Interviewing ⇒ Selecting a Final Candidate

Final Selection

The final selection of a Postdoc will take into account scientific capabilities and training as well as interpersonal skills. You may be able to teach them a technique, but will they fit into the culture of your lab and existing team?

References

References are an important component to the candidate selection. In addition to seeking formal letters of recommendation, we also recommend contacting references by telephone because people tend to open up more over the phone and say things they might not want to put in writing. 

Ask the reference open-ended questions such as:

→What are the candidate's strengths?

→What are some issues to be on the lookout for?

Project Life-Cycle Questions

Consider using tailored interview questions to capture the project's life-cycle
→How are your goals in line with this research project?
→What qualifications do you feel you have that will withstand the length of this research project?
→How do you plan to remain current in this field?

Soft Skill Questions

Questions meant to gauge the more interpersonal skills
→How do you approach multiple, competing priorities?
→Can you describe your preferred communication style?
→Describe your ideal supervisor.