Structured interviewing and the hiring decision
Step 1 / 4·Why unstructured interviews predict poorly
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Learning objectives — after this module you will:
- Run a structured behavioural interview using STAR
- Use a scorecard to decide on evidence
- Handle the offer stage to reduce decline rates
Why unstructured interviews predict poorly
Understand why structure matters.
The unstructured interview — everyone asking their own questions, going on gut feel — is the most common method and among the worst predictors of job performance. The reason: interviewers usually decide within the first few minutes, then spend the rest looking for evidence supporting that first impression.
STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS — the same questions and the same rating scale for every candidate — predict performance substantially better and are fairer, because everyone is judged on the same basis.
The 'culture fit' trap
'They're not a culture fit' is very often a way of saying 'they're not like me'. If you use that criterion, define it concretely: fit with which VALUE, shown through which BEHAVIOUR? If you can't define it, it isn't a criterion — it's bias, and it makes teams steadily more uniform and less creative.
Key takeaway: Structured interviews predict better and are fairer; beware undefined 'culture fit'.