Here is a list of 30 myths that members of selection panels may believe to be true, factual, required, essential.

See how many of them you subscribe to, then consider the comments.

1. A selection panel must have a gender mix.
2. A selection panel must have at least three people on it.
3. A person who does not write to the selection criteria should not be short listed.
4. A person who is over qualified is not worth considering.
5. An interview must be held during a selection process.
6. Referee comments should be taken at face value.
7. Interview questions can be quickly established shortly before interviews start.
8. Any selection criterion can be assessed during an interview.
9. You should not tell applicants if some one is acting in a job.
10. You should not tell applicants who is on a selection panel.
11. You should not tell applicants what the selection process will be.
12. Experience that is more than ten years old is of no value.
13. The best person for a job will emerge from the selection process based on who ever comes out the strongest.
14. If a referee provides information that contradicts an applicant, then more weight should be given to the referee.
15. Nervousness is a basis for deciding that an applicant is not suitable for a job.
16. All internal applicants should be short listed.
17. To be fair, all applicants should be treated exactly the same.
18. All questions asked during an interview must be the same for each applicant.
19. If applicants don’t write to the selection criteria then they are probably not a suitable candidate.
20. If an applicant hasn’t rung the contact officer then they are probably unmotivated (or disorganised or haven’t paid attention to details,).
21. If applicants are told in the applicant’s kit that they must ‘write to the selection criteria’ then this is sufficient direction to make clear what the requirements are.
22. No one should get an extension to submit an application.
23. Putting pressure on an applicant during an interview is a good way to assess how they deal with pressure.
24. Panel members should not engage with applicants to help them when they don’t understand questions.
25. Interview questions must be divided up amongst the selection panel.
26. Applicants should not see the interview questions.
27. Selecting staff is a non-core management responsibility.
28. It’s not necessary to read the resumes.
29. I can judge a person’s writing skills based on their application.
30. I can judge a person’s oral communication based on their interview performance.

Comments:

A selection panel must have a gender mix.
This is good practice but not a requirement, unless an internal policy says so.

A selection panel must have at least three people on it.
This is not a requirement, unless an internal policy says so.

A person who does not write to the selection criteria should not be short listed.
A person from outside the public service may not understand that writing to selection criteria is needed. They could be the best person for the job.

A person who is over qualified is not worth considering.
A person with qualifications not required for the job may have many legitimate reasons for applying, such as approaching retirement, wanting a change of work, down sizing their work.

An interview must be held during a selection process.
Not so.

Referee comments should be taken at face value.
Referee comments need to be assessed for their value and accuracy.

Interview questions can be quickly established shortly before interviews start.
Crafting quality interview questions is a high-order skill. Useful interview questions cannot be whipped up shortly before interview start.

Any selection criterion can be assessed during an interview.
No they can’t. Some criteria must be assessed by other methods, such as a work test.

You should not tell applicants if some one is acting in a job.
Why not – this is not a high security secret. Applicants may choose not to waste their time applying if they know someone has been acting in the job.

You should not tell applicants who is on a selection panel.
Why not – also not a trade secret.

You should not tell applicants what the selection process will be.
Surprising applicants with unexpected processes is not the way to get the best information from them.

Experience that is more than ten years old is of no value.
Who says? An holistic approach to human beings would see them as the sum of all their ‘parts’ not just the last few years.

The best person for a job will emerge from the selection process based on who ever comes out the strongest.
No they won’t. Assessment needs to be based on an assessment standard worked out early in the process.

If a referee provides information that contradicts an applicant, then more weight should be given to the referee.
No, the applicant needs to be given the right of reply. Contradictions need to be resolved not ignored.

Nervousness is a basis for deciding that an applicant is not suitable for a job.
No, the work-related requirements of the job are the basis for decision-making.

All internal applicants should be short listed.
No they shouldn’t, unless internal policy says so.

To be fair, all applicants should be treated exactly the same.
Fairness is not synonymous with sameness. It can be fair to treat someone differently.

All questions asked during an interview must be the same for each applicant.
No. The broad structure of the interview is the same. Each applicant is different. Therefore, each may warrant specific questions to probe their answers.

If applicants don’t write to the selection criteria then they are probably not a suitable candidate.
No. They may not understand the process or not have high skills in writing.

If an applicant hasn’t rung the contact officer then they are probably unmotivated (or disorganised or haven’t paid attention to details,).
Such assumptions are totally unwarranted.

If applicants are told in the applicant’s kit that they must ‘write to the selection criteria’ then this is sufficient direction to make clear what the requirements are.
No it’s not. People outside the public service may not even register this bit of information, let alone understand it.

No one should get an extension to submit an application.
Rubbish! There are good reasons for giving some people an extension. For example, catering for the special needs of people with disability.

Putting pressure on an applicant during an interview is a good way to assess how they deal with pressure.
There is no evidence to support this belief.

Panel members should not engage with applicants to help them when they don’t understand questions.
Only do this if you don’t want to find a strong candidate.

Interview questions must be divided up amongst the selection panel.
There’s no rule that says this has to be the way an interview is conducted.

Applicants should not see the interview questions.
Why not? There’s no rule that says this has to be the way an interview is conducted. It might actually help, particularly if you’ve tried to whip up questions shortly before the interview.

Selecting staff is a non-core management responsibility.
A very narrow view of a manager’s role. Selecting staff is seriously core business.

It’s not necessary to read the resumes.
Now this would be unfair to applicants! The resume is part of their application. Why ask for one if you are not going to read it.

I can judge a person’s writing skills based on their application.
Unproven. You can make some judgement about the technical aspects of writing – spelling, grammar and punctuation. Beyond that, it is such a specialised style of writing that it may bear no relation to a person’s other writing abilities.

I can judge a person’s oral communication based on their interview performance.
Unproven. Interview performance is a specialised style of speaking, not used in many other places. Be wary about generalising. A person who performs poorly may have perfectly adequate oral communication skills in other circumstances.