Organizations understand that the dominating throttle on their growth is an inability to have the right people. Therefore people managers always focus on developing screening techniques in recruitment to source the right candidate for the vacant job profiles.
The topgrading interview process was introduced in 1997 by Brad Smart. It works on the philosophy to acquire the most talented performers.
Here’s 12 Step Topgrading Interview Process
- Evaluate the current hiring process
- Develop profile scorecard
- Communicate job vacancies and initiate sourcing
- Screening employment history
- Telephonic or video interviews
- Conduct skill interviews
- Organize top-grading interview
- Coaching and feedback to hiring managers
- Prepare summary
- Perform reference checks
- Select and train new hires
- Evaluate performances regularly
1. Evaluate the current hiring process
The first and foremost step in the topgrading interview process is to analyze the existing interview processes to decide on what should continue and what not while hiring candidates.
2. Develop profile scorecard
People managers need to know the right attributes required for the job profiles. The managers decide the group interview questions put forth in an interview to shortlist applicants.
The recruiter and hiring manager perform work on designing a scorecard. It contains a detailed list of qualifications, personality, skills, and competencies desirable among candidates.
3. Communicate job vacancies and initiate sourcing
Once you finish identifying the needs, develop a Job description revealing the company’s requirements and expected roles to perform by the candidate after selection.
The human resource managers select the right platform to post vacancies and Job descriptions to invite relevant candidates to apply for the jobs.
4. Screening employment history
It is one of the vital methods of screening candidates. Many organizations begin with conducting employment history questionnaires to be filled by candidates.
The motive behind this is to identify the critical employment events of the applicants and trim down the weaker ones for the upcoming screening process.
Recommended Read: The Ultimate Background Check & Screening Guide for 2021
5. Telephonic or video interviews
Once the hirers select candidates in the first screening round, telephonic or video interviews get scheduled. In this round, several questions are asked to candidates about professional goals, recent jobs, experiences, and reasons for leaving their current employment. The candidates who qualify the phone interviews called for the next screening round.
6. Conduct skill interviews
This stage mainly focuses on evaluating the proficiency and behavior of the candidate.
It is where you use the scorecards to check the skills and screen the candidates.
Recruiter develops behavioral interview questions to check candidate responsiveness in critical working situations.
For example:
- Tell me about an event when you effectively handle work pressure?
- What will you do if you have weekend plans with your family after a long time and your colleague called you up to resolve an issue?
7. Organize top-grading interview
It is the most vital step of the topgrading interview process. While coming to this step, you should carry a narrow list of qualified candidates to perform a long interview session to get a comprehensive overview of the screened candidates.
The hiring managers ask chronological interview questions beginning from the high school to the recent employment activity of the interviewee.
Topgrading interview questions are helpful to uncover all information of the candidate related to career, education, previous employment histories, promotions, work challenges, conflicts, and many more.
8. Coaching and feedback to hiring managers
After every interview session, the HR managers train hiring managers and communicate them techniques and group interview tips to evaluate the interviewees’ compatibility.
People managers conduct interactive sessions with the interviewers to improve the effectiveness of further interviews.
9. Prepare summary
After finishing the top grading interviews, the hiring team notes down the performance details of each candidate.
The overall interview performance report is then submitted to the manager to make decisions for selecting the candidate.
10. Perform reference checks
After selecting candidates, HR managers prepare topgrading reference check questions to get evidence on the information provided by the candidates.
For example
- Why did (candidate name) leave the company?
- Could you please confirm the commencement and completion dates of the candidate’s employment?
Candidates need to arrange reference checks with past employers before providing offer letters to them.
11. Select and train new hires
The second last phase is to offer the job to the candidate by enlisting policies and guidelines.
The candidate accepts the offer and the company then provides training to the new ones to improve organizational acquaintance and performances.
Recommended Read: How to Onboard New Employees [2021 Updated Guide]
12. Evaluate performances regularly
Once the candidate undergoes the above steps of the topgrading interview guide, people managers and hiring managers regularly monitor the performance of selected employees.
It helps to know the authenticity of the interview process and entails the necessary developments to make to conduct a topgrading interview process.
Key takeaways
Topgrading interviews are the thorough processes to attain success in sourcing the most desirable employee for the organization.
Undoubtedly, the topgrading interviews are elevating the efficiencies and effectiveness of the recruitment department.
Springworks helps you to conduct topgrading interviews and have a great employee base for your organization.
