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When you\u2019re hiring a new employee, you will quickly learn that there is no shortage of philosophies on how to choose the best candidate for a role, especially when it comes to conducting interviews.<\/p>\n
One of the most common interview formats is a structured interview, and in this article, we\u2019ll explain what a structured interview is, how to conduct one, and the benefits and downsides of structured interviews. We\u2019ll also share some tips on how to make the most of your structured interviews.<\/p>\n
Key Takeaways:<\/b><\/p>\n A structured interview sticks to a list of preplanned questions and scores interviewees\u2019 answers on a predetermined scale.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Structured interviews are effective at minimizing interviewer bias and streamlining the hiring process.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Since there is so little small talk in a structured interview, it can be tricky to get a feel for how the candidate would fit with the company culture.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Also known as a standardized, planned, or patterned interview, a structured interview follows a preset list of questions asked in a specific order. Each answer is then rated with a predetermined scoring system based on a range of acceptable responses.<\/p>\n Rather than asking questions specific to the candidate\u2019s resume<\/a> and experience or having a more conversational interview, these structured interviews are more formulaic and standardized to ensure each interviewee is asked the same questions in the same order.<\/p>\n Determine the requirements for the position.<\/b> Refer to the job description to determine what it is you\u2019re looking for in a candidate, and be specific.<\/p>\n For example, if you list communication skills<\/a> as being important, go one step further and ask what that means in this particular role. Public speaking and writing are both forms of communication, but the candidate may not need to have both of those to be successful in this position.<\/p>\n By narrowing down your requirements in this way, you\u2019ll have a better idea of what it is you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Create a list of questions.<\/b> Include behavioral and situational questions that highlight each of the requirements you listed earlier. You can also include follow-up questions to probe deeper into candidates\u2019 answers \u2013 just remember to keep them the same for every interview.<\/p>\n Your list of questions will likely go through several iterations as you and your team reword them and rearrange them to flow more naturally and effectively.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Create a scoring system.<\/b> Once you have your list of questions, create a scoring system. Usually, a scale of one to five or one to seven works best as you can have \u201cbelow average,\u201d \u201caverage,\u201d and \u201cabove average\u201d rankings that way.<\/p>\n Define which types of answers will fall on which part of the scale for each question. For example, for a question about the candidate\u2019s time management skills<\/a>, your scoring scale might look like this:<\/p>\n 1 – Below Average: Demonstrates few organizational skills, regularly missing deadlines, and requires significant oversight from managers and supervisors.<\/p>\n 3 – Average: Demonstrates moderate organizational skills, meeting deadlines regularly and requiring only occasional oversight and reminders.<\/p>\n 5 – Above Average: Demonstrates excellent organizational skills, regularly meeting high-pressure deadlines and assisting others in doing the same.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Having these clear definitions is important to keeping the scoring consistent between interviewers and interviewees.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Conduct the interview.<\/b> These types of interviews can be intimidating for both interviewers and candidates, but lean into it and stick to the \u201cscript\u201d while still being warm and friendly.<\/p>\n Take notes about their answers, and resist the temptation to follow rabbit trails, fall into too much small talk, or evaluate them on criteria that aren\u2019t on the list.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Compare scores.<\/b> After you\u2019ve conducted all of your interviews, compare your answer rankings to other interviewers\u2019 and then use them to compare candidates and choose the one(s) with the highest scores.<\/p>\n This interview won\u2019t be the only information you use to select a candidate, but it will help you quickly narrow down your list.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n It limits bias.<\/b> By having a set list of questions that every candidate answers and making decisions based on how those answers score, you minimize the risk of discriminating against candidates based on unrelated attributes.<\/p>\n It\u2019s impossible to eliminate bias fully, but a structured interview can help reduce it. It will also help remove even the appearance of bias and discrimination<\/a>, which can be especially helpful when you\u2019re hiring internally and may know a few of the candidates personally.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n It\u2019s efficient.<\/b> Having a system you can use to quickly compare candidates, and interviewers\u2019 opinions about them can make the hiring process much simpler.<\/p>\n Even if you just use a structured interview as one part of the hiring process, it can help you narrow down candidates quickly and fairly.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n It makes it easier to compare candidates accurately.<\/b> When you conduct unstructured interviews, you can find out interesting and unique information about each candidate.<\/p>\n However, this can make it difficult to compare apples to apples and ensure that you\u2019re getting a candidate with all the skills you need them to have.<\/p>\n Structured interviews, on the other hand, make it easy to compare candidates based on the skills in the job description rather than the skills and topics that came up in your interview.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n You miss out on a natural conversation.<\/b> Being able to converse casually with a candidate can tell you a lot about how they\u2019d fit into the organization\u2019s culture. Structured interviews often limit this, making it more difficult to get a feel for what the person is really like.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n You miss out on interesting tangents.<\/b> Sometimes candidates\u2019 most valuable skills and experiences are only discovered by following tangents in the conversation about their answers, which you can\u2019t do in a structured interview.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n It isn\u2019t foolproof.<\/b> Structured interviews can make for a stiff and formal environment where candidates can get nervous, forget important information, or don\u2019t come across well. In addition, bias can creep in with even the most impartial interviewers, and questions can be phrased incorrectly.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n Use them along with other interview formats.<\/b> Some people just aren\u2019t good at making a first impression<\/a> or at answering interview questions. If it makes sense ethically and practically, make your structured interview just one part of the hiring process so you can get a fuller picture of what each candidate brings to the table.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Consult subject matter experts.<\/b> If you work in HR or are a recruiter who doesn\u2019t fully understand the technical aspects of the position you\u2019re hiring someone to fill, send your interview questions and grading scale to subject matter experts before you conduct your structured interview.<\/p>\n They\u2019ll make sure that your questions and scoring systems are reasonable, will get the information they\u2019re looking for, and match what they\u2019re looking for in a candidate.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n What is the purpose of a structured interview?<\/b><\/p>\n The purpose of a structured interview is to make the hiring process more objective.<\/b> Because you\u2019re asking each candidate the same interview questions, you can compare them more accurately than you would if you just go wherever the conversation takes you.<\/p>\n Since you\u2019re scoring each answer, structured interviews also make it easier to show why you chose a particular candidate, eliminating a significant amount of bias. This can be especially helpful in situations such as interviewing internal candidates who you already know or have worked with in the past.<\/p>\n In addition, structured interviews allow multiple interviewers to pool their notes and scoring decisions and more accurately compare candidates whether they all saw each interviewee or not. This not only helps improve objectivity but also helps the hiring process<\/a> work more efficiently and effectively.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n What are the characteristics of structured interviews?<\/b><\/p>\n The characteristics of structured interviews include:<\/b><\/p>\n\n
What Is a Structured Interview?<\/h2>\n
How to Conduct a Structured Interview<\/h2>\n
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Benefits of Structured Interviews<\/h2>\n
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Downsides of Structured Interviews<\/h2>\n
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Tips for Conducting Structured Interviews<\/h2>\n
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Structured Interview FAQ<\/h2>\n
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