What is an open interview?
An open job interview is an alternative format that eliminates the application part of the hiring process. Instead of selecting a handful of interviewees from your pool of applicants, these interviews give you the chance to meet with potential employees before you’ve seen their names on a resume.
With open interviews, interested applicants can essentially skip the application phase and go straight to one-on-one contact. This type of interview allows you to meet a large number of potential candidates with skills and experience that may not have stood out on a resume.
Related: How Many Rounds of Interviews Should You Conduct?
What does “open interview” mean?
The term “open interview” indicates that anyone can attend the first round of interviews. Unlike traditional interviews, there’s no initial application form or prescreening process. As they wait to be interviewed, candidates fill out applications and attach their resumes. However, these aren’t usually used to determine who is considered for the next stage of the process.
Instead, candidates make an impression based on their responses during the interview. This is in contrast to more standard hiring systems where applicants are vetted before they visit the office to take part in a face-to-face meeting.
How do open interviews work?
A big part of conducting an open interview is getting the word out. First, advertise your open positions to attract interested applicants to the event. Once there, you and your team will conduct interviews with each person to see how they’ll mesh with your company.
Depending on the event’s turnout, you may have a large number of applicants to review. With so many conversations to be had in a short period, you might not be able to make a final decision based on this meeting alone. Open interviews can give you a good sense of which candidates should be considered for the next round of interviews.
Benefits of hosting an open interview
Why bother hosting an open interview? There are several benefits that make this method more appealing to employers than a traditional one. Here are some benefits of open interviews that you can look forward to.
Accurate first impressions
A good resume is necessary for every job applicant, but they often don’t show the whole picture. In some cases, a candidate may seem promising on paper, but they fall short when you meet in person. The same is true for those with resumes that don’t stand out—you might overlook the right person for the job.
Open interviews eliminate these issues. By skipping the application process, your impression of a candidate won’t be skewed by their resume. This way, you won’t miss out on quality candidates simply because they didn’t have a perfect resume.
Save time
As an employer, you’re already busy with the day-to-day workings of your company. While hiring is a crucial part of the job, it’s also time-consuming. Hosting an open interview is an easy way to save time while accessing quality candidates.
Pouring over resumes and selecting which applicants will advance to the interview stage is a long process. An open job interview eliminates this entirely. By evaluating each candidate as they sit right in front of you, you’ll know exactly who to call in for the next round.
Fill multiple positions
If you have several positions to fill at once, you might feel pressured to hire someone as quickly as possible. Not only do open interviews save time, they can also help you fill multiple positions at once. Just add several roles to your advertisements to maximize the event’s efficiency.
Reach a wider applicant pool
When it comes to hiring, a wide talent pool means you’ll have plenty of candidates to choose from. Unfortunately, the traditional hiring process may limit your access.
Open job interviews are attractive to applicants in many ways. Not only do they eliminate the time spent waiting to hear back on a resume, they also provide a chance to make an immediate face-to-face connection. By hosting an open interview, you’ll likely have a bigger pool of candidates to select from, making it easier to find the best fit for your company.
How to conduct an open interview
If you’ve decided to host an open job interview, where should you start? A little planning will help you get the most out of this event. Here’s what to do first:
Promote the event
You won’t attract any candidates if no one knows about your open interview. Be sure to promote your event using job boards, using social media or by putting up posters in your area. For every ad, include the date, the time and a small description of the roles you’re looking to fill.
Prepare your questions
Asking the right questions will ensure you get the most out of each interview. Opt for open-ended questions when you can to prompt a deeper response from the candidate.
Consider asking interviewees about their job history, personal strengths and career goals. For an open interview, you want to get to know each applicant and determine if they should be brought in for the next phase of the hiring process.
Make plans to follow-up
Once you’ve met with each candidate, it’s time to decide who you’d like to see more of. Plan to follow up as soon as possible, ideally a week or two after the interview. Now, you can focus only on the applicants you’re seriously considering and move on to the next stages.
FAQs about open job interviews
Want to know more about open job interviews? Here are some of the most frequently asked questions.
How much time should be spent with each candidate?
Hosting an open interview saves time, but how much of it should you devote to each candidate? The answer will vary depending on the type of applicants you get. You may want 15 to 45 minutes with each interviewee; however, turnout can affect your interview time. If there are many candidates waiting to meet with you, setting a time limit ensures you get to everyone.
Who should conduct each interview?
With so many candidates to speak with, open job interviews are a great way to get your whole team involved in the process. Bring your whole hiring team or a group of managers to conduct interviews alongside you. Consider splitting your interviewers into groups of two; multiple perspectives can help you make a decision about each candidate.
When should you skip open job interviews?
This method works best for positions that include on-the-job training and that likely have wide applicant pools. For highly specialized roles with specific experience requirements, skipping the open interview in favor of a simple resume screening may be just as efficient.
