Hiring the right candidate can feel like a gamble, especially if you’re applying traditional recruitment practices like unstructured interviews. Not to mention, with the job market saturated with open roles and skilled candidates in high demand, there’s a need for a structured process to vet candidate skills and not hire based on a gut feeling.
Structured interviews help you tackle this issue, providing a reliable way to assess how fit candidates are for a particular role. However, to yield the best results, they have to be implemented correctly. Fortunately, this guide has all the information you need to execute your own structured interviews most efficiently. Here, we will cover what structured interviews are, why they work, and how to conduct them for a successful hire.
What is a structured interview?
A structured interview is a systematic approach to candidate evaluation where each applicant is asked the same set of predetermined, job-related questions and graded according to some fixed criteria. This means that hiring teams get to assess candidates from a level field, retaining the question order, progression, and scoring. And since the only variables are the candidates’ responses, it’s easier to gauge their job fit.
The idea behind structured interviewing is that it largely removes human bias from the process, reduces the likelihood of a bad hire, and allows hiring managers to compare candidates in an “apples to apples” approach. Structured interviews are designed to be consistent, measurable, and directly tied to the skills and behaviors required for success in a position.
To be effective, these interviews combine behavioral questions with situation-based technical and non-technical inquiries for comprehensive candidate evaluation, making them a top choice for companies around the world. In fact, key organizations, such as Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, use structured interviewing to help adequately and comparatively assess candidates’ suitability for the role.
Dr. Melissa Harrell, a hiring effectiveness expert on Google’s People Analytics team, affirms the effectiveness of this strategy, stating that “structured interviews are one of the best tools we have to identify the strongest job candidates. Not only that, they avoid the pitfalls of some of the other common methods.”
How do structured interviews work?
At its core, structured interviews work by combining thorough job requirement research with in-depth inquiries to ensure that companies make the right hires. A structured interview is designed to make candidate evaluation fair, reliable, and predictive of future job performance. Unlike other interview formats, it follows a strict process that keeps every applicant on the same footing.
With structured interviews, the recruiter performs a thorough job analysis to understand exactly what they’re looking for in a candidate. This lets them define competencies and skills the job needs. Then, they develop standardized questions that cover all the core technical and soft skills and experiences required for the job. These questions usually fall under two categories:
- Behavioral questions
- Situational questions
Next, the recruiter defines a progression for the interviews and scoring rubrics that will be applied strictly to every candidate. This ensures fairness and quicker hiring decisions among its other benefits.
Benefits of structured interviews
With 85% of hiring managers reporting a skills gap in their organization (Hays Skills Report, 2025), more recruiters are adopting skills-focused strategies for candidate evaluation. One of these strategies is structured interviews. In this section, we’ll go over the benefits of using structured interviews in your recruitment:
1. Accurate prediction of job performance
One of the biggest strengths of structured interviews is that they give employers a clearer picture of how someone will perform once hired. Because the questions are tied directly to the job and every candidate is evaluated against the same criteria, the answers provide real insight into a person’s skills and behavior.
Unlike traditional virtual and in-person interview conversations that can drift off-topic, structured interviews stay focused on the qualities that actually matter in the role. This makes it easier to separate strong candidates from those who might not be the best fit. In other words, it helps companies make smarter hiring decisions that pay off long after the interview ends.
2. Reduced bias
Structured interviews standardize both the questions asked and the evaluation criteria, which helps remove individual interviewer bias and subjective judgments. By focusing the assessment solely on job-related competencies and using consistent scoring rubrics, hiring becomes more objective and transparent.
In diverse contexts, this mitigates unconscious hiring biases based on accent, background, or demeanor. Overall, structured interviews help maintain fairness and help build a diverse workforce that reflects organizational values.
3. Better candidate fit comparison
In interview scenarios where every applicant answers the same questions, hiring managers can directly line up responses and see who demonstrated the strongest skills or judgment. This consistency takes the guesswork out of decision-making and makes it less likely that someone slips through the cracks just because one interviewer saw things differently.
It also means that even if a panel of interviewers is involved, each person is working from the same framework. The end result is a process that feels more organized, efficient, and reliable for the company and the candidates going through it.
4. Legally defensible hiring
Structured interviews also give companies stronger protection against legal challenges that come with unfair hiring practices. Because the questions are standardized and focused on job requirements, it’s easier to prove that every candidate was evaluated fairly and consistently.
This way, companies can comply with employment laws like the Disability Discrimination Act of 1992 in Australia and the laws set by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
If a rejected applicant ever questions the process, the business has clear documentation to show that decisions were based on objective criteria rather than personal bias. This transparency not only reduces the risk of discrimination claims but also builds internal confidence in the hiring process.
5. Better candidate experience
Candidates often feel more comfortable when they know the process is fair and consistent. Being asked thoughtful, job-relevant questions shows your company’s respect for their time and effort. It also gives them a chance to highlight their skills in ways that truly matter for the role.
Additionally, even those who don’t get the job walk away with a more positive view of the company, which boosts the employer brand. In today’s competitive market, where candidate experience can make or break a company’s reputation, this is a huge advantage.
Why do structured interviews work as a top method for candidate evaluation?
Structured interviews work as one of the most effective tools in recruitment because they are backed by research and evidence, not just theory. Unlike unstructured interviews that rely heavily on intuition, structured ones follow a systematic approach that delivers measurable results.
Frank L. Schmidt and John E. Hunter, names that are well-known in organizational psychology, published a research paper in 1998 called “The Validity and Utility of Selection Methods in Personnel Psychology.” The original findings from this paper concluded that:
- Cognitive tests, work sample tests, personality tests, and structured interviews were the best predictors of performance in the workplace.
- Of the methods, cognitive ability was found to be the number one predictor of performance.
- Predictability increased when employers combined quality selection tools (i.e., cognitive testing and work sample tests).
- Experience and education were found unlikely to be useful predictors of job performance.
While this study held its place in providing insights into predictive talent selection methods for upwards of 20 years, new findings by researchers at the University of Minnesota and Indiana University have caused a major reshuffling of the order of best selection procedures.
According to the university’s meta-analyses review, the researchers concluded that the following selection methods are now the most predictive of performance and business outcomes:
- Structured interviews
- Job knowledge tests
- Empirically keyed biodata (i.e., questions that assess someone’s past behavior to predict future performance — past experiences, education, training, abilities, personality, attitudes, interests, etc.)
- Work sample tests
- Cognitive ability tests
These recent changes recognize the shortcomings of cognitive testing, offering new insight into the value of methods like structured interviews and job knowledge tests (i.e., skills-based testing with Vervoe).
Structured interviews vs other interview types: Semi-structured, unstructured
To get a fuller view of how structured interviews perform when compared to other interview types, like semi-structured and unstructured, here’s a direct comparison of each format:
| Factor | Structured interviews | Semi-structured interviews | Unstructured interviews |
| Question format | Predetermined. An identical set of questions is asked to all candidates. | There’s a core set of questions, but interviewers can explore additional topics flexibly. | No fixed format. The questions vary widely depending on the interviewer. |
| Reliability | High. There is a consistent process across candidates. | Moderate. There is some consistency, but flexibility reduces standardization. | Low. The results vary significantly between interviews. |
| Validity | Strong predictor of job performance, with questions tied to job-related skills. | Moderate predictor of job performance, with questions partially job-related but less systematic. | Weak predictor of job performance, with questions that often drift into unrelated or subjective topics. |
| Scoring | Has standardized rating scales that are objective and measurable. | Comes with a mix of structured scoring and subjective interpretation. | Has mostly subjective scoring that relies on the interviewer’s impressions. |
| Comparability | Easy. All candidates can be directly compared. | Possible, but there are variations in follow-up questions that can complicate comparisons. | Difficult. Inconsistent questions make comparisons unreliable. |
| Bias control | Lowers bias by focusing on the same criteria for everyone. | Has some bias control, but flexibility opens room for subjectivity. | Comes with a high risk of bias due to personal rapport or stereotypes influencing decisions. |
| Legal defensibility | Strong. Documented, standardized processes support fairness. | Moderate. It is partially defensible if core questions are consistent. | Weak. It is difficult to prove fairness without structure or documentation. |
Based on the comparison table above, we can conclude that:
- Businesses should use structured interviews when trying to compare candidate skills and overall fit for positions. It’s especially important when hiring for highly specialized roles. Structured interviews are also great for companies that want fast, yet objective candidate assessment.
- Semi-structured interviews are perfect if you want to compare candidates side by side for certain questions, while also seeing where the conversation naturally goes. It’s also great for moderately specialized roles or if you have more time to spare for the interview process.
- Unstructured interviews are ideal if you want more personal and informal interviews where candidates feel comfortable answering naturally and honestly. It’s a good strategy for getting to know the candidates and studying how they interact with others alongside other less-technical metrics like communication and carriage.
How to conduct a structured interview for successful recruitment
Hiring the right people can make or break a team, and interviews often sit at the heart of that decision. But while many organizations still rely on casual, free-flowing conversations, research shows that this approach leaves too much room for bias and guesswork.
Structured interviews, on the other hand, bring order, fairness, and accuracy to the hiring process. Below, we will break down how to conduct structured interviews step by step for better recruitment outcomes:
Step 1: Define the role and its core competencies
Before you get to drafting any interview questions, you need to know exactly what you’re testing for. This means that you need to perform a proper job analysis, which includes researching skills your industry demands for the role, defining your ideal candidate, and checking for skill gaps in your company.
A comprehensive job analysis also involves reviewing the responsibilities, daily tasks, and long-term goals tied to the position. From there, identify the key competencies and skills that a successful candidate must demonstrate, such as problem-solving, teamwork, or technical expertise. This clarity forms the backbone of the structured interview.
Step 2: Develop standardized questions
Once the competencies are set, you need to translate them into targeted interview questions. These should be open-ended enough to let candidates explain their experiences but specific enough to test the competency in question. While drafting your questions, it’s important to ensure there’s a mix of behavioral and situational questions that assess the technical and soft skills required for a role.
Behavioral interview questions
Behavioral interview questions are questions related to past situations to understand a candidate’s behavior. These questions can help demonstrate a candidate’s hard and soft skills, particularly the latter, i.e., teamwork, problem-solving skills, leadership, communication, and time management. For example:
- Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult team member. How did you handle the situation?
- Give me an example of a project where you had to meet a tight deadline. What steps did you take?
- Describe a time when you made a mistake at work. How did you fix it, and what did you learn?
- Share an experience where you had to persuade others to accept your idea. What was the outcome?
Situational interview questions
Situational questions, on the other hand, are hypothetical questions that present scenarios to assess how a candidate would react and handle realistic work-related issues. Like behavioral questions, these questions also help to reveal different elements of a candidate’s hard and soft skills, depending on the questions asked. They also provide insights into candidates’ cultural fit for the organization. Situational questions include:
- Imagine you’re leading a project, and two of your key team members strongly disagree on how to move forward. The disagreement is slowing progress. How would you handle the situation to keep the project on track?
- You’re working on several important tasks, and suddenly your supervisor asks you to take on another urgent assignment due the same day. How would you prioritize your work and manage expectations?
- Picture this: You’re new in a role and you notice a process that seems outdated and inefficient, but your colleagues are resistant to change. How would you introduce your idea without alienating the team?
Once you have your questions ready, you’d need to decide what order they’d come in. This arrangement depends on the hierarchy of skills required for the role. Then, ensure that each question flows into the other to maintain a conversational, yet consistent tone throughout the interviews.
Step 3: Create a scoring rubric
Structured interviews are effective because they maintain consistency in both the questions and the scoring. As such, it’s important that you build a rubric that is:
- Easy to follow.
- Well-defined such that it clearly differentiates between what a strong, average, and weak response looks like for each question.
- Reproducible.
- Able to represent the level of skill a candidate has.
An example of a great rubric is a 1-5 scoring system where 5 reflects a candidate who demonstrates high initiative, teamwork, and measurable skills, while 1 reflects vague responses, irrelevant answers, or poor skill demonstration.
Aside from a numerical scoring system, you can use a scorecard showing bad, average, and good to visualize each candidate’s performance. To do this, confirm the hard and soft skills you’re trying to evaluate through your questions, then write the question on one column, the skill, and the rating. Under rating, include three columns next to each skill for bad, average, and good. Here’s an example:
| S/N | Question | Skill | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult team member. How did you handle the situation? | Collaboration | Bad | Average | Good |
| 2. | If you saw performance SEO metrics decreasing weekly, what would be your approach to rectifying the issue? Please explain how you’d apply your technical knowledge. | Attention to detail | Bad | Average | Good |
| SEO principles and knowledge | Bad | Average | Good | ||
| 3. | Imagine a client became dissatisfied with your service. How would you respond to regain their trust? | Communication | Bad | Average | Good |
| Conflict resolution | Bad | Average | Good | ||
| 4. | If you were assigned multiple urgent tasks with the same deadline, how would you prioritize them? | Time management | Bad | Average | Good |
As we’ve shown above, a particular question can have separate rows for different skills.
During the interview, the interviewer can check the appropriate ratings as the candidates respond to their questions. This way, you can have measurable data to back up your hiring decisions.
Step 4: Train your interviewers
Finally, run training sessions where interviewers practice using the scoring system and learn how to avoid common pitfalls, like leading questions or unconscious bias. Training should also cover techniques for probing further without going off-script. For example, your interviewers can ask questions like, “Can you expand on what you meant by that?” rather than introducing entirely new topics.
This preparation creates consistency across the interview panel, making the process fairer and more accurate. At the end of his process, you’d be well-equipped to conduct your structured interviews, score candidates, and identify loopholes in the entire process.
Complete your structured interviews with reliable skills testing
Without a doubt, structured interviews are one of the most reliable ways to evaluate candidates. But while they provide valuable insights into how someone thinks, communicates, and approaches problems, they aren’t designed to capture the full picture on their own.
For the best results, it’s best to pair these interviews with skills-based assessments that test what candidates can actually do, not just what they say they can do. This is where Vervoe comes in.
Vervoe helps employers go beyond interviews by delivering tailored skills tests that simulate real job tasks. By combining structured interviews with Vervoe’s practical assessments, you can hire people who are not only a good fit on paper but also capable of excelling in the role from day one. Want to see Vervoe in action? Get a free demo to begin!
