Are Interviews Pointless? It All Depends on How They’re Structured
Interviews are a cornerstone of the hiring process, yet their effectiveness often falls short due to poor planning and execution. Many interviewers lack proper training, leading to inconsistent and biased evaluations that do little to identify the best candidates. However, structured interviews can significantly improve the predictive accuracy of hiring decisions.
The Power of Structured Interviews
Structured interviews stand out as the most effective method for predicting job performance. Research consistently ranks them as the top hiring practice in terms of predictive power. But to harness their full potential, structured interviews require careful design and disciplined execution.
3 Key Strategies for Effective Structured Interviews
Convincing hiring managers and interviewers to adopt structured interviews can be challenging, as it demands more effort and discipline compared to unstructured, extemporaneous interviews. However, the benefits far outweigh the initial investment of time and effort. Here are three essential strategies to build effective structured interviews:
1. Standardize Questions for Consistency
All candidates for a given position should be asked the same set of predetermined questions. These questions should be tailored to assess the most important competencies and skills required for the job. By standardizing questions, you create a level playing field that allows for an apples-to-apples comparison of candidates. Diverging from a set list can lead to inconsistent evaluations, making it difficult to accurately determine the top candidates.
2. Focus on Specific Experiences
Effective interviewers ask candidates to describe past experiences where they applied relevant skills and competencies. Hypothetical or multiple-choice questions do not provide the same depth of insight. Instead, ask candidates to describe specific situations, the actions they took, and the outcomes of those actions. For example, you might ask, “Tell me about the most difficult and complex project you ever planned and executed in a prior job, at school, or in another aspect of your life.” Follow-up questions should be used to delve deeper into the candidate’s experiences and the complexities they faced.
3. Create a Uniform Evaluation Process
Ideally, multiple interviewers should evaluate candidates using standardized criteria and then reach a group consensus to finalize scores. While this approach may not be feasible for every position, it is highly recommended for critical and senior-level roles. Consistent evaluation criteria and collaborative decision-making help mitigate individual biases and provide a more comprehensive assessment of each candidate.
The Potential Role of AI in Interviews
Generative artificial intelligence holds promise for enhancing structured interviews. AI can assist in creating targeted questions and suggest follow-up questions in real-time. It can also help with evaluating and scoring candidate responses. However, the use of AI in hiring must be approached cautiously due to potential biases and concerns about the lack of a human touch.
Research indicates that two-thirds of adults would be hesitant to apply for a job if AI were making the hiring decisions. Candidates fear that AI might overlook the human element, make errors, and have design flaws. Therefore, any AI application in the hiring process should prioritize fairness and transparency to ensure a positive candidate experience.
Conclusion
Not all interviews are created equal. Unstructured, free-form interviews offer little value and can even be detrimental, while well-structured interviews provide a reliable means of identifying the best candidates for a job. By adopting best practices in structured interviewing, organizations can improve the accuracy and fairness of their hiring decisions, leading to a more effective and equitable workforce.
Incorporating these strategies into your interview process will help ensure that your hiring practices are robust, fair, and capable of identifying the top talent needed to drive your organization forward.
