A Selection Committee is a group of individuals selected to review applicants, conduct interviews, and recommend the best candidate for the position. The committee members are also responsible for understanding and adherence to the selection process policies and procedures as well as Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action guidelines.
A committee can help reduce the amount of time required to select a new employee as it allows multiple people to work collaboratively on selecting and evaluating candidates. However, it is important that a Selection Committee has clear roles and responsibilities to ensure consistency in the application of its processes.
An effective Selection Committee should be composed of at least five members. Ideally, each member should have a different background to ensure a broad and diverse perspective is obtained in the evaluation of candidates. It is also helpful to include members from outside the department where the position will be located (e.g., local teachers for a job in the education area). This helps to make the process more fair to the candidate by allowing them to interact with others who may have similar interests and skills.
When selecting members for the Selection Committee, it is important that all potential conflicts of interest are accounted for and recused appropriately. If a member has a connection with a candidate they should be aware of it before the committee meeting and if possible, have the chair of the committee ask them to withdraw from the committee.
The selection process can be very intense for candidates as they interview with a variety of people who are often making decisions at once. It can be even more difficult for the committee members who have to juggle their opinions to decide on the final choice. It is important that both the candidates and the selection committee members take the time to prepare for each interview. This will help to avoid any surprises and ensure the best decision is made for both parties.
The first step for the Selection Committee is to arrive at a definite consensus on what the ideal candidate profile should look like. This will define what qualities the committee will seek to identify and will direct the flavour of the questions they will pose in the interviews. It is also useful for the Selection Committee to agree on a uniform scoring system in order to weigh candidates’ competencies against one another. It is also beneficial for the committee to write down their initial opinions before discussing them in groups as this can avoid any unconscious bias. In addition, it is good practice to have the Selection Committee Chair complete the online Selection Committee Chair Training to help them better understand and mitigate unconscious cognitive bias in their deliberations. Lastly, it is helpful for the committee to have a clearly stated timeline and schedule to enable them to evaluate all of the candidates in a timely manner. This will prevent the committee from becoming bogged down and unable to reach a decision.