UK Employment Law\ Employer & Employee\ Job Interviews
Holding job interviews
How to select and interview.
It is a good idea to set selection criteria and ability tests. These allow the employer to ascertain whether someone can actually carry out the tasks as specified on a job description. It also highlights whether the candidate has the ability to take on training and develop within the role. Key tip: make sure all the qualifications that you insist on are actually relevant and regularly revisit them to make sure they are lawful and not discriminatory.
The next stage is to shortlist people who you wish to invite for interview. Letters of invitation should be sent out, followed by letters informing unsuccessful applicants.
Another way of doing this is to inform applicants that if they have not heard back within a month of the published closing date, then they have been unsuccessful.
Do
- keep records showing why an applicant failed in the interview process and why they were not given the job.
- Use the same process and criteria to select applications.
- plan questions for the interview and make sure they are relevant to the job.
- Make sure that all employees who come into contact with applicants (ie: receptionists and PA's) are aware of the legal obligations on avoiding unlawful discrimination.
Don't
- Make sexist or racist jokes at the interview,
- separate out the lists into male, female, married or single.
- ask questions about personal issues (ie: is the applicant married and do they have children?)
