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Picking the Right Candidate: Evidence-Based Selection

Picking the Right Candidate: Evidence-Based Selection

This course is part of Recruiting & Onboarding for Today’s Workforce Specialization

Instructor: Evan Kimbrell

Included with

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4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Beginner level

Recommended experience

2 weeks to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Beginner level

Recommended experience

2 weeks to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Define a hiring bar and build a structured evaluation framework for any role
Run interviews and exercises that collect real evidence instead of vague impressions
Make fairer, more consistent hiring decisions and document them clearly for handoff

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

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Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Recruiting & Onboarding for Today’s Workforce Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

In this course, you will learn how to define a clear hiring bar, turn success profiles into weighted competencies, run structured interviews, capture evidence instead of impressions, and make stronger hiring decisions with more fairness and consistency. You will also learn how to compare close candidates, manage hiring risks, shape roles thoughtfully, and document decisions in a way that supports onboarding and long-term success.

What makes this course unique is its focus on the full selection system, not just interview tactics in isolation. Instead of treating hiring as a series of gut calls, it shows how hiring bar setting, competency design, structured questions, scorecards, bias checks, decision models, reference checks, and decision memos all work together. The approach is practical, modern, and designed for real workplace constraints. Whether you are a hiring manager, recruiter, or HR partner, this course will help you make more evidence-based decisions, improve consistency across interviewers, and choose candidates with greater confidence.

Module details

What's included

3 videos9 readings2 assignments

3 videosTotal 20 minutes

What Is a “Hiring Bar” and Why It Matters7 minutes
From Success Profile to Weighted Competencies7 minutes
Designing a Simple Evaluation Framework6 minutes

9 readingsTotal 245 minutes

Must-Haves vs. Trainables vs. Nice-to-Haves30 minutes
Hiring Bar Builder Worksheet30 minutes
Deepening your understanding of hiring bars and structured selection40 minutes
Common Competency Categories and What They Actually Mean10 minutes
Worksheet: Success Profile → Competency Translator30 minutes
Translating success profiles into competencies that actually matter40 minutes
Behavioral Anchors That Actually Improve Ratings10 minutes
How to Run a 15-Minute Pre-Brief10 minutes
Building a stronger interview framework before the interviews start45 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 90 minutes

Define the Hiring Bar and Build the Evaluation Framework60 minutes
Module 1 Knowledge Check30 minutes

What's included

3 videos6 readings2 assignments

3 videosTotal 20 minutes

Turning Competencies into Questions & Exercises7 minutes
Structured Note-Taking & Evidence, Not Vibes7 minutes
Fairness & Bias Checks During Evidence Collection6 minutes

6 readingsTotal 190 minutes

Worksheet: Competency-to-Question Builder + Exercise Design Template30 minutes
Strengthening interview questions and job-relevant exercises40 minutes
Worksheet: Interview Evidence Capture Practice30 minutes
Making interview evidence clearer, stronger, and more comparable45 minutes
Examples List: Biased Comments vs. Evidence-Based Comments10 minutes
Strengthening fairness during interviews and evidence collection35 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 90 minutes

Applying Evidence-Based Interview Design and Evaluation60 minutes
Module 2 Knowledge Check30 minutes

What's included

3 videos6 readings2 assignments

3 videosTotal 20 minutes

Decision Models & Evidence Synthesis7 minutes
Tie-Break Rules & Portfolio Thinking7 minutes
Bias & Fairness Checks at Decision Time5 minutes

6 readingsTotal 170 minutes

Examples List: What Different Candidate Profile Patterns Usually Mean15 minutes
Moving from interview feedback to a clear hiring decision40 minutes
Worksheet: Tie-Break Decision Matrix + No-Hire Test30 minutes
Handling close calls: tie-breaks, team mix, and no-hire discipline40 minutes
How “Culture Fit” Becomes a Bias Shortcut10 minutes
Keeping final hiring decisions fair, evidence-based, and bias-aware35 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 90 minutes

Choosing Between Two Strong Finalists60 minutes
Module 3 Knowledge Check30 minutes

What's included

3 videos6 readings2 assignments

3 videosTotal 23 minutes

Team Coverage, Portfolio Fit & Role Shaping/Leveling8 minutes
Risk Registers & Reference Checks8 minutes
Decision Documentation & Handoff (Decision Memo)8 minutes

6 readingsTotal 170 minutes

Examples List: When Role Shaping Makes Sense vs. When It Creates Chaos10 minutes
Mapping team gaps, role shape, and level more strategically50 minutes
Mini Case Study: Choosing Between the “Impressive” Candidate and the Lower-Risk Candidate20 minutes
Managing hiring risk with better reference checks and mitigation plans40 minutes
Examples: Weak Decision Memo Statements vs. Strong Ones10 minutes
Documenting the rationale behind a hire and handing it forward40 minutes