What is a search committee meeting?

What is a search committee? 

A search committee is a group of people who come together to recommend qualified individuals for things like job openings. They will come together to discuss the requirements for the vacancy and what kind of person would be an ideal fit.

Everyone is expected to be part of the search, reviewing candidates and ensuring they align with the company or organization’s policies. This is why the committee must be made up of people that are qualified in the relevant area. 

Search committee members don’t necessarily have to come from the same team, but they should help the company achieve its ultimate goal of finding the right candidate.

What happens in a search committee meeting? 

An effective search committee needs to follow specific guidelines to ensure a fair and inclusive atmosphere for all. Firstly, you must choose a search chair - whether that is you or someone else. The responsibility of the search chair is to keep the committee focused and dedicated to the entire process.

The search committee chair should set the agenda and send it out ahead of time so everyone knows. All search committee members should then offer suggestions for things to be covered. It’s important for everyone to be equally involved because a successful committee meeting requires everyone to be on the same page.

When the meeting starts, instead of jumping straight into the agenda, start with an icebreaker to help committee members to introduce. This is particularly important when people from different teams are involved.

A search committee meeting is far more creative and complex than any regular screening or interviewing process. All members should express their opinions, making it easier to select the best candidate for future roles.

Think of a search committee meeting as a brainstorming session or a friendly forum to discuss various perspectives. Once you establish guidelines and ground rules for the meeting, the search process should be more productive. You should allot time to discuss each candidate and their traits to cover everyone fairly (and, of course, talk through what you’re ideally looking for).

When conducting interviews with the selected candidates all committee members should ask questions based on their area of expertise. Make sure every candidate gets equal time and is able to ask questions at the end.

How can you schedule a search committee meeting? 

Getting people together from different teams can be tricky. That’s where Doodle can help. 

With Group Poll you can find a time to meet in minutes. Simply select a range of times and send it to your committee members. They’ll decide what works for them and you’ll have a time to meet. 

Using Booking Page is the perfect tool to interview candidates. Sign up for a Doodle Professional Teams plan and with Hosts, you can take account of everyone’s calendars and let those you’re interviewing pick a time that suits their schedule. What’s more, you can ditch the ads and add your favorite video conferencing tool to meet online or in person easily. 

Doodle makes it easy for you to interview candidates. No email back and forth, no more stress, just more free time for you to focus on more important things. Try it for free today.