Structured Interviews - How To Evaluate All Candidates Equally

by Will Fairhurst December 5, 2023

Optimising your recruitment process is crucial for finding the best candidates. Streamlining hiring and ensuring candidates excel in their roles is a common goal for recruiters, yet many fall into the trap of favouring interviewees they personally like, rather than those best suited for the job. Google and other leading companies have shifted towards structured interviews to evaluate candidates uniformly.

Structured interviews might seem contrary to the traditional, more personal approach in recruitment, but they can be equally effective in assessing a candidate's personality in a fair, consistent manner. This article explores the shift towards standardised interviewing, its benefits and how to implement it in your recruitment strategy.

Structured vs Unstructured Interviews

Structured interviews involve a consistent, repeatable method where each candidate is asked the same questions in the same order, rated on a pre-determined scale. This approach focuses on assessing both hard and soft skills relevant to the job, as well as the candidate's alignment with the company's values and culture.

Unstructured interviews, conversely, are more informal and flexible, covering a wide range of topics. While they can offer a personal insight into the candidate, they often lead to subjective judgments not necessarily related to job performance. Structured interviews mitigate this issue.

Why Adopt Standardised Interviews

Standardised interviews offer significant benefits for both recruiters and candidates. They ensure fair, ethical hiring by removing inherent human biases, leading to better hiring decisions. Google's VP of People Operations, Laszlo Bock, has highlighted the inefficiency of unstructured interviews and the tendency to confirm pre-existing opinions rather than objectively assess candidates.

Structured interviews level the playing field, ensuring all candidates are evaluated equally, based on their skills and potential job performance. This approach is not only more efficient and cost-effective but also aligns with research indicating a positive correlation between structured interviews and job performance.

Benefits for Employers and Candidates

For employers, structured interviews reduce the risk of bias, leading to better hiring decisions, reducing potential legal risks, and improving overall recruitment efficiency. For candidates, this approach offers reassurance of a fair evaluation, based solely on their skills and suitability for the role.

Implementing Structured Interviews

To implement structured interviews, follow these steps:

Gain Team Buy-In: Ensure your human resources team and hiring managers both understand and commit to the structured interview approach.
Write a Clear Job Description: Identify the essential skills and qualifications required for the role and make it clear to applicants what you are looking for.
Develop Structured Interview Questions: Create questions that assess both hard and soft skills, as well as cultural fit.
Choose a Rating System: Implement a consistent method to evaluate and compare candidates' responses.
Conduct Interviews and Analyse Results: Use your structured approach in interviews and objectively assess the outcomes to make informed hiring decisions.

In conclusion, shifting to structured interviews can significantly enhance your recruitment process, leading to more effective hiring decisions and a fairer, more transparent evaluation of candidates. This approach not only benefits your company but also contributes to a more equitable recruitment landscape.