Recruitment and Selection: Competency-Based Interviewing and Scoring – London, 1–5 Nov 2027

Programme overview

Introduction:

Recruitment and selection decisions are often made on a vague vacancy request, a quick CV scan and an unstructured conversation, so organisations hire people who interview well rather than people who perform well, and cannot explain a rejection when challenged. This Core Concept course gives recruiters and hiring managers a repeatable method, from workforce requisition and person specification to competency-based interviewing with anchored scoring rubrics, reference checks and the offer. Through mock interviews with observer feedback, participants build a Structured Interview and Selection Toolkit for a live vacancy.

Course Objectives:

• Convert a vacancy request into an approved requisition, job description and person specification with weighted selection criteria
• Plan a sourcing mix and candidate messaging that reach the target talent pool within budget and time limits
• Screen CVs and applications consistently against knock-out and weighted criteria and produce a defensible shortlist
• Design and conduct structured competency-based interviews, probe for behavioural evidence and score it against anchored rating scales
• Select complementary assessment tools, reduce bias in panel decisions and verify candidates through reference checks
• Close offers, hand new hires over to onboarding and report time-to-hire, cost-per-hire and quality of hire

Target Audience:

• Recruitment and talent acquisition staff who manage vacancies from requisition to offer
• HR officers and generalists who coordinate hiring for several departments
• HR business partners who advise line managers on selection decisions
• Line and hiring managers who sit on interview panels and make appointment decisions
• Recruitment coordinators responsible for candidate communication, scheduling and hiring records

Course Outline:

Day 1: Recruitment Foundations and Hiring Demand

• End-to-End Recruitment Process Map from Requisition to First Day
• Workforce Requisition Form and Vacancy Approval Workflow
• Hiring Manager Intake Meeting Checklist
• Job Description and Person Specification Template
• Recruitment Process Health Check and Candidate Drop-Off Review

Day 2: Recruitment Guidelines and Selection Evidence

• ISO 30405:2023 Guidelines on Recruitment: Process Stages and Responsibilities
• Selection Procedure Validity: Revised Meta-Analytic Estimates by Sackett and Colleagues
• Competency Definitions and Positive and Negative Behavioural Indicators
• Weighted Selection Criteria Matrix: Essential Versus Desirable Requirements
• Assessment Tool Selection Grid: Work Samples, Ability Tests, Personality Questionnaires and Situational Judgement Tests

Day 3: Sourcing, Screening and Interview Design

• Sourcing Channel Mix: Job Boards, Professional Networks, Referrals and Agencies
• Employer Brand Basics and Inclusive Job Advertisement Wording
• CV and Application Screening Scorecard with Knock-Out Criteria
• Structured Interview Guide Built on STAR Behavioural Questions
• Anchored Interview Scoring Rubric with Five-Point Rating Definitions

Day 4: Bias Control, Verification and Offer Risks

• Interviewer Bias Types: First Impression, Halo, Similar-to-Me and Contrast Effects
• Independent Scoring and Panel Wash-Up Decision Rules
• Reference Check Protocol and Structured Referee Questions
• Offer Negotiation, Counter-Offer Handling and Candidate Withdrawal Risk
• Recruitment Metrics Dashboard: Time-to-Hire, Cost-per-Hire, Offer Acceptance and Quality of Hire

Day 5: Mock Interview Practice and the Selection Toolkit

• Role-Play: Competency-Based Interview with Probing and Observer Feedback
• Role-Play: Panel Interview and Score Reconciliation
• Role-Play: Verbal Offer Conversation and Rejection Feedback Call
• Onboarding Handover Pack: New Hire File and Hiring Manager Brief
• Structured Interview and Selection Toolkit Drafting and Peer Review

Skills You Will Gain:

• Job Analysis and Person Specification
• Sourcing Strategy
• CV Screening
• Behavioural Question Design
• Evidence-Based Interview Scoring
• Selection Bias Mitigation
• Reference Verification
• Recruitment Analytics

Why Attend This Course:

• Return with a Structured Interview and Selection Toolkit for a live vacancy, tested in mock interviews
• Hold interviews that uncover real evidence of past behaviour instead of rehearsed answers
• Explain every shortlisting and appointment decision with scores a candidate or auditor can follow
• Compare hiring practice with recruiters and line managers from other sectors and countries

Conclusion:

Good hiring decisions depend on a consistent method applied from the first vacancy request to the new starter's first day. This course moves from requisition, job analysis and person specification, through recruitment guidelines and evidence on selection validity, to sourcing, screening and interview design, and then to bias control, reference checks, offers and recruitment metrics. The final day rehearses interviews and offer conversations with feedback and produces a Structured Interview and Selection Toolkit that participants apply to their next vacancy.