committees find that a virtual interview is a great, low-cost tool for narrowing the candidate pool before bringing candidates onto campus for face-to-face interviews. Consider using video conference technology that allows you to see facial expressions and gestures rather than just relying on a telephone call.  Elon has several video conferencing options available; review IT’s Hiring Technology Resource Guide for more information.

Develop the On-Campus Interview Schedule

Provide candidates with a detailed schedule that identifies each interviewer, including the interviewer’s name, position, and a brief explanation of why this person is interviewing them. Ensure that each interviewer understands the job position and the criteria developed by the committee. Keep the same format for each candidate and allow an equal amount of time for each candidate to answer questions. Consider offering a campus tour to familiarize the candidate with all that Elon has to offer.

If you would like to record candidate presentations or have equipment needs associated with your search, consider contacting Media Services for a consultation.

Obtain Timely Feedback

Following the interview, solicit feedback quickly from interviewers to ensure that thoughts and impressions aren’t forgotten (or confused with other candidates). Consider utilizing a survey tool like Qualtrics to gather feedback.

Reconvene the Search Committee

Although you’ve already solicited feedback from all interviewers (many of whom were likely search committee members), it’s always helpful to get the search committee together one last time to discuss and compare all candidates. Consider ranking the candidates in case your first choice doesn’t work out.