SCREENING INTERVIEW
Screening interviews help narrow down the list of candidates so the next one-on-one interview is much more efficient. They are considered the gates before taking the next step into a more formal interview. The idea is to get a "feeling" of how well the candidate meets the requirements of the company.
A Screening interview usually means that the candidate has passed the first general application selection and now the company needs to check if he/she is ready for a major step.
It is the least formal form of a one-on-one interview and it helps the company save time and money through the selection process.
It is usually conducted by a member of the Human Resources department. These interviewers are usually very experienced and familiar with interviews, selection processes and identifying potential weaknesses in the applicantīs profile.
There are different ways to conduct a Screening Interview: Face to face, telephone meeting, online conference, video conference.
Methods:
Computer Screening Interview: A simple way to narrow down candidate listing. It can be done through an online conference and sometimes a multiple-choice testing is possible (knowledge or IQ based).
Phone Screening Interview: Another simple way to narrow down the list of candidates before having a face-to-face interview. Applicants are told if they passed this interview. Usually a number of specific questions (job-related) are asked.
Face-to-Face Screening Interview: Simple, though it requires more time than the methods listed above.
Tips for Interviewers:
- Do not take too long in this interview.
- Look for the strong candidates; you will need solid reasons to be sure the candidate you will choose is ready for the next step.
- Keep in mind that there is a lot of competition involved in this type of interview and selection process.
- At some point the selection and interviewing process is not really about qualifying application, it may be more about disqualifying them.
- Salary expectations matter, since many unemployed people do not feel comfortable taking jobs that pay less than their previous jobs.
- Always ask candidates about their day-to-day routine and duties, this will help you a lot when grading applications.
- This interview has a great deal to do with technical skills and very specific characteristics.
