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Article

Interview Checklist for Employers

Jen Dewar Avatar

Jen Dewar

interview checklist
Interview Checklist

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    A third of candidates said a slow or disorganized interview process leads them to believe the employer doesn’t care about their time (34%) or simply doesn’t care about candidates (33%). Some basic preparation can help.

    This interview checklist walks you through everything that needs to happen before, during, and after each interview — so your hiring process is fair, consistent, and effective.

    Before the interview

    A successful interview can be days — or even weeks — in the making. A little foresight can go a long way toward setting your team and your candidates up for success.

    Here’s what needs to happen before the candidate walks in (or dials in):

    • Plan the agenda and timing. An interview should have a rough schedule: a few minutes for introductions and context, the bulk of the time for your questions, time for the candidate to ask questions, and a few minutes to wrap up and explain next steps.

    • Send a confirmation to your candidate. An interview confirmation email should go out soon after the interview is scheduled. Include the time, format (video, phone, or in-person), who the candidate will be meeting, any materials they should bring or prepare, and a contact in case something comes up.

    • Conduct interviewer training. New interviewers can often benefit from some training on interview techniques, unconscious bias, and illegal interview questions. It can also be helpful to give them a quick introduction to your applicant tracking system and interview scorecard.

    • Prepare your structured interview questions. Structured interviews — where every candidate for a role gets asked the same core questions — produce better, more defensible hiring decisions. Draft some behavioral interview questions tied to the specific competencies the role requires so you can evaluate the right areas.

    • Share materials with the interview panel. Make sure every interviewer has your candidates’ resume, the job description, their assigned questions, evaluation criteria, and conference room reservations or a virtual meeting link before the day of the interview.

    • Block time before the interview to prepare. Each interviewer should set aside 15 minutes on their calendar before the interview starts. This is a good time to review the job description and candidate’s application materials, identify any areas they want to dig into, and get set up for the interview.

    During the interview

    The best interviewers create an environment where they can gather the information they need to make a good decision while allowing the candidate to perform at their best.

    • Make introductions. Tell the candidate your name, your role, and how you’re connected to the position they’re interviewing for. This context helps the candidate understand who they’re talking to and tailor their answers accordingly.

    • Explain the format. Give the candidate a quick overview of how the conversation will go.

    • Ask your prepared questions. Run through your interview questions, asking follow-up questions as needed to get additional detail from your candidate.

    • Take notes. Write down specific things the candidate said, such as examples of past work experience, professional successes, and areas for improvement.

    • Give the candidate time to ask questions. Reserve at least 10 minutes to let candidates ask questions about your organization, team, and open role. Tell them if you don’t know the answer to something and offer to follow up.

    • Explain next steps. Close out the conversation by telling the candidate what happens next: when they can expect to hear from you, who will be in touch, and what the remaining steps in the process look like.

    • Thank the candidate for their time. A genuine thank-you acknowledges that interviewing takes time and real effort, and goes a long way in providing a positive candidate experience.

    After the interview

    Your work isn’t quite done when the interview ends. Your post-interview tasks play an important role in your hiring outcomes.

    • Document your feedback. Interviewers should share feedback as soon as possible after the interview ends, indicating whether each candidate meets the evaluation criteria and sharing specific examples to back up their evaluation.

    • Debrief with your hiring team. Get the hiring team together to go through each evaluation criterion, hear from each interviewer, and make decisions.

    • Follow up with candidates. Get back to candidates when you said you would, sending each either an offer letter, an interview invitation email for the next round, or a rejection letter. This is also a good time to give and request feedback.

    Final thoughts on your interview checklist

    An organized interview process helps ensure you create a smooth candidate experience while effectively evaluating candidates. Build an interview checklist that works for your team so you don’t miss critical steps or have to reinvent your process each time you hire. This is one of the best ways to simplify and improve your hiring.

    JobScore applicant tracking system gives hiring teams a central place to manage the full interview process — from interview scheduling and structured scorecards to candidate communication and recruiting analytics. Interviewers, hiring managers, and talent professionals benefit from our user-friendly ATS that simplifies the hiring process.

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