In today's labor market, recruiters can afford to be more selective. However, having more candidates in the labor pool has hardly made life easy for recruiters. In many ways, the abundance of qualified and over-qualified talent has made the hiring decision more difficult. In order to better differentiate between candidates, recruiters are tailoring the interview process more and more. Gone is the behavioral interview. In its place, recruiters are using rigorous pre-screening processes and multi-tier interviewing techniques that include cases, puzzlers, and psychological testing.

Candidate "prescreening" has grown tremendously in the past few years. The basic goal behind prescreening is to gauge candidate fit upfront. Firms ask candidates direct questions about their skills, experiences, and interests over the telephone or online. This process saves valuable staff time. If the system is well designed and deployed, prescreening will almost always reduce the time needed to process candidates. Although prescreening can effectively weed out unqualified candidates, this method generally lacks the accuracy needed to differentiate between average and great candidates.

Another interview method turning up in Fortune 500 interviews is the puzzler. Recruiters are using spontaneous, off-the-wall questions such as "You are given a glass of pure water with an ice cube in the glass. The water in the glass comes up to the rim of the glass exactly. When the ice cube melts, will the water overflow?" The use of riddles, brain teasers, and case questions not only gauges creative thinking skills, but also the ability to apply logical processes to solve problems. Though there is little empirical evidence that links puzzlers with job performance, puzzlers can provide a way to gauge basic candidate integrity. Candidates rarely have pre-scripted answers to puzzlers and react in different ways to unexpected questions.

In search of the perfect candidate, companies are also paying thousands of dollars for tests that will help them make the right hiring decision. Psychological testing can discern intelligence, motivation and personality factors that best suit a certain job type. For example, a defense firm may seek emotional stability and strength under pressure, while a broadcasting firm might look for creativity and the ability to work in groups. A drawback to psychological testing is that applicants may find them offensive, but most accepted tests are statistically valid and fit within anti-discrimination guidelines. Results are immediate and they can be administered online.

Hiring by "consensus" is another emerging trend. As part of the overall screening process, it is not unusual for candidates to visit with multiple interviewers. Recruiters can gather a variety of perspectives and reach a consensus in hiring. However, problems with group hiring may arise if a team member's personal or political agenda interferes with the best fit for the organization. Also, interviewers should ask meaningful questions, ensuring not to repeat questions that can allow applicants to improve upon their answers. Multiple interviews can be time consuming, but the lengthy process helps narrow applicants to those genuinely interested in the firm. Additionally, firms can use this time to conduct more extensive background checks, even delving into credit records to find clues.

Although the interview process is changing to suit a growing candidate pool, it is important to select methods that suit your company's best interests. Integrating prescreening measures, puzzlers, psychological tests, and group interviews into the interview process can help the selection process or can needlessly hamper and length in. Is a question like, "How would you design Bill Gates' bathroom?" really going to help you hire? Unless you're recruiting a plumber or an interior designer, I think not.
f