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I. PURPOSE AND SCOPE
To provide policy guidelines for interviewing candidates for positions with Clackamas County and ensuring compliance with applicable federal and state laws and County requirements. This policy applies to personnel involved in the process of interviewing candidates for employment with the County.
II. AUTHORITY
County Code 2.09.060 authorizes the County Administrator to draft administrative rules and implement operational policies.
III. GENERAL POLICY
The County’s hiring process includes interviews of selected candidates as a means of determining eligibility for the position for which the candidate is being considered. The interview is one of several methods of assessing employment eligibility. When interviewing a candidate for employment, hiring authorities are required to conduct interviews in accordance with the guidelines set forth in this policy.
IV. DEFINITIONS
Applicant: An individual who has applied for a vacant position with the County utilizing the approved application process.
Candidate: An individual who has applied for a vacant position and has been deemed to have met the minimum qualifications of the position for which they have applied.
Potential Conflict of Interest: A conflict of interest occurs when an individual's personal interests (family, friendships, financial, social factors, etc.) could compromise the individual’s judgment, decisions, or actions in the interview process.
Hiring Authority: The individual in a supervisory or other management position that has the authority to make the hiring decision for the position.
Interview: A standard process in which a candidate is asked questions related to the position that they are being considered for, with the purpose of determining their skills, abilities, and qualifications. It is also an opportunity for the candidate to ask questions about the position and employment with the County.
V. POLICY GUIDELINES
Establishing Interview Questions
- Interviews should consist of inquiries which can be proven to be job-related. The Recruitment & Selection Division of Human Resources has developed resources to assist hiring managers and supervisors with the interview process. These resources are available on the HR Intranet Page.
- The County uses evaluation interviews that follow a set, structured pattern. Interview questions must be established in advance of the interview. Job- related follow-up questions may be asked in order to obtain additional clarification
- Interview questions must be job related, and every candidate s must be asked the same interview questions.
- Asking candidates questions that may relate to any protected class is prohibited.
- Recruiters are available to partner with hiring managers to develop interview questions or review them to ensure questions do not violate a protected status.
Confidentiality
- All individuals involved in the recruitment and selection process need to follow confidentiality practices. Due to the personal and confidential nature of the interview process, participants must not discuss the interview questions or the results of the interview with anyone not directly involved in the interview and selection process. All applications, notes, ratings, specific comments, and information elicited during the interview are considered to be confidential. All applicant material and associated documents are not to be shared outside of the interview panel.
Interview Panels
- At times, County employees or other individuals who have an interest in a position (i.e., members of the public, individuals from other departments, etc.) but are not in the position of hiring authority, may be asked to participate on an interview panel. When participating, these individuals must make a commitment to provide a fair and equitable assessment of each applicant’s skills, knowledge, and abilities to perform the functions of the position.
- Hiring authorities are responsible for ensuring panel participants have the appropriate information on what can and cannot be asked in the interview and are responsible for adherence to the law and compliance with this policy.
- Any department that will be including external individuals on an interview panel must make their recruiter aware so that they can ensure these individuals are aware of relevant processes at Clackamas County.
- The interview panel must remain consistent for all candidates being interviewed. If a panel member is unable to attend all interviews, they must not participate, and a new member should replace them. If a panel member misses one or more of the interviews, their scores may not be used in determining the final ranking.
Potential Conflicts of Interest
- Potential conflicts of interest may arise, and if they do, it is important for participants in the recruitment process to take appropriate action.
- If a conflict of interest arises, including any professional or personal relationships that an interview panel member may have with a candidate, the panel member should notify the hiring manager and/or recruiter immediately and they must recuse themselves from the interview process while the candidate(s) causing the conflict are still being considered for the position.
Interview Scoring
All interviews involving two or more candidates must be scored using a methodology approved by the Recruitment & Selection Division. Candidate scores will include all participating interview panel member scores. The final score must include the application of any applicable Veterans’ Preference points for eligible candidates as determined by Human Resources for each candidate. The final scoring will determine the ranking of candidates. Advancement to the next stage of the selection process or the decision on which candidate to hire will be based on the previous steps ranking. Higher ranked candidates may not be bypassed in favor of candidates that are ranked lower. Resources for scoring models are available on the HR Intranet Page.
VI. PROCESS AND PROCEDURES
- Seeking information on candidates outside of the established interview or selection process used and approved by the County, including review of candidate information on social media platforms, is not recommended. Should information on a candidate be obtained in which the information causes concern pertaining to selection, the hiring authority is to consult with their assigned recruiter on appropriate steps.
- When taking notes during the interview, focus on key factual points the candidate stated and the panel member’s thoughts specific to their answer.
- Interview documentation must be retained and submitted to the assigned recruiter or hiring manager.
- Human Resources retains all recruitment notes and documents.
VII. ACCESS TO POLICY
Access to this administrative policy shall be as follows:
- Filed in the County’s policy management system.
- Posted to the County’s internet.
VIII. ADDENDA
N/A
Actions on this Policy: clerical, clerical
Original Policy effective date: 12/31/1992
Amended Policy effective dates: 03/03/2004, 03/07/2007
Name of Policy: Candidate Interviewing
Policy #: EPP 23
Policy Owner Name: Evelyn Minor-Lawrence
Policy Owner Position: Human Resources Director
Approved By: Gary Schmidt, County Administrator
Effective Date: 12/31/1992
Approved Date: 8/26/2026
Next Review Date: 8/27/2029
