The data on unstructured interviews

Decades of meta-analyses consistently show that unstructured interviews predict job performance with r ≈ 0.20 — barely better than random selection. Structured interviews, by contrast, sit around r ≈ 0.51 — three times more predictive.

What "structured" means

  1. Same questions, same order, every candidate.
  2. Pre-defined rubric with anchored examples for each rating.
  3. Multiple independent raters — average their scores; never discuss until all submissions are in.
  4. Job-relevant questions only — past behavior + situational + technical, no "what's your spirit animal."

Building your question bank

Start from the position requirements. For each one, write:

  • 1 behavioral question ("Tell me about a time…")
  • 1 situational question ("How would you approach…")
  • 1 technical question (specific to the skill)

Three questions per requirement. A senior role with 5 requirements has 15 questions total — enough to fill 60 minutes across two interviewers.

Scorecards beat gut feel

Capture every rating during the interview, not after. Memory decays fast and group dynamics push everyone toward the loudest opinion. Scorecards that include strengths, concerns, and a recommendation force structured thinking.