by Mark McClanahan
We’re in the process of recruiting for a key management position at Mosby Building Arts. Fortunately for us, we have had a significant number of quality candidates come into the pipeline in a short amount of time. Though it’s certainly ideal to have many talented people to choose from, it can also be a challenge to truly identify the top players. In past situations, I’ve certainly struggled with the phenomenon known as the recency effect.
The recency effect occurs when the most recent experiences in a long string of events, such as interviews, are remembered as the best. If you’re in the process of vetting many qualified candidates for a position, you could easily put the last of the interviewees at the top of your list because of this abnormal deviation.
To avoid this, it’s important to have a system in place to take an objective look at the past. At Mosby, we use a rubric during the interview selection process. The rubric is made up of different attributes and categories, each measured by a 4-point system, with 1 being the least favorable score and 4 being the most favorable. In this case, we have seven attributes, including business acumen, strategic abilities, managing people and working with peers. All of the attributes relate to the types of questions asked during the interview in addition to general behavioral observations.
After each interview, we fill out the rubric and add notes with highlighted observations. At the end of the interviews, we compare the scores to identify the candidates who should move to the next recruitment phase.
When you’re in a situation with many options to choose from, a measurement tool like the rubric is effective.
Mark McClanahan (mmcclanahan@callmosby.com or 314.909.1800) is the president at Mosby Building Arts.
Submitted 7 years 295 days ago