Rolling 1:1’s Versus Group Interviews – Which is Better?
If you’ve download our attract framework, then hopefully, you’ve had a huge increase of applicants to your job posting! But now that you have all those applicants, managing a huge number of applicant interviews can be challenging. It involves not just sorting through the right candidates, but also efficiently managing interview slots, interviewing top talent, and streamlining the entire process. These challenges can become your strength. Imagine an interview week with 60 qualified interviews scheduled and completed….in less than 4 hours and candidates leave with more buy in for your company than any candidate you’ve interviewed before! Let’s talk about how to make that possible. Watch the full video below to get the full breakdown with examples.
Streamline Your Interview Process
Now that our Attract Framework is bringing in a flood of applicants, how do you manage the interviews without getting bogged down? How do you structure it so that if half of the interviewees no show, you don’t waste your whole day with gaps in your schedule? You need a system to handle multiple interviews efficiently, and we recommend two key methods:
Rolling 1:1 Interviews:
This is our go-to method for managing individual interviews when you have fewer candidates showing up at once (typically six or fewer that ACTUALLY show up, not how many schedule an interview). Here’s how it works:
- Set Time Blocks: Block two specific times in your calendar. At our cleaning company and Christmas light install company those times are 10 AM and 12 PM. Everyone that schedules an interview is expected to arrive at 10 AM or 12 PM. Each block allows up to 20-30 people to schedule interviews, and we expect that only 51.2% (full-time) or 33.1% (part-time) will show up.
- Check-in Process: Use a QR code or manual check-in to track which candidates arrives first, and interview people in the order they arrive.
- Quick Assessments: Conduct 10-15 minute interviews with a focused interview form that highlights whether they’re a fit for the role without dragging on. If you’re not sure what a focused interview form is or you’re stuck, shoot us an email at grow@mytalentcompass.com and we’ll share ours with you.
This system eliminates no-shows as a bottleneck and keeps the process moving efficiently even if some candidates don’t show up.
Group Interviews
For busier days, group interviews are a huge time-saver and just as effective:
- Presentation-Style Interview: Create a visual slideshow or guide using your hiring binder information and walk candidates through it in one session. This gives all candidates the key details about the role, pay, and expectations up front.
- Engage the Group: Allow candidates to ask questions, and get a feel for who is engaged and interested in the role based on their interactions during the group session. You may be surprised to find that many candidates leave as friends after participating in group interviews, often exchanging phone numbers before they even leave!
Group interviews ensure that even with a large showing of applicants, you’re able to give them all the necessary information and only spend time with those genuinely interested.
2. Continue to Prequalify Applicants and Create Buy-In with a Hiring Binder
One of the most powerful tools we use during both rolling 1:1 and group interviews is a Hiring Binder. This binder is packed with all the crucial information that applicants need to make an informed decision about the role. Here’s what you should include:
- Mission and Core Values: Share your company’s culture and what you stand for.
- Job Breakdown: List the role’s responsibilities, accountabilities, and daily tasks.
- Pay Structure: Provide a clear pay breakdown, including performance bonuses or promotions.
- Common Checklists: Include a sample checklist that shows what a typical day looks like for the role.
- Deliverables and Accountabilities: Overall goal for the role and common tasks associated with meeting the goals.
Handing out this binder ensures that candidates are well-informed before the interview even begins. If they’re not a fit, they often self-select out, leaving you with only the most interested and qualified candidates.
3. Minimize No-Shows & Wasted Time
By using rolling one-on-one and group interviews, no-shows become a non-issue. In both methods, multiple people are scheduled to show up at the same time, so even if one or two candidates don’t arrive, you’re never stuck waiting. You’ll always have someone to interview.
4. Automate & Optimize with TalentCompass
Hopefully, that helps you streamline your interview process and feel less overwhelmed with a ton of interviews.
Feel free to try this strategy on your own, but if you want to automate these workflows, that’s where TalentCompass comes in. Our dashboard allows you to:
- Easily schedule interviews and track applicant status.
- View data on no-shows, scheduled interviews, job offers, and more.
- Manage applicants with automated reminders for missed interviews or incomplete forms.
- Streamline the entire hiring process, from initial application to onboarding.
- Reactivate past qualified applicants if you’re in a pinch preseason or mid season.
Book a Demo & Save Time
Ready to optimize your hiring process?
Book a free demo today and see how TalentCompass can help you automate interviews, reduce no-shows, and hire top talent faster!
