When hiring teams ask various questions of different prospects, they create a less level playing field, giving some employment candidates greater opportunities to shine (or sink). It’s all too easy for personal prejudices to inappropriately impact the way candidates are rated when there isn’t a consistent, job-specific interview protocol for grading prospects.

Structured interview questions, on the other hand, can assist firms to prevent biased recruiting judgments by increasing equity across all job categories by allowing every candidate to present their abilities and qualities equally.

What is the definition of a structured interview?

A structured job interview is a systematic interview in which hiring teams ask each candidate the same planned set of questions and evaluate candidates’ performance using the same criteria.

This interview format can be utilized for any available position, from entry-level to executive level. The structured interview questions are divided into two categories: behavioral and situational and are connected to the unique needs of the position and firm.

During these assessments, candidates are asked to describe earlier achievements and experiences that may be relevant to the open post (“Tell me about a time when…”) in behavioral structured interview questions.

“What would you do if?” is a scenario structured interview question that presents a hypothetical problem or situation linked to the work. You may use one type more than the other depending on the role you’re interviewing a candidate for.

Employer Advantages

When employers wish to analyze candidates objectively, they adopt this interview method. There is no risk of unfair or subjective assessment because questions are pre-determined and a scoring system is in place. It assists interviewers in avoiding any legal difficulties that may arise as a result of unequal recruiting practices.

Adding structured job interview to the pre-employment hiring process also allows the employer to concentrate on the job’s unique skills, competencies, and values. This interview technique is frequently considered a more effective means of testing a candidate’s potential performance on the job because questions are focused on specific skills. Employers can also analyze hard-to-measure qualities like interpersonal skills and oral communication using this interview method.

Candidates’ Advantages

Candidates can also rest assured that they will be evaluated solely on their abilities, rather than on any subjective criteria. Every candidate understands he or she has an equal opportunity to present the same information because the questions are the same for everyone and are asked in the same order.

The Different Types of Questions Asked During a Structured Interview

Of course, questions differ based on the profession, but they all relate to the work’s criteria. Structured job interview questions, on the other hand, are usually open-ended. Behavioral interview questions are frequently asked, and they inquire about how an applicant has handled a work-related problem in the past. Situational interview questions, in which the candidate is asked how he or she would manage a hypothetical work circumstance, might also be included in these interviews.

Most Popular Structured Interview Questions

While questions for a structured job interview differ depending on the skills required for the position, here are some popular ones:

• Tell me about your background.
• What qualities do you possess that make you an excellent candidate for this position?
• What piques your interest in this position?
• What are your advantages? Weaknesses?
• Would you be willing to travel for this work for long periods of time?
• Tell me about a time last year when you were extremely pleased with your performance and share it with us.
• Tell me about an instance when you made a professional blunder. What steps did you take to deal with the situation? What was the outcome?
• Describe a time when you had to resolve a problem between team members. What steps did you take to achieve your goals? What was the outcome?

What are the benefits of using organized job interview questions?

They’re more successful than unstructured interviews at revealing a candidate’s potential. Researchers published a study in the late 1990s that looked at how well assessments predicted performance. Unstructured job interviews reveal only 14 percent of a potential employee’s performance, according to a study that looked at 19 different assessment approaches. Structured interviews, in which candidates are asked a consistent set of questions and explicit criteria for evaluating the quality of responses are established, nearly doubled that result to 26% of an employee’s performance.