Structured Interview

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What is a structured interview?

A Structured Interview is a type of job interview in which a set of pre-determined questions are asked to all candidates in the same order and manner. The questions are typically based on the job requirements and are designed to elicit specific information about the candidate’s qualifications, skills, and experience. The interviewer is typically trained to ask the questions in a consistent manner and to rate the candidate’s responses on a standardized scale.

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The goal of a Structured Interview is to ensure that all candidates are evaluated in a fair and objective manner, and that the information gathered is relevant to the job at hand.

Why may employers use structured interviews?

Employers may use Structured Interviews for several reasons, including: HBR’s structured interviewing research

  1. Objectivity: By using a set of pre-determined questions and a standardized rating system, structured interviews can help ensure that all candidates are evaluated in a fair and objective manner, reducing bias and subjectivity in the hiring process.
  2. Relevance: Structured interviews are designed to elicit specific information about the candidate’s qualifications, skills, and experience that are relevant to the job at hand.
  3. Comparability: Structured interviews allow for easy comparison of different candidates’ responses, making it easier for the interviewer to identify the best-qualified candidate for the job.
  4. Legal Defensibility: Structured Interviews can help employers to demonstrate that the hiring process is fair and that the selection decision is based on job-related criteria, which can be helpful if an applicant challenges the decision in court.
  5. Consistency: Structured interviews can help ensure that all candidates are asked the same questions and evaluated in the same way, which can reduce the risk of inconsistency in the hiring process.
  6. Gathering Specific Information: By asking pre-determined questions, a structured interview helps the interviewer to gather specific information about the candidate’s qualifications, skills, and experience that are relevant to the job requirements.

What is the process of conducting a structured interview?

The process of a Structured Interview typically involves the following steps:

  1. Preparation: The interviewer will prepare a set of pre-determined questions based on the job requirements and design a standardized rating system.
  2. Scheduling: Candidates will be scheduled for interviews at a specific date and time.
  3. Introduction: The interviewer will introduce themselves and the interview process, briefly explain the purpose of the interview, and make sure the candidate is comfortable.
  4. Questions: The interviewer will ask the pre-determined questions in the same order and manner to all candidates. The interviewer will also give the candidate the opportunity to ask questions.
  5. Evaluation: The interviewer will evaluate the candidate’s responses using the standardized rating system, taking notes on the candidate’s answers and behaviors.
  6. Follow-up: After the interview, the interviewer may conduct reference or background checks, or schedule additional interviews if necessary.
  7. Selection: Based on the information gathered during the interview, the interviewer will select the best-qualified candidate for the job.

SHRM’s structured interview guidance

Structured interviews are among the highest-validity, most legally defensible selection tools : the foundation of effective, bias-resistant skills-based hiring. Organizations using pre-employment assessments ensure every hire is grounded in verified skills. A data-driven hiring plan reduces mis-hire risk, while strong talent acquisition practices focused on skills-based hiring help organizations attract and retain top talent.

Frequently asked questions

A structured interview is a standardized hiring assessment in which all candidates are asked the same predetermined questions, in the same order, with responses evaluated against defined criteria. It contrasts with unstructured interviews where conversations flow conversationally without standardization. Structured interviews dramatically improve both the predictive validity and the legal defensibility of hiring decisions by eliminating the inconsistency and bias introduced by ad hoc interviewing.

Two primary question types: (1) Behavioral questions (‘Tell me about a time when…’) : ask candidates to describe specific past experiences, based on the premise that past behavior predicts future behavior; responses are evaluated for what the candidate actually did, their reasoning, and the results they achieved. (2) Situational questions (‘What would you do if…’) : present hypothetical job-relevant scenarios; candidates describe how they would respond; evaluated against expert-defined ideal responses. Both have high validity; behavioral questions are typically higher for experienced candidates, situational for entry-level.

Meta-analytic evidence (Schmidt and Hunter, 1998; McDaniel et al.): structured interviews have validity (correlation with job performance) of approximately 0.51 : among the highest of any selection method. Unstructured interviews have validity of approximately 0.20 : significantly lower. Structured interviews also reduce adverse impact on protected groups compared to unstructured, improve inter-rater reliability (different interviewers reach more consistent evaluations of the same candidate), and provide a documented, legally defensible basis for hiring decisions.

Quality behavioral questions: tied to specific competencies identified through job analysis, require the candidate to describe a specific past situation (not a hypothetical), probe for concrete actions the candidate personally took (not what ‘we’ did as a team), assess a behavior directly relevant to job performance, avoid leading or obvious ‘right answer’ signals, and are paired with scoring anchors that define what strong, acceptable, and poor responses look like. Examples: ‘Tell me about a time you had to influence someone without direct authority to achieve a business outcome.’

Panel design: assign different competencies to different interviewers (each interviewer assesses 2-3 competencies to maintain focus and reduce fatigue); provide each interviewer with their assigned questions and scoring rubrics before the interview; require independent scoring before the debrief discussion (prevents anchoring and halo effects from group dynamics); conduct a structured debrief where each interviewer shares their scores and evidence; reach a consensus recommendation based on evidence rather than impression; document the scoring rationale. Panel consistency requires calibration training.

Implementation steps: conduct job analysis to identify key competencies for each role family; develop or license validated question banks for each competency; create scoring rubrics (behavioral anchors) for each question; train all interviewers in structured methods (STAR probing, scoring, avoiding bias); pilot with a high-volume role before full rollout; build structured forms into the ATS for scoring and documentation; audit hiring outcomes for adverse impact and quality-of-hire to validate effectiveness; and refresh questions periodically when candidates begin ‘studying’ for known questions.