Deciding Who to Interview
Unless you are in dire need of hiring someone quickly, wait a few days to collect an ample number of applications and resumes before you start calling people in for interviews. This way you'll be able to sort through and compare resumes you have received and make a solid decision about which candidates should be called in for a face-to-face meeting. Interviewing people who are unlikely to meet your needs is a waste of your time and gives a false hope to the applicant. You want to give everyone a fair chance, but not at someone else's expense, including yours.
To be on the safe side, check with your state labor board and inquire whether you are required to keep a position open for a specific period of time before making an offer. Some states do have laws about this. Filling a position too quickly may be seen as not giving enough people a fair opportunity to apply.
Once you have a stack of completed applications, give each one your undivided attention. Sloppy and incomplete applications may be a sign that the person does sloppy and incomplete work as well. Applicants are expected to act their very best when trying to impress a prospective employer; if this is their best work, then anything less may be a disappointment down the road once they are hired. Here are some things to ask yourself when reviewing applications and resumes, but keep in mind that some of these apply only to applications:
Is the writing legible, with correct spelling and grammar?
Does the previous-employment section show signs of stability?
If previous experience is required, does the applicant have it?
Are all of the questions answered?
Is the application signed?
Does anything look questionable?
Consider the position you have open and whether or not you can overlook some of the questions above. For instance, if there is no writing involved in the job, penmanship and spelling skills may not be a prerequisite, and you may decide to overlook this and give the person a chance. The applicant may have never won a spelling bee at school, but based on his experience with other things, he may be able to make your customers happy.
If an applicant has the experience you are looking for but appears to be a job hopper (works at places for short periods of time), you may find it worthwhile to call the person in for an interview and find out what was up; she may have a good explanation. However, beware of people who don't stay at a job very long without a valid reason — the cost to recruit and train a new employee is costly. Most employers find employee retention to be a big issue for them and are looking for people who are likely to stay with the company for a few years or longer.
Read the part of the application or resume carefully that shows what the person's job duties were at their last position. These may be quite different from their job title. For instance, if someone worked as a receptionist their job duties could have been much more than just answering the phone, greeting customers, and sorting mail. They could also have been responsible for ordering office supplies, making travel arrangements, and typing business correspondence.
Duties performed during volunteer work carry as much weight as paid work, which is why most applications instruct job seekers to include it in the employment-background section.
You will be viewed as a fair business owner if you give a chance to as many people as possible who meet the minimum requirements for the job. It may not be possible to interview everyone who qualifies, but it is to your advantage to meet with as many as you can. If several applicants have the same level of qualifications, interview each one.
Keep all of the applications that you receive, whether or not you interview the person. Have a file for the people you will be interviewing and one for those you will not be interviewing. You may end up with a third pile of applicants — those who you aren't sure you want to interview at this time. This is your “maybe” pile. Hold on to these so that you have them handy if you need to call in more people. You may interview everyone in your first-choice pile, still not be in a position to make a job offer, and want to interview another round of applicants.
