Recruiting template
Structured Interview Template
A structured interview template gives every candidate for a role the same questions, in the same order, rated against the same standards. Pick the version below that fits your interview, set the competencies the role needs, and copy it into your interview pack.
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Structured interview guide
When to use it: A full first or second interview, where each interviewer needs the plan, the questions and the rating scale in one document.
Behavioural interview questions template
When to use it: An interview built on past behaviour, where each question asks for a real example from the candidate's work.
Situational interview questions template
When to use it: Candidates with little directly relevant experience, such as graduates or career changers, where hypothetical questions work better than "tell me about a time".
Structured phone screen template
When to use it: A short first call that checks the must-haves the same way for every applicant before the full interview.
Panel interview guide
When to use it: An interview with several interviewers, where each person owns one or two competencies and scores on their own before the panel discusses.
How to use this template
- 1Choose three to five competencies from the real work of the role. Ask the hiring manager what someone in the job does in a typical week and what separates good from great.
- 2Write one main question per competency, plus follow-ups, and ask every candidate the same questions in the same order.
- 3Agree what a weak, good and strong answer looks like before the first interview, and rate every answer on the same scale.
- 4Take notes on what the candidate said during the interview, and rate each answer straight afterwards, before talking to anyone else.
- 5Compare ratings across interviewers and candidates using the notes. Where ratings differ, go back to the notes and discuss what the candidate said.
Mistakes to avoid
- Changing the questions from one candidate to the next, which makes the answers impossible to compare.
- Using competencies copied from a generic list instead of the work the role involves.
- Rating on gut feel at the end of the day instead of against the agreed scale after each interview.
- Letting interviewers discuss a candidate before they have each scored them, so the first opinion sets the rest.
- Asking questions about personal life, family plans or anything else unrelated to the job.
Questions
What is a structured interview?
An interview in which every candidate for a role is asked the same predetermined questions, in the same order, and every answer is rated against the same scale and standards. The US Office of Personnel Management describes it this way in its assessment guidance.
Why use structured interview questions?
They make candidates comparable and keep the interview on the job. A 2022 review of selection research by Sackett, Zhang, Berry and Lievens in the Journal of Applied Psychology ranked structured interviews as the top selection procedure it studied for predicting job performance.
What should an interview guide template include?
The role, the interviewers, the plan for the interview, the competencies being assessed, one main question and follow-ups for each, space for notes, a rating scale with a description of each point and a place for the overall recommendation.
What is the difference between behavioural and situational questions?
Behavioural questions ask what the candidate did in a real past situation. Situational questions describe a hypothetical scenario and ask what they would do. Situational questions suit candidates without directly relevant experience.
How many questions should a structured interview have?
Enough to cover the competencies the role needs, with time for follow-ups and the candidate's questions. One main question per competency, with two or three follow-ups each, works for most interviews.
Can I ask follow-up questions in a structured interview?
Yes. Plan the follow-ups in advance and use them to get specifics, such as what the candidate did and what happened. Keep the main questions the same for everyone.
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