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Evaluate Job Candidates Based On a Rubric

by Leading Edge

At each stage in the hiring process, candidates should be assessed based on a pre-determined rubric.

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This will allow multiple team members to focus their evaluations on shared criteria, while reducing the role of bias and ensuring that every pre-determined “must have” criterion will not be forgotten at any stage in which candidates are eliminated or advanced.

A good rubric lays out a set of specific criteria for rating each candidate according to qualifications drawn from the role description. Each candidate should be rated separately on each criterion. The rubric should have a clear key that explains what each rating level means for each criterion. Rubrics should also ask interviewers to provide “evidence” for each rating in terms of direct observations from the interview that back up the interviewer’s rating decision.

Interviewers should be encouraged to challenge any conclusions they have come to for which they are unable to provide “evidence” because this is where bias often arises. Whenever multiple members of the hiring team are involved in advancing or eliminating candidates, they should fill out rubrics independently before debriefing together to discuss their impressions.

Having independent rubrics in hand before these discussions begin gives interviewers an opportunity to check themselves for biases or unwarranted assumptions, especially if their rubric ratings of a candidate significantly differ.

Try out these resources to help you get started:

“Hiring Rubric Starter Kit.” — The Management Center.

“How to create an interview evaluation form (+ free template).” — Hire by Google.

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