Interviews are where hiring decisions get made - and where most hiring processes fall apart. Unstructured conversations, inconsistent questions, gut-feel evaluations, and unconscious bias lead to poor decisions and unfair outcomes.
This guide covers how to build an interview process that actually predicts job performance. You'll learn why structure matters, how to design effective interviews, and how to evaluate candidates fairly and consistently.
Why Structure Matters
The research is overwhelming: structured interviews predict job performance roughly twice as well as unstructured ones. Yet most companies still rely on casual conversations and gut feelings.
Structured interviews are twice as predictive of job performance as unstructured interviews.
Of hiring managers believe they can accurately assess candidates in unstructured interviews. They're wrong.
Correlation between unstructured interviews and actual job performance. Barely better than chance.
What makes an interview "structured"? Three elements:
- Consistent questions - Every candidate for the same role gets the same core questions
- Defined criteria - You decide what good answers look like before interviewing
- Standardized scoring - Interviewers rate on the same scale against the same rubric
Structure doesn't mean robotic. You can still have conversations, ask follow-ups, and adapt to what candidates say. But the core framework stays consistent so you can compare fairly.
Types of Interviews
Different interview formats serve different purposes. Most hiring processes combine several types:
Phone Screen
15-30 minute initial conversation. Validates basic qualifications, communication skills, and interest. Filters out obvious mismatches early.
Phone screen questions →Behavioral
Questions about past experiences to predict future behavior. "Tell me about a time when..." format. Most predictive for soft skills and culture fit.
Behavioral questions →Technical
Coding challenges, system design, or domain-specific problem solving. Tests actual job skills rather than interview skills.
Technical interview guide →Case Study
Work-sample exercises or hypothetical scenarios. Candidates solve problems similar to actual job tasks. High validity but time-intensive.
Panel
Multiple interviewers at once. Efficient for gathering diverse perspectives. Requires coordination to avoid chaos.
Culture/Values
Assesses alignment with company values and team dynamics. Done well, it surfaces important fit. Done poorly, it reinforces bias.
Building Your Process
There's no universal interview process - the right structure depends on the role, your company stage, and your resources. But here's a framework that works for most positions:
Application Review
Screen resumes against defined criteria. Use scorecards even at this stage to ensure consistency. Goal: identify candidates worth talking to.
~5 min per candidatePhone Screen
Recruiter or hiring manager call. Validate basics: communication, interest, logistics (compensation, timing, location). Filter obvious mismatches.
15-30 minutesSkills Assessment
Work sample or technical exercise - before investing more interview time. Can be take-home or live depending on role and preference.
1-3 hours (varies)Deep-Dive Interviews
Multiple interviews covering different competencies. Each interviewer has assigned focus areas. Behavioral + technical depth.
2-4 hours totalReference Checks
Validate what you've learned. Use structured questions, not just "would you hire them again?" Focus on specific competencies.
15-20 min per referenceHiring Decision
Debrief meeting with all interviewers. Review scores, discuss concerns, make decision based on evidence rather than who argues loudest.
30-60 minutesAdjust the sequence and depth based on what you're hiring for. Senior roles need more depth. High-volume roles need more efficiency. But always maintain structure and consistency.
Asking Better Questions
The questions you ask determine the quality of information you get. Most interview questions are terrible - vague, leading, or easily gamed. Here's how to ask better ones:
Behavioral Questions
The format: "Tell me about a time when..." followed by a specific situation or challenge. You're looking for real examples from their past, not hypotheticals about what they would do.
"Are you good at handling conflict?"
"Tell me about a time you had a significant disagreement with a colleague. How did you handle it?"
"How do you handle pressure?"
"Describe a situation where you had multiple urgent deadlines competing for your time. Walk me through how you prioritized."
Use the STAR framework to evaluate answers: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Good candidates give specific, detailed examples. Weak candidates speak in generalities or hypotheticals.
Behavioral Interview Questions
Questions organized by competency with scoring guides.
Phone Screen Questions
What to ask in the initial screening conversation.
Evaluation & Scorecards
Without a consistent evaluation framework, interviews devolve into "I liked them" or "bad vibes." Scorecards force rigor and enable fair comparison.
Building a Scorecard
- Define competencies - 4-6 key skills or attributes required for the role
- Create rating scale - Typically 1-4 or 1-5, with clear definitions for each level
- Write anchors - Specific behaviors or responses that indicate each rating level
- Assign owners - Each interviewer focuses on evaluating specific competencies
Example: Communication Competency
Reducing Bias
Every interviewer has biases - unconscious preferences that affect judgment. Structure helps, but you need deliberate practices to minimize bias impact:
- Score immediately - Record ratings right after each interview, before discussing with others
- Independent evaluations - Interviewers shouldn't share opinions before the debrief
- Diverse panels - Include interviewers from different backgrounds when possible
- Blind resume review - Remove names and photos during initial screening
- Standardize questions - Ask the same core questions to every candidate
- Focus on evidence - In debriefs, require specific examples for assertions
- Track patterns - Monitor hiring outcomes by demographics over time
Making the Decision
After all interviews are complete, bring everyone together for a structured debrief:
- Share scores first - Before discussion, have everyone share their ratings
- Discuss disagreements - Focus on specific evidence, not general impressions
- Check against criteria - Does the candidate meet the requirements you defined upfront?
- Make the call - Strong yes, yes, no, or strong no. Avoid "maybes" - they usually mean no
The hiring manager makes the final decision, but should weight interviewer feedback heavily. If most interviewers have concerns, those concerns probably matter.