Find the rare pearl with the interview grid [ Template to download ]

Evaluating a candidate at a job interview is never easy. Between their training, professional experience and personality, recruiters sometimes have no idea where to turn... and we understand! To recruit effectively, it's essential to be organized and ask the right questions when comparing applications.

Today, Appvizer offers you its advice, with the added bonus of an interview grid that you can download free of charge and fill in directly to conduct an effective job interview 😉

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What is a job interview grid?

Definition

A recruitment interview grid is an assessment tool made up of all the useful information about your candidates. In general, it is organized so that you can quickly find their training, skills and overall assessment. Your interview grid guides you in asking the right questions to help you make your final choice.

Why use an assessment interview grid when recruiting?

The interview grid is a real guideline that gives you a procedure to follow. Depending on the questions you ask your candidate, you can get to know them more easily and save a considerable amount of time. Filling in an assessment interview grid helps you to :

• structure the interview,
• facilitate communication,
• guarantee equal access.

Free job interview template to download

We offer you a free downloadable interview template. Simply fill it in directly on your computer, or print it out to use when recruiting.

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4 steps to filling out an effective interview grid

Now that you've got your template, it's time to fill it in. Here are our 4 tips for a top-notch hiring grid! 🤩

Step 1: agree with your collaborators

Before starting anything, why not talk to your collaborators like your team leaders, your managers, your employees to target the expectations and needs of your future candidate?

Those who work with you are the most qualified to guide you in your choices, thanks to their experience and, above all, their employment within your company. What qualities do you need when you want to recruit a salesperson, for example? The sales manager can then guide you and list the skills you need, such as active listening, communication or ambition, and even tell you what qualifications you need.

💡 Please note: collaborative recruitment helps corporate well-being, exchange and performance ... not to be overlooked!

Once you've gathered as much information as possible for each vacancy sheet, you're ready for the second step!

Step 2: Structure your grid in a logical order

When you're preparing for a job interview, there's a beginning and an end. Logical, you might say! 🙄 However, many recruiters get confused during their interviews and confuse candidates.

If you follow a precise and practical order, you'll avoid going from cock to donkey and making your candidate uncomfortable so that they reveal their true potential. Your grid should be divided into logical categories:

• Category 1: first impressions. Let your candidate introduce himself in a few words without interrupting;
• Category 2: knowledge of the company. Your ideal candidate will need to know a minimum amount about your company in order to verify his or her motivation and seriousness;
• Category 3: training and professional experience. Ask about his or her educational background, diplomas or training courses, and find out about his or her professional experience in previous positions;
• Category 4: personal skills and qualities. Finally, ask questions to determine personality traits such as passions.

To ensure that you and your employees are on the same wavelength and that there is no possible confusion, use the same evaluation criteria for all interview grids. In our model, we've chosen a scale from 0 to 5, but you can modify it to suit your needs.

Step 3: Customize your interview grid

You've already got everything in order on your interview grid - perfect! Depending on the position to be filled, it's up to you to add other rows or columns at the click of a button to personalize it for assignments requiring additional information.

For example, if you're hiring an employee with strong technical skills, you'll need to emphasize their training and skills by evaluating them. For a salesperson, on the other hand, soft skills, motivation and the way he or she comes across are more important than diplomas.

Step 4: Questions to exclude

Contrary to popular belief, you can't ask your candidate every question that comes to mind. If your question is too personal or illegal, the candidate has the right not to answer it.

In particular, there are 4 types of question you can avoid.

Illegal questions

Illegal" questions such as religion, illness, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, etc. are prohibited. These questions are discriminatory and you could be convicted. We'd also like to remind you that all recruiters in a company with more than 300 employees must undergo training to combat discrimination in hiring.

💡 Please note: you can ask about the candidate's criminal record if, and only if, his or her position requires a clean criminal record, like a security guard for example. Otherwise, the candidate has every right not to answer your questions.

Questions that are too personal or awkward

Be careful not to cross a certain line with your candidate. For example, avoid questions such as "Would you prefer to work with a man or a woman? "in short, questions where the candidate has no real answer to give you.

Similarly, asking too many questions about your candidate's personal life can be intrusive and drive them away. Stick to questions that are simple to use, but which are highly effective in determining your candidate's skills and motivation.

As you can see, the interview grid is the essential tool for all recruiters who want to ensure a successful interview. There are several other rather original methods, such as escape games or simulations, if you want to play the originality card.

What do you prefer?