Interviewing Events: How to manage multiple interviewers and candidates well

Jonathan Kidder

2 years ago

Do you have multiple job openings within the same team? Organizing a single-day interviewing event with several candidates might be the perfect approach to hit your hiring goals. Your team can proactively develop a talent pipeline, submit candidates, and conduct interviews during this event. Generally, it takes about a month to plan and execute an interview event like this, with many people involved in ensuring its success.

At my current workplace, Amazon, we call these interview events “PODs.” During a POD, numerous candidates are scheduled for interviews on a specific date. Successfully organizing such an event comes with its challenges, but in the following text, I will outline some best practices to help you get started.

How to set up an interviewing event:

Setting up an interview event with multiple interviewers and candidates can be a complex task, but proper organization and communication are key to ensure a smooth process. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you set up an interview event successfully:

Define objectives and structure: First, determine the main goals of the interview event and the structure you want to follow. Decide if you want a panel interview, where multiple interviewers interview one candidate at a time, or a rotation-based interview, where candidates move between different interviewers.

Identify interviewers and candidates: Create a list of interviewers and candidates who will participate in the event. Ensure that the interviewers have the right expertise and experience to evaluate the candidates.

Select a date, time, and location: Choose a suitable date and time for the event, considering the availability of both interviewers and candidates. If the interviews will be held in person, book an appropriate venue with enough rooms or spaces for the interviews. If you’re planning virtual interviews, choose a reliable video conferencing platform.

Prepare a schedule: Create a detailed schedule, including the start and end times for each interview, as well as breaks and transition periods. For a rotation-based interview, allocate specific time slots for each interviewer-candidate pair. Make sure to consider the time needed for setup, wrap-up, and any other activities.

Communicate with participants: Send out invitations to the interviewers and candidates, including the date, time, location (or video conference link), and any other necessary details. Request confirmations to ensure everyone is available and aware of the event.

Prepare interview materials: Create and distribute interview guides, questions, and evaluation forms to the interviewers. Provide them with candidate resumes, job descriptions, and any other relevant information. Brief them on the objectives and structure of the interview event.

Set up the interview space: If conducting in-person interviews, set up the rooms with chairs, tables, and any required equipment, such as laptops, projectors, or whiteboards. For virtual interviews, ensure that interviewers and candidates have access to the video conferencing platform and test its functionality.

Assign roles: Designate a coordinator or facilitator to manage the overall event, including timekeeping, assisting with transitions, and addressing any unexpected issues. This person can also act as a point of contact for participants if they have questions or concerns.

Conduct the interviews: On the day of the event, welcome the participants and ensure everyone understands the process. Stick to the schedule and make any necessary adjustments as needed.

Debrief and evaluate: After the event, gather feedback from the interviewers, compile their evaluations, and discuss the candidates’ performance. Use this information to make informed decisions about the candidates and identify areas for improvement in future interview events.

How to manage and stay organized:

Interviewing Teams:

Provide proper training: Ensure that the interviewers are trained on how to conduct effective and objective interviews, how to evaluate candidates, and how to provide feedback.

Define the interview process: Clearly define the interview process and ensure that all the interviewers are following the same process.

Assign specific roles: Assign specific roles to the interviewers, such as one interviewer focusing on technical skills, another on soft skills, and another on cultural fit.

Conduct debrief meetings: After each interview, conduct debrief meetings with the interviewers to discuss their evaluations and feedback. This will help ensure consistency in the evaluation process and help identify any issues that need to be addressed.

Candidates:

Provide clear instructions: Provide clear instructions to the candidates on how to prepare for the interview and what to expect during the interview.

Schedule interviews: Schedule the interviews in advance and provide the candidates with the schedule and any necessary details.

Follow up: Follow up with the candidates after the event to provide feedback on their performance and the outcome of the hiring process.

Treat candidates with respect: Ensure that the candidates are treated with respect and that the interview process is conducted in a professional and fair manner.

How to use the hiring manager for support:

To get more interviewers assigned to your interviewing event, you can collaborate with hiring managers effectively. Here are some strategies to achieve that:

Define clear roles and expectations: Clarify the role of the hiring managers and interviewers in the event. Explain their responsibilities, the time commitment, and what is expected from them in terms of evaluating and providing feedback on candidates.

Share the schedule: Provide hiring managers with the event’s schedule well in advance, including the date, time, and duration. This allows them to plan their team’s involvement and ensure that their interviewers are available.

Request interviewer recommendations: Ask hiring managers to recommend suitable team members to participate as interviewers, based on their expertise and experience in the relevant job roles. This can help ensure that you have enough skilled interviewers for the event.

Offer training and support: Provide hiring managers and interviewers with the necessary training, resources, and support to help them effectively participate in the event. This may include interview guides, evaluation forms, and briefing sessions.

Encourage collaboration: Facilitate open communication between your recruitment team, hiring managers, and interviewers. Encourage them to collaborate in planning and executing the event to achieve shared objectives.

Provide updates and progress reports: Keep hiring managers informed about the progress of the interview event, including candidate submissions, confirmations, and any changes to the schedule. This helps them stay engaged and aware of the event’s status.

Seek feedback and continuous improvement: After the event, gather feedback from hiring managers and interviewers about their experience, and use this information to improve future events. Acknowledge their contributions and involve them in the decision-making process, reinforcing the value of their involvement.

By involving hiring managers in the planning and execution of the interviewing event, you can ensure their commitment and support, resulting in more interviewers assigned to your event and better collaboration throughout the process.

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