Structured Interview

An interview format where every candidate is asked the same predetermined questions and evaluated on the same criteria.

A structured interview is one where all candidates for a role are asked the same set of predetermined questions in the same order, and their responses are evaluated against a consistent rubric — as opposed to an unstructured interview, which flows based on conversation and interviewer judgment. Structured interviews were developed to reduce the variability and bias inherent in subjective, conversational hiring.

The research case for structured interviews is overwhelming. Meta-analyses consistently show structured interviews predict job performance significantly better than unstructured ones — often twice as accurately. Unstructured interviews are heavily influenced by factors unrelated to job performance: how much the interviewer likes the candidate personally, shared background or interests, appearance, and a dozen other irrelevant signals. Structure reduces the role of these factors by forcing evaluation on the same criteria across candidates.

From a candidate's perspective, structured interviews are generally fairer and more predictable. You can prepare more specifically because the criteria are typically related to the actual job requirements. They also tend to be less susceptible to the 'click' effect — where candidates who are similar to the interviewer get an unfair advantage.