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Interview Scoring Sheets: Rating Candidates

With companies getting multiple candidates for each job posting, it’s no wonder they’ve turned to interview scoring sheets when trying to find the perfect fit for a position. With budgets getting tighter, businesses want to avoid hiring the wrong person. Interview scoring cards allow them to rate candidates, making the decision on who to hire much easier. To help you decide if implementing interview scoring sheets is right for your business, there are a few things you need to know. Related: How to Find Good Employees

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What is an interview scoring sheet?

An interview scoring sheet is a tool businesses can use to standardize hiring practices. In very basic terms, it is a form used by the interviewer that states what is to be asked and what type of answer the company is looking for. Each question is rated by a point system, usually out of five, and allows the hiring manager to rate each candidate’s performance in their interview. For example, if the company is looking for a new receptionist, they might want someone who is organized, can multitask, and is tech savvy. When asked, “What are your strengths?”, the candidate who mentions all three qualities in their answer would receive a higher score than someone who mentions only one or two. By using an interview scoring sheet, the interviewer can later look at the results for each candidate and know exactly who to hire.

Pros and cons of interview scorecards

There are some definite advantages and disadvantages when it comes to using interview scorecards. To help you make the correct decision for your business, take a look at these pros and cons.

Pros

  • Helps you stay focused: by using an interview scoring sheet, the interviewer is able to really focus on what each candidate is saying, which allows the interview process to be more precise.
  • Promotes sound hiring practices: the interview scorecard is a record of what is said in an interview and explains why a business hired a certain candidate. This means that there is no unconscious bias when interviewing, which protects the business from lawsuits due to discrimination.
  • Helps hiring managers improve: when using a standardized interview scorecard, it’s easier for hiring managers to make the right decision on which candidate to hire. In addition to giving hiring managers a clear idea of the exact requirements for the position, scorecards also help hiring managers remember candidates and what they said.

Cons

  • Limits eye-contact: writing notes for an interview rating sheet can make it difficult for an interviewer to make the appropriate amount of eye contact with the candidate, which may confuse the interviewee. The candidate might feel that the process is impersonal, which may turn them off from working for your company.
  • Requires a lot of time and effort: creating a system for interview scoring sheets can take the HR department a lot of time. Also, tabulating the scores of each candidate and comparing notes with other hiring managers also slows down the entire process.

What criteria should be on a scoring sheet?

The interview rating sheet should have all the information needed for interview. During the interview, the hiring manager will be asking questions from the scorecard and taking notes on the answers. This means there has to be adequate space for notetaking as well as candidates’ answers to job‑specific questions. The scorecard template should also include an easy-to-understand scoring system. For example, if hiring managers have to mark each answer out of 5, this should be clearly stated on the scorecard. This allows the HR department to have consistent scoring for all interviews so there’s no dispute about an individual’s overall score. Another criterion for interview scoring sheets is an area where interviewers can note any potential areas of concern when discussing the candidate’s skills. This will allow the hiring manager to have a better understanding of the overall impression of each candidate. Finally, there should be a space in which the hiring manager can indicate whether or not they’d recommend hiring the individual. Everything you might need to know about a particular interview should be on the scorecard, making the process highly efficient. Related: Best Interview Questions to ask Candidates

Best practices for deploying scoring sheets

If your company decides to start using interview scoring sheets, there are certain practices that can make the experience easier. Creating a standardized template for each position you might be interviewing for is an essential way of ensuring the interview process is efficient for the company. Though creating a template might take time, having a standard interview scoring sheet ensures continuity no matter who is conducting the interview. Also, if you’re able, have two people conduct the interview so that they can compare notes once they’re done. This allows the interview rating sheet to be more accurate, which will help you find the best candidate for the job. There’s also a lot to be said for companies who choose to share the information about the interview score sheets with the candidates. This allows for a transparent process in which candidates will be more relaxed when being interviewed. Related articles:

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