Before inviting candidates for interview, all appropriate documentation regarding initial candidate rankings must be submitted to the Office of Diversity and Equity for approval.  (Please see the Checklist for Interview Certification).  Once the search committee receives ODE approval, the committee may go through as many rounds of interviews as necessary to identify the selected candidate.  It is important, however, to be consistent during the interview rounds.  For example, if your first round of interviews is conducted via telephone or Skype, conduct all interviews via telephone or Skype regardless of the geography of any given candidate, (yes, even if one of your candidates is in state or on campus).  After the first round, if you move to on-campus interviews, interview every candidate on campus.

All members of the committee should participate in all interviews to ensure fair and consistent evaluation of each applicant.  Prior to conducting any interview, all search committee members should discuss the objective(s) of the interview, the main topics or areas to be covered during the interview, and the itinerary and arrangements for each candidate.  Interview questions must be related to the job and essential to determining the candidate’s qualifications for the position.

Committees should develop a core set of questions for all applicants that will elicit sufficient information to make an evaluation of the candidates’ qualifications and allow an equitable comparison of the candidates.  To ensure equity, the interview experience should be consistent, providing the same opportunities to each candidate.

In addition, committee members should review the 12 Basic Caveats for Non-Discriminatory Interviewing to be aware of questions that are unlawful and should not be asked during the interview.  Everyone participating in the interview process should be made aware of inappropriate topics and questions.  Also, please bear in mind that the same questions that are inappropriate or unlawful during a formal interview are also inappropriate and unlawful in a social or less formal interview session with an applicant.