Checklist for interviewing/hiring committees

Throughout the search process, please make sure the committee completes the following:

• Ensure every committee member has participated in an implicit bias training by Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. 
• Agree, as a committee, what the hiring process will look like to work against bias.
• Write a job posting with inclusive language.
• Create evaluation criteria that reflects the job posting and avoids bias (e.g. “ideal” candidate qualities, education bias, etc.). Utilize a Candidate evaluation matrix to ensure all committee members agree on criteria by confirming expectation and definitions.
• Circulate the job posting via diverse hiring websites, listservs and networks.
• Before the interview, identify and define the most important competencies for this specific position.
• Questions matter. Develop interview questions to assess each candidate’s qualifications.
• Include at least one diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) question for the interview and confirm components of a “quality” answer for each question.
• Ensure you are auditing and mitigating your bias throughout the interview process (e.g. questioning assumptions or conclusions made, considering your privilege, etc.).
• Utilize the Candidate evaluation form to minimize bias and assess each candidate equitably.
• After the interview, debrief immediately and deliberately.
• Identify strengths first for every candidate.
• Review and confirm criteria has remained consistent throughout the process.
• Group candidates in categories (e.g. minimally qualified, qualified, highly qualified) and discuss candidates who are scored differently.
• Once new hire has been approved, prepare for employee onboarding: New Employee Onboarding, Onboarding Toolkit, Example Checklist

*Adapted from the University of Washington.