How to Use Structured Interviews to Avoid Making Bad Hires

If you're looking to avoid making bad hires in the future, using structured interviews is a great place to start.

2023

Introduction:

Organizations today are under immense pressure to make the right hiring decisions. One bad hire can cost an organization dearly in terms of time, money, and resources. In order to avoid making costly mistakes, it is important for organizations to uplevel the quality of their hiring decisions.

One way to do this is by using structured interviews. Structured interviews are a type of interview in which the questions are predetermined and the same for all candidates. This ensures that each candidate is evaluated on the same criteria and that the interviewers do not rely on their own personal biases.

When conducting structured interviews, organizations should consider using an interview guide or rubric to score candidates' responses. This will help to ensure that candidates are being evaluated fairly and consistently.

By using these best practices, organizations can improve the quality of their hiring decisions and avoid making costly mistakes.


What is a structured interview?

A structured interview is a type of interview that uses a predetermined set of questions, in order to elicit specific information from the interviewee that can be used to compare and contrast different candidates. The questions asked in a structured interview should be based on the job requirements and the competencies that have been identified as necessary for success in the role.

Structured interviews are generally considered to be more reliable and valid than unstructured or semi-structured interviews, as they allow for a more apples-to-apples comparison of candidates. When done correctly, structured interviews can help to reduce subjectivity in the hiring process and make it easier to identify the best candidate for the job.

There are a few different ways to conduct a structured interview, but the most common is to use what is known as the STAR method. This involves asking the interviewee to describe a Situation or Task that they were faced with, the Actions that they took to address it, and the Results that were achieved.

The STAR method is a great way to get concrete, specific information from candidates that can be used to compare them side-by-side. However, it is important to keep in mind that not all candidates will have had identical experiences, so it is important to ask follow-up questions as needed to get a fuller picture of each candidate's skills and abilities.

When conducting a structured interview, it is also important to be aware of any potential biases that may come into play. For example, research has shown that women are often judged more harshly than men when asked about their successes and failures in a work setting. As such, it is important to be aware of these potential biases and make sure that they are not impacting your hiring decisions.

Overall, structured interviews can be a great way to improve the quality of your hiring decisions and avoid making costly mistakes. By asking specific, job-related questions and being aware of potential biases, you can increase your chances of hiring the best candidate for the job.


How does a structured interview help avoid bad hires?

A structured interview is a process used by employers to evaluate candidates for a job opening. The structured interview is designed to minimize subjectivity in the hiring process by using a predetermined set of questions that are asked of all candidates. The questions are designed to elicit information about the candidate's qualifications, skills, and experience.

The structured interview can help avoid bad hires by ensuring that the hiring decision is based on qualified candidates who have the skills and experience required for the job. The structured interview helps to ensure that all candidates are treated fairly and that the hiring decision is based on objective criteria.

The use of a structured interview can help your company avoid making bad hires by ensuring that the hiring decision is based on qualified candidates who have the skills and experience required for the job. If you are looking to improve the quality of your hiring decisions, consider using a structured interview process.


How to create a great structured interview process

Creating a great structured interview process is key to making quality hires. By taking the time to define the skills and experience required for the role, writing out a list of assessment questions, and scoring each answer, you can compare candidates side-by-side to see who is the best match for the role. This process will help you avoid making bad hires.

When you’re hiring for a new role, it’s important to take the time to create a great structured interview process. This process will help you ensure that you’re making quality hires and avoiding bad hires. There are a few steps to creating a great structured interview process:


1) Define the skills and experience required for the role you’re hiring for:

The first step is to clearly define the skills and experience required for the role you’re hiring for. This will help you create a targeted list of interview questions that assess those skills and experiences.


2) Write out a list of interview questions

Once you know what skills and experiences you’re looking for, you can write out a list of interview questions that will assess those skills and experiences. Make sure to ask both behavioral and hypothetical questions.


3) Score each answer to each question on a scale from 1-5:

Once each candidate has answered your questions, score each answer on a scale from 1-5. This will help you compare candidates side-by-side.


4) Compare each candidate’s score:

After you’ve scored each candidate’s answers, compare their scores to see who is the best match for the role.


5) Make your final hiring decision based on the candidate’s score:

Finally, make your final hiring decision based on the candidate’s score. If there are multiple candidates with similar scores, you can conduct a second round of interviews to help make your decision.


By following these steps, you can create a great structured interview process that will help you make quality hires.


Conclusion

As you can see, there are a few key benefits to using structured interviews to avoid making bad hires. By level the playing field and ensuring that all candidates are evaluated on the same criteria, you can avoid making decisions based on factors that have nothing to do with a candidate's qualifications or ability to do the job. In addition, structured interviews can help to improve the overall quality of hires, which can lead to better long-term outcomes for your company.