How do I decide the right number of interviews?
A well-planned interview process is a key part of identifying the right person for a role.
Interviews allow you to uncover the information you need to confidently choose a candidate – but they’re also time-consuming and take key management staff away from day-to-day roles. That’s why it’s crucial that the interview process is efficient from the start.
Justin Boots, HR Business Partner at SEEK, says the right amount and style of interviewing will differ for every role.
Watch as he shares tips for deciding what your interview process should look like, and when just one interview will do:
How many interview rounds do you need?
“The number of interviews that I would have with each candidate would differ depending on the role that I’m hiring for,” Boots says.
He says considering the complexity of the role is key. Multiple rounds of interviews might be needed if a role:
involves complex stakeholder management
involves complex relationships that need to be navigated throughout the organisation
requires deep technical knowledge.
What should different interviews include?
If the role is complex, you might decide to conduct several interviews. In that case, you can vary the content of the interviews to reveal different aspects of the candidates, Boots says.
“One may be a cultural fit interview, and another may be a case study where you’re giving the candidate an opportunity to demonstrate their technical depth of knowledge within a particular discipline,” he says.
When to have just one interview
In some cases, one interview with a candidate will do, Boots says. For instance, you can limit the interview to one if:
you’re hiring for a role that’s already well defined
the role has a good structure
relevant relationships and stakeholders within the organisation are limited to a small group
you’re confident the candidate can hit the ground running on day one.
Whatever the role you’re looking to fill, adapting your interview process to suit it can help you balance using time wisely with finding the information you need to make a confident hiring decision.