Interviewing In-house applicants

Nat

I am a North Carolian employer and my question is: if you post available positions, do you have to interview every in-house applicant that applies? Some feedback would be helpful!

Nat

Dianna

Funny you should post this, as I am working on an Internal Transfer Request Master form for our company. Under Interviewer Information, it has a check box that states "Does not meet minimum qualifications". This is based on the job description. So the answer is "No." Basing it on the job descriptions you have for your company is the best way to keep it consistent.

If you would like me to e-mail this form to you once I complete it, just post your e-mail address for me, and I'll be happy to oblige.

Margaret Morford

I agree with Dianne and would add this. Encourage the managers when they are looking at minimum qualifications to spell those out as much as possible. It is in their best interest because they do not need to interview anyone who is not qualified. However from an employee relations standpoint, I would require or encourage your managers to call those that do not appear to be qualified and say to them, "This job requires X amount of this type of experience. I don't see that on your request for interview/resume/application. Have I missed this information?" This is a great time to thank them for their interest in the position, but tell the internal candidate that they don't have the necessary qualifications. It's a nice touch and keeps employees from wondering why they didn't get interviewed. It also makes the manager look like a great manager.

I would also require that the interviewing manager call all the internal candidates that they interview, but don't hire, and tell them that they weren't selected. It forces the manager to articulate why the person they chose is more qualified and closes the loop nicely for those that applied, but were not selected.

Margaret Morford
theHRedge

Dianna

Margaret,
It seems as if I remember reading on the forum about a place for you to post forms that might be helpful to other HR folks out there. Do you think the internal transfer request form we talked about on this thread would be helpful to post? If so, can you please direct me to where I send it?
Thanks!
Dianna

Margaret Morford

What a generous offer! Please e-mail the form to [email]webeditor@hrhero.com[/email] and Christy, who is the Web Editor and keeps this site going for us, will post it. For people to access it, they need to go to:

[url]http://www.hrhero.com/policies/policyindex.shtml[/url]

Dianne, thanks so much for sharing. Anybody else with policies they'd be willing to share, please send to Christy.

Margaret Morford
theHRedge

System

Great idea, Margaret!

Thanks for sharing the form, Dianna! I've posted the it at
[url]http://www.hrhero.com/policies/policyindex.shtml[/url]

Christy Reeder
Website Managing Editor
[url]www.HRhero.com[/url]

Nat

A copy of the form would be great! My e-mail address is [email]nataliehrm@yahoo.com[/email]. I agree that sticking with the job description is the best way to determine eligibility for interview. I am meeting resistance from other non-HR management staff who think that not interviewing everyone could raise discrimination issues. I have in-house applicants that have attendance problems that, in my opinion, makes them ineligible for a promotion/transfer. My colleagues think we must interview them anyway because they applied. I say no. Thanks for your input.

Nat

Dianna

The form is on it's way to you. I want to extend a thank you to Margaret for her input. I neglected to tell you that we basically do exactly what she outlined, as you will see on the form.

Hope that helps.

Margaret Morford

Nat,

Make "no displinary action within the last 90 to 180 days" a requirement for applying for an internal job posting. Then, they would not be a qualified candidate. If there's no written documentation, I'd be concerned about not interviewing them.

Margaret Morford
theHRedge

Gillian

While you may try to narrow applications by having clear requirements, etc, thus having employees elimanate themselves from consideration, you should interview everyone that ultimatly applies, even those who apply knowing that they don't meet the requirements. If you don't, the perception of employees will be that you pick and choose who to hire, that you play favorites, that your posting system is rigged etc. etc.

It is also a good idea to talk to the employees who are not successful so that you can give career guidance and advice about becoming qualified in the future.

Job posting procedures have many benefits but only if the employees feel like it is an honest system, and that comes from being open and having a lot of communication. If this is not the case, the job posting system is a bummer for morale. Employees take promotion opportunities seriously.