You have dedicated many resources to targeting and selecting the right candidates for interviews. Your new hire will be the candidate who can best perform his or her primary tasks, collaborate well with departmental and cross-functional colleagues, and be a natural fit in the company culture.

By assembling a strategic interview team with multiple perspectives, you can better identify the right fit for the position, team, and company. Just as important, in a market where employers are competing for top talent, you can distinguish your company to candidates by providing an interview experience that provides greater insights into what it’s like to work for your company.

There is great value in having several members on your interview team, particularly if they have distinct and complementary roles. In this article, we explain whom you should consider including on your team and the areas of focus they can bring to the interview process.

Recruiter

The recruiter pre-screens candidates by phone in interviews that should take no more than twenty minutes. The purpose at this stage is to eliminate candidates who don’t check critical boxes, or who may not be the right fit. To these ends, a recruiter can ask about specific skills and prior experiences, as well as knowledge of the company and industry. Recruiters will also eliminate candidates whose salary and compensation expectations don’t align with the range for the position.

Hiring Manager

This is the person to whom the new hire will report. The hiring manager is in the best position to evaluate a candidate’s ability to execute the day-to-day responsibilities for the position, as well as the ability to thrive in the team environment. The hiring manager makes the following assessments:

• Match with the role requirements
• Competencies for the position and how they compare to other candidates
• Ability to make the right decisions in certain scenarios
• Performance in on-the-spot evaluation exercises
• How candidate performed in previous roles, especially when challenged
• Career objectives match with the objectives of the department
• Compatibility with the management style

Department Manager/Team Lead

This is a person with managerial responsibilities on the team, but not the position’s direct supervisor. This interviewer collaborates with the hiring manager to assess and compare the fit of viable candidates according to the following criteria:

• Incremental skill and expertise additions to the team
• Compatibility with team work styles and management styles
• Potential performance and fit issues

Co-Worker

This role should be performed by someone with sensitivity to the needs of everyone who will be working daily with the new hire. A long-tenured employee with a great feel for the company culture and processes will be able to assess the following:

• Collaboration style
• Work pace and ability to perform under pressure
• Personality and fit with the team

Cross-Functional Colleague

This person routinely participates in cross-functional projects with the team, and has a great understanding of the competencies that lend best to collaborations. Considerations vary by company and position, but here are a few general ideas:

• Outside-the-box thinking
• Problem-solving abilities
• Ability to focus on consensus objectives

Executive

Including a high-ranking executive in the interview process sends a clear signal to candidates that the company values all of its employees and is in touch with everyone in the organization. The executive communicates the vision of the company and helps to determine which candidates appear best-suited to professional development and leadership grooming opportunities. Executives may assess the following:

• Fit with company mission
• Match of career goals to company goals
• Leadership potential

With strategic involvement from multiple players on your team, your company will make more informed hires. At the same time, this process will help to brand your company to all candidates as a great place to work, where everyone is engaged.