You advertisement may attract several applications or only one. This section explains how to conduct your assessment process.

Shortlisting applications helps you decide whether to proceed to interview applicants. There are two steps.

Step 1: Check for essential requirements

If you listed any essential requirements, the first step is to reject any applications that don't meet those. For example, if you need your worker to have a car but an applicant doesn’t have one, there is no point going on to an interview.

Step 2: 

Review the remaining applications to see how well they match your expectations such as whether they show evidence that they have the capabilities and any other requirements that are important to you. Look through the applications for statements and words that show they understand what you are looking for and have relevant attitudes, skills, and knowledge. Take note of any areas you want to follow up at an interview. You can find a template to help you to shortlist multiple applications in the box below.

You can download a shortlisting scorecard template from the online participant resources, to help you to decide which applicants to interview.

You are now ready to interview your preferred applicants. Depending on how many applications you receive, you could decide to start by interviewing the 3 or 4 on your list who seem to be the best fit.

If you haven’t decided on how to conduct the interview, see ‘Choose assessment methods’ for useful tips and suggestions. This section explains how to plan the interview so you are well prepared and can make well-informed decisions about the applicant that is right for you. 

Here are some steps for setting up interviews:

• Contact the applicant and arrange a time and place. Let the applicant know how long to allow (it’s up to you but usually 30-60 minutes is enough time).
• Let them know if you will be asking them to do another kind of assessment as well as the interview, for example, to demonstrate a practical skill.
• Check if they have any questions.
• Let them know who will be present at the interview (and remember to introduce each person when you do the interview).
• It’s also a good idea to ask applicants to let you know if they require adjustment to the interview setting, the assessment process or the role itself.

Listen to Word document - Interview and practical test assessment scoring sheet

Listen to Word document - Shortlisting candidates - Scorecard

Continue to the next stage of the process:

Make an offer