 You’re there to see whether the candidate can do the job well, not to learn about their personal life, so you’ll gain much more valuable insight by focussing on their skills and experience anyway. If you do need to check their date of birth, you should try asking them to confirm that they are over the required age rather than asking them for their exact age.
It can also help to ask the applicant for situational examples during the interview, as this allows the candidate to give anecdotal evidence of their capabilities. Situational questions include:
- Tell me about a time when you handled a difficult situation.
- What’s a project you were particularly proud to be involved in, and why?
- What’s the best feedback you’ve received from a client or co-worker? What did you do to deserve it?
You can also encourage candidates to bring in a portfolio of their work or even set some tasks for them to complete. Then you can make more accurate decisions based on their capabilities, and applicants who find it difficult to talk about their achievements have another chance to prove they can do well in this role. Remember to ask all candidates the exact same questions, to ensure they’re getting an equal chance.
Just like having a diverse team dealing with the selection of candidates, diversity is important when it comes to your interviewing panel. It can showcase how inclusive your company is, make interviewees feel at ease, and provide a range of different insights for you to use to make your final decision. Plus, a diverse panel can offer different perspectives on what it’s like to work there that the applicant may find helpful, and will be able to answer more questions a candidate may have about what it’s like to work for you.
Now that you know how to ensure your recruitment and selection processes are fair, and how not to discriminate when hiring, it’s time to fill your open positions with some great talent. Whether you’re looking for interviewing pointers or want to know how to find the best candidates, our blog is full of helpful advice including industry news and recruitment tips.
At Edward Reed Recruitment, we provide a range of services for candidates as well as clients. As experts at talent acquisition for commerce and industry, we can help you with all your recruitment needs. So, why not get in touch with our team today?