If Hiring a Candidate Is Too Time-Consuming, a Texas Employment Lawyer Can Help

Jake Posey [email protected]

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For small businesses, posting a job, reading and sorting through resumes, calling on references, and conducting many one-on-one interviews can be time-consuming. This is why many small businesses are favoring more panel interviews over one-on-one interviews. 

While the HR department is still typically tasked with finding a qualified person for the job, it is important to have different managers at the company interact with the candidate during the interview process. This is especially a method that many small businesses like to participate in, as there are several benefits, including:

• Saving time. Instead of different managers sitting down with each candidate in one-on-one interviews, panel interviews save everyone time.
• Produce similar assessments. When job candidates are asked different questions by different managers in one-on-one interviews, the outcomes can vary greatly. When everyone is in the same room hearing the same questions and answers, the assessment is more accurate.
• Making timely decisions. When the panel discusses the candidate immediately after he or she leaves, they can make a decision quickly while impressions are still fresh in their minds.

While there are many advantages of panel interviews noted above, these types of interviews also take organization and preparation in order to have the interview process work for a company. Some tips to making sure your panel interview works for you include:

• Choose the right panelists – three to four panelists is helpful in the assessing process; however, no more than five panelists should be involved because it can be intimidating to candidates. The panel can be diverse and include the owner, hiring manager, and employee who will be working with the candidate. 
• Prepare – by determining the abilities of the job and the job requirements, it will help prepare the panel for what they are looking for. Also, give the panelists topics so that they can prepare their own questions related to the job and candidate’s qualifications.
• Listen – it is best to do more listening than talking and not let one panelist dominate the interview. Make sure the candidate is the one doing most of the talking so that you get to know the interviewee.

Although panel interviews are great, some small businesses in Texas do not even have the time to sort through resumes, arrange interviews, or check references. Because we know that the hiring process is very time-consuming, our Austin labor and employment lawyers offer human resources planning and general counsel services to small businesses who don’t have an HR department or who do not have the time to deal with hiring and firing employees. 

If you need help with your hiring and firing processes, please call the Posey Law Firm for help toll free at 888-269-1962 or locally at 512-646-0828 to find out how we can help you in a free consultation today.