Preparing for interviews

Preparing for the interviews in advance gives an opportunity to consider best practice and how to make the process accessible and remove barriers. Well run interviews that consider equal representation will be a more positive experience for the potential candidate and result in a more diverse pool of talent for the party to choose from.

Before the interview, ask each candidate whether they require any reasonable adjustments. Parties have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to consider accessibility and provide reasonable adjustments. For example:

●       Interviews should be held in a fully accessible building;

●       Consider sending out interview questions in advance;

●       You may need to consider communication adjustments, such as BSL interpretation;

●       Think about how to create a welcoming and supportive atmosphere. Sitting opposite a panel can be an intimidating experience;

●       Make sure you have a quiet space where the interview won’t be interrupted and

●       It is best practice to offer the option of having the interview online using Zoom, Microsoft Teams or other virtual meeting platforms.

Interview questions

It is important to think about the questions you ask during the interview and how to ensure a fair process which is a positive experience for potential candidates. A negative interview experience may cause a successful candidate to pull out or potential candidates to leave the party which may impact on the number of talented candidates available to you.

It is good practice to ensure that before and during the interview, you have:

●       Decided the key competencies, person specification or aspects you will be assessing during the interview;

●       Made these competencies widely available to potential candidates, so they understand what they will be expected to demonstrate during the interview;

●       Agreed a set of questions in advance of the interviews;

●       Focussed discussion on a potential candidate’s skills, experience and reasons for wanting to be an elected representative;

●       Asked open or scenario type questions which enable you to get to know the candidates better;

●       Given opportunities for the potential candidates to ask questions and request any reasonable adjustments or additional support they may need during a campaign;

●       Recorded notes of what candidates said to answer each question.

It is ok to ask about a person’s commitment to equality in the interview. If you ask potential candidates to do an additional task, knowledge test or a presentation at the interview, think about the purpose of this and whether it helps or hinders your commitment to widening participation in politics.

In general, you should ask the same questions to each potential candidate. However, sometimes it may be appropriate to ask different follow up questions after a candidate has answered. This may enable you to clarify information, further explore what a potential candidate has said or to discuss something in their application.

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