A hiring process is the set of steps that all applicants who apply for a job must go through before they are hired. Different jobs may have different hiring processes, depending on the level of evaluation needed for each position.
For example, CareerPlug's default hiring process includes the following steps:
- New Application
- Phone Interview
- Assessment
- In Person Interview
- References
- Offer
- Background Check
- Hire
Editing a hiring process
To view your hiring process(es), navigate to Settings > Hiring Tools, and then scroll down and click the Hiring Process tile on the left side of the screen.
You can add or edit the hiring steps of your existing hiring processes by clicking on the Edit button to the right of the hiring process you would like to modify.
To add a new hiring step, click the plus icon (+) on the tile on the right side of the page.
To edit an existing step, click the pencil icon on that step in your hiring process.
When you edit (or add) a hiring step, you can adjust the following settings:
- Require admin completion - Turn this toggle on if you only want administrators in your account to be able to complete this hiring step.
- For example, some companies only want admin-level users to be able to complete the Hire step.
- Select Hiring Tools - Select any scorecards, invitation message templates, scheduling message templates, and CareerPlug-provided assessments you want to use for this hiring step.
- Message templates include both email and text message templates.
- Add External Link - Add hyperlinks to important external resources or articles.
- Add Assessment Link - Add hyperlinks to external applicant assessments.
When you are done configuring the hiring step, click the Save Changes button.
To remove a step from your hiring process, click the Remove Step link next to the Save Changes button.
Creating a new hiring process
On the Hiring Process page (Settings > Hiring Tools > Hiring Process), click the plus icon (+) to create a new hiring process. You can clone an existing hiring process on your account or start with a blank hiring process. For this example, we're going to select Create Blank Hiring Process from the drop-down menu.
Enter a title for your new hiring process.
All new hiring processes include the New Application and Hire steps by default, which are typically the first and last steps in the hiring process. You can rename them by clicking the Rename link, and then Save after you make any changes.
The various hiring steps that you can add to your hiring process are laid out on the right side of the screen. Click the plus icon (+) to add a new hiring step.
If you don't see an option that meets your needs, click the Custom Step option at the bottom.
When you add a hiring step, you can adjust the following settings:
- Require admin completion - Turn this toggle on if you only want administrators in your account to be able to complete this hiring step.
- For example, some companies only want admin-level users to be able to complete the Hire step.
- Select Hiring Tools - Select any scorecards, invitation message templates, scheduling message templates, and CareerPlug-provided assessments you want to use for this hiring step.
- Message templates include both email and text message templates.
- Add External Link - Add hyperlinks to important external resources or articles.
- Add Assessment Link - Add hyperlinks to external applicant assessments.
Click Save Changes when you're finished configuring the hiring step.
New hiring steps will be added just above the Hire step. Use the blue up-and-down arrows to re-order hiring steps according to your needs.
When you're done setting up your new hiring process, click the Save and Exit button.
The default CareerPlug hiring process
The default hiring process in CareerPlug includes the following steps and hiring tools. If your account uses a custom hiring process, these steps and hiring tools may differ.
New Application
New Application is the first step in any hiring process. You need to decide whether or not to move applicants forward in your hiring process or remove them from consideration.
- You can view the applicant's resume and evaluate their prescreen question responses during this step.
- No configuration is required.
Phone Interview
The Phone Interview (or first interview) is your chance to vet candidates based on basic qualifications for the role, get a sense of their ideal job/company/manager (and check it against what you're offering to make sure it's a good fit), and validate any assumptions based on reading their resumes. Don't forget to give candidates time to ask questions at this stage — they are vetting the role too.
The Phone Screen step includes the following hiring tools:
- Email and text templates for interview invitation messages and interview scheduling messages.
- Interview scheduling messages also include a calendar invite for the agreed-upon interview date and time.
- Interview scorecard with sample questions to ask during interviews and fields you can use to document interview notes.
Assessment
The Assessment step allows you to send math/verbal and/or personality assessments to applicants to evaluate whether they possess the necessary skills and personality traits to perform the job effectively.
The Assessment step includes the following hiring tools:
- Email and text message templates for assessment invitations.
- Math/Verbal and Personality Assessments.
In Person Interview
The In Person Interview (or second interview) is where you can dive deep into your candidate's experience, potential, and culture fit. The Second Interview is at the core of a hiring process, helping you to make the decision on whether or not to offer someone a job.
The Interview step includes the following hiring tools:
- Email and text templates for interview invitation messages and interview scheduling messages.
- Interview scheduling messages also include a calendar invite for the agreed-upon interview date and time.
- Interview scorecard with sample questions to ask during interviews and fields you can use to document interview notes.
References
The References step help to validate what you’ve learned about a candidate, giving you the confidence to make the right decision. They can also provide insight on how to effectively manage a candidate once hired. It’s important to remember that you’re not conducting reference checks in an attempt to discredit a candidate. At CareerPlug, we like to assume the best in people, so our stance when it comes to reference checks is “trust, but verify.”
The References step includes the following hiring tools:
- Email template for reference check invitations (to request the names and contact information for 3 professional references).
- Reference check scorecard with guidelines for questions to ask an applicant's references.
Offer
Once you've vetted your candidate, it's time to make them a compelling offer. Don't neglect this step —the delivery of your offer is just as important as the offer itself.
The Offer step includes the following hiring tools:
- Email and text message templates for offer letter invitations.
Background Check
The Background Check step is solely for your own records as CareerPlug does not conduct background checks.
The Background Check step does not include any hiring tools. No configuration is required.
Hire
When a candidate advances to this step, it's time to complete the hiring process.
- After clicking Hire and Send to ADP, you have the option to enter new hire information, which will be imported into ADP. This will also trigger a confirmation email to your new hire.
- No configuration is required.
Adding hiring tools to steps in your hiring process
When you edit a hiring step, you'll have the option to add a combination of the following hiring tools:
| Invitation and Scheduling Message Templates | Message templates provide a quick, prepopulated way to contact an applicant. For example, you may send an email to invite an applicant to an interview or schedule them for one. More info. |
| Assessments | Assessments are completed by the applicant and help you screen and evaluate qualified candidates faster. If you add an assessment to a step, you will not be able to add a scorecard. More info. |
| External Link | If you have a different assessment or additional resources for this step, include the link(s) here. |
| Scorecards | Interview scorecards provide sample questions to help interviewers consistently evaluate applicant's responses, as well as strengths and weaknesses, during an interview. If you add an interview scorecard to a step, you will not be able to select an assessment. More info. |