The Problem with Most Interviews
Most interviews are a waste of everyone's time. Interviewers go off-script, rely on gut feel, and unconsciously favour candidates who remind them of themselves. The result is a process that feels productive but predicts almost nothing about actual job performance.
Research by Schmidt and Hunter (1998) found that structured interviews have a validity coefficient of around 0.51 for predicting job performance, compared to approximately 0.38 for unstructured interviews.[1] That gap compounds significantly across hundreds of hires.
"Unstructured interviews have less predictive validity than a coin flip for many roles. Structure changes everything."
Before the Interview: Preparation Is Everything
Great interviews are designed, not improvised. Everything that matters happens before the candidate walks in.
Define a role scorecard, not just a job description
A job description lists duties. A scorecard defines outcomes. Before interviewing anyone, write down: what does success look like in this role at 30, 60, and 90 days? What are the three or four non-negotiable competencies? What does "excellent" look like versus "acceptable"?
Build a standardised question bank
Every candidate for the same role should be asked the same core questions in the same order. This is the single most effective thing you can do to improve interview quality. It enables meaningful comparison and dramatically reduces bias.
Brief all interviewers
If multiple people are interviewing the same candidate, they need a pre-brief. Who is assessing what? What are they not asking (to avoid overlap)? What's the scoring rubric? A 10-minute interviewer sync before the day saves hours of confused debrief discussion.
Prepare the candidate
Send a clear agenda: how long the interview runs, who they'll meet, what format to expect, and what to bring. Anxious candidates perform below their actual level. Calm, prepared candidates give you accurate signal.
During the Interview: Running It Well
Open with structure, not small talk
Brief rapport is fine — two minutes maximum. Then set the agenda clearly: "We'll spend about 45 minutes today. I'll ask some specific questions about your experience, and there'll be time at the end for your questions. I'll be taking notes throughout." This signals professionalism and reduces candidate anxiety.
Ask one question at a time
Multi-part questions let candidates pick the easier part to answer. Ask one thing. Let them finish. Probe if needed. Then move on.
Use the funnel technique
Start broad, then narrow: open question → clarifying probe → hypothetical extension. For example: "Tell me about the last time you managed a significant change in your team." Then: "What specifically did you do when people pushed back?" Then: "If you were doing it again today, what would you change?"
Take notes, not impressions
Note what the candidate actually said — specific examples, dates, outcomes. Not "seemed confident" or "great energy." Impressions fade and distort within hours. Specifics don't.
Manage time actively
If a candidate is over-running, redirect: "That's really helpful — I want to make sure we cover a couple more areas, so let's move on." Politeness is not the same as passivity.
Scoring and Calibrating Objectively
Use an anchored rubric, not gut feel
| Score | What it means |
|---|---|
| 1 | Vague or irrelevant answer. No specific examples. Could not articulate outcome. |
| 2 | Some specifics but incomplete. Limited evidence of the competency. |
| 3 | Clear specific example with a defined outcome. Competency demonstrated adequately. |
| 4 | Strong, relevant example with tangible impact. Good judgement demonstrated. |
| 5 | Sophisticated example showing leadership, judgement, or impact beyond role expectations. |
Score immediately, before the debrief
Write scores before you discuss with other interviewers. Group discussions anchor to the first strong opinion expressed.[2] Independent scoring, then sharing, is far more accurate.
Run a structured debrief
Each interviewer shares their scores per competency, cites the specific evidence, then the group discusses divergence. A candidate who scores 5 from one interviewer and 2 from another gave different signals to different people. That divergence is worth exploring before you decide.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
| Pitfall | What it looks like | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Halo effect | One great answer colours the whole interview | Score each competency independently |
| Similarity bias | Hiring people who remind you of yourself | Diverse interviewer panels, structured scoring |
| Recency bias | Best memory = last candidate interviewed | Score immediately after each interview |
| Leading questions | "You're comfortable with ambiguity, right?" | Use open questions only |
| Talking too much | Interviewer fills silence | 70/30 rule: candidate talks 70% of the time |
| Skipping the debrief | Quick hallway decision | Mandatory structured debrief for every hire |
Interview Formats Worth Knowing
Competency-based (behavioural)
Best for most roles. Asks for specific past examples. Highly predictive of future performance because it focuses on demonstrated behaviour rather than hypothetical responses.
Situational
Presents hypothetical scenarios. Good for roles requiring judgement in novel situations where the candidate may lack directly comparable past experience.
Case study / work sample
Asks candidates to complete a real or realistic task. The highest predictive validity of all interview formats according to Schmidt and Hunter's meta-analysis.[1]
Technical / skills assessment
Structured tests for technical roles. Should be standardised and scored consistently across all candidates.
Panel interviews
Multiple interviewers, each assessing a different competency. Reduces individual bias but requires tight coordination — each panellist should own specific competencies.
References
- Schmidt, F. L., & Hunter, J. E. (1998). The validity and utility of selection methods in personnel psychology. Psychological Bulletin, 124(2), 262–274. psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0033-2909.124.2.262
- Sunstein, C. R., & Hastie, R. (2015). Wiser: Getting Beyond Groupthink to Make Groups Smarter. Harvard Business Review Press.
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