Note on Structured Interviewing

By: Ethan S. Bernstein and Amy Ross

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Synopsis: Making good hiring decisions is a critical management activity, yet many leaders just "wing it" when interviewing candidates to fill openings by having an organic conversation to assess the candidate's fit, unknowingly subjecting the process to unconscious bias. Instead, organizations should employ structured interviewing techniques to carefully assess the skills needed for a given opening, to determine a consistent approach for fairly evaluating candidates' skills, and ultimately to make the best possible hiring decision. This note aims to help the reader acquire the skills necessary to be an effective interviewer and to champion best-practice interviewing within his or her organization. Beginning by briefly summarizing the pitfalls of unstructured interviewing, the note proceeds to explain three types of structured interviewing techniques, the steps hiring managers should undertake to prepare for and conduct interviews, and tips for making evidence-based assessments.