Structured Interview

A structured interview uses a standardized set of questions, evaluation criteria, and scoring rubrics to assess all candidates for a given role consistently. Research consistently shows that structured interviews are approximately twice as predictive of job performance as unstructured interviews, while also reducing interviewer bias and improving legal defensibility.

Key elements of a structured interview include: predetermined questions aligned with job-relevant competencies, standardized prompts and follow-up questions, detailed scoring rubrics with behavioral anchors for each rating level, consistent time allocation per question, and independent scoring by each interviewer before any debrief discussion.

Despite the evidence supporting structured interviews, many tech companies still rely on ad hoc interview formats that vary by interviewer. Common objections — that structured interviews feel rigid or miss candidate personality — can be addressed by incorporating open-ended behavioral questions within the structured framework and dedicating separate time for culture and team-fit discussions.