This anonymous interview is with someone who hires for a:
√ Archives
Title: Archivist
Titles hired include: Collections department interns and archivist interns/assistants
Who makes hiring decisions at your organization:
√ The position’s supervisor
√ A Committee or panel
Which of the following does your organization regularly require of candidates?
√ Cover letter
√ Resume
√ References
√ More than one round of interviews
Does your organization use automated application screening?
√ No
Briefly describe the hiring process at your organization and your role in it:
It begins with me looking over resumes and cover letters. Once those have been combed through, a telephone interview takes place with me. For the video or in person interview it includes other department members. Typically after that a decision is made
Think about the last candidate who really wowed you, on paper, in an interview, or otherwise. Why were they so impressive?
They took initiative in their writing and application as well as their interview. Their creative approach to their work made me take notice!
Do you have any instant dealbreakers?
Rudeness, difficult personality, and no experience
What do you wish you could know about candidates that isn’t generally revealed in the hiring process?
How they truly work collaboratively
How many pages should each of these documents be?
Cover Letter: √ Only One!
Resume: √ Only One!
What is the most common mistake that people make in an interview?
They stumble through their words when not prepared for the interview questions
Do you conduct virtual interviews? What do job hunters need to know about shining in this setting?
Yes sometimes when necessary— primarily just be yourself and know your own experience as well as what our application requires
How can candidates looking to transition from paraprofessional work, from non-library work, or between library types convince you that their experience is relevant? Or do you have other advice for folks in this kind of situation?
Talk about creative problem solving and organization. These skills are more difficult to teach and can come from various lines of work
When does your organization *first* mention salary information?
√ It’s part of the job ad
What does your organization do to reduce bias in hiring? What are the contexts in which discrimination still exists in this process?
The initial resumes and cover letters can have no personal info beyond name. Then it really comes down to the way they interview and if their experience aligns with the needs
What questions should candidates ask you? What is important for them to know about your organization and the position you are hiring for?
I love the question “how would you measure success in this job” and they should know our mission, some of the contemporary struggles or obstacles we might face
Additional Demographics
What part of the world are you in?
√ Northeastern US
What’s your region like?
√ Urban
Is your workplace remote/virtual?
√ Some of the time and/or in some positions
How many staff members are at your organization?
√ 11-50
Hiring Librarians 
