Recruiting Fundamentals — Full Course Syllabus

Practical, role-focused fundamentals for sourcing candidates, conducting objective screening, running structured interviews, and using scorecards to make consistent hiring decisions.

1. 1. Role Intake MeetingA focused meeting between recruiter and hiring manager to clarify role requirements, success criteria, and hiring timeline.
2. 2. Write a Clear Job TitleCrafting a concise job title that reflects level, function, and aligns with market expectations.
3. 3. Define Minimum QualificationsSpecifying the baseline skills, experience, and credentials required to consider a candidate for the role.
4. 4. Define Preferred QualificationsListing nonessential but desirable attributes that help prioritize candidates without blocking good hires.
5. 5. Behavioral Interview QuestionsWriting questions that prompt candidates to describe past behaviors and results relevant to the role.
6. 6. Competency-Based QuestioningFormulating questions tied to specific competencies or skills you intend to measure.
7. 7. Phone/Screening Interview ProtocolA standard script and checklist used during short initial screens to assess fit and interest efficiently.
8. 8. Resume TriageApplying objective criteria to quickly decide whether a resume advances to screening or is disqualified.
9. 9. Candidate Sourcing ChannelsUnderstanding and selecting channels (e.g., referrals, job boards, LinkedIn, events) for finding candidates.
10. 10. Boolean Search BasicsUsing simple Boolean operators to construct search strings for candidate discovery on platforms like LinkedIn.
11. 11. Passive Candidate Outreach MessageCrafting concise, personalized outreach messages to engage passive candidates and elicit interest.
12. 12. Employee Referral Program UsageHow to solicit and process employee referrals as a high-quality sourcing channel for a role.
13. 13. Initial Screening ChecklistA standardized checklist for screening calls covering availability, compensation expectations, and key must-haves.
14. 14. Evaluate Communication SkillsAssessing a candidate's clarity, responsiveness, and professionalism during screening and interviews.
15. 15. Take Structured Interview NotesRecording observations in a consistent format tied to scorecard dimensions during each interview.
16. 16. Panel Interview CoordinationSetting up interviewer roles, timing, and logistics to run efficient multi-interviewer sessions.
17. 17. Avoid Illegal or Biased QuestionsIdentifying and refraining from questions that probe protected characteristics or create legal risk.
18. 18. Candidate Rejection CommunicationBest-practice templates and timing for decline messages that preserve candidate experience and employer brand.
19. 19. Maintaining Candidate Pipeline WarmthPractices for regular, value-adding communication to keep future candidates engaged.
20. 20. Create a Hiring RubricTranslating role requirements into discrete dimensions and rating bands to guide evaluation consistency.
21. 21. Design an Interview ScorecardCreating a structured scorecard for a single interview stage with clear criteria and scoring guidelines.
22. 22. Create a Structured Interview GuideAssembling the questions, timing, evaluation prompts, and closing scripts for one interview panel or stage.
23. 23. Interview CalibrationRunning a session with interviewers to align interpretations of scorecard rubrics and rating standards.
24. 24. Diversity-Smart SourcingTactics to broaden candidate pipelines and reduce bias in sourcing outreach and channel selection.
25. 25. Assess Cultural Add vs. Cultural FitFraming questions and evaluation criteria to determine how a candidate would contribute to team culture without biasing for sameness.
26. 26. Use Anchored Rating ScalesApplying defined anchor examples for each numeric score to reduce variability between interviewers.
27. 27. Take-Home Assignment DesignDesigning brief, role-relevant assignments that measure real skills while minimizing bias and time burden.
28. 28. Evaluate Work SamplesObjective criteria and processes for assessing submitted portfolios or past work artifacts.
29. 29. Structured Debrief MeetingA standardized post-interview discussion format where interviewers share notes and reach a consensus decision.
30. 30. Make vs. No-Make Hiring ThresholdsSetting and applying explicit score thresholds that determine when to extend an offer or move on.
31. 31. Reference Check Best PracticesConducting structured reference checks with targeted questions that validate key risk areas.
32. 32. Offer Approval WorkflowThe internal steps and decision points required to get budgetary and organizational approval to extend an offer.
33. 33. Delivering an Offer ConversationHow to present an offer clearly, handle candidate questions, and manage negotiation tactfully.
34. 34. Tracking Recruiting MetricsKey metrics to monitor (time-to-fill, source-of-hire, interview-to-offer) and their basic definitions.
35. 35. Bias Awareness for InterviewersTraining interviewers to recognize common cognitive biases and mitigate them during evaluation.