Structured interviews: how to run one, with examples

What are structured interviews?

What are structured interviews? The U.S. Office of Personnel Management describes a structured interview as "an assessment method designed to measure job-related competencies of candidates by systematically inquiring about their behavior in past experiences and/or their proposed behavior in hypothetical situations". It adds that all candidates are asked the same predetermined questions in the same order, and that all responses are evaluated using the same rating scale and standards.

In practice, that means four things: questions chosen from the job's requirements, the same questions for everyone, planned follow-ups, and a written scoring guide. The opposite, unstructured interviewing, is a free conversation that varies from candidate to candidate.

Why structured interviews predict better

An unstructured conversation measures many things at once: confidence, small talk, shared interests and how the interviewer is feeling that day. Some of that is useful; much of it is not related to the job. Different candidates also answer different questions, so you end up comparing impressions rather than evidence.

A structured interview narrows the conversation to what the job needs and asks everyone the same things. Ratings are made against written standards, answer by answer, rather than as one overall feeling at the end. That makes the results more consistent between interviewers and between candidates, and it makes the interview a better guide to how someone will actually do the work. It also gives you a clear record of the evidence behind each decision.

Example structured interview for a customer support role

Here is an example of structured interview questions for a customer support agent, covering three skills: handling difficult customers, accuracy, and working within policy. Ask every candidate the same three questions, in this order, with the same follow-ups.

1. Difficult customers (behavioural). "Tell me about a time a customer was upset with you or your company. What happened, and what did you do?" Follow-ups: "What did you say first?" "How did it end?"

2. Accuracy (behavioural). "Tell me about a mistake you made at work with details, such as an order or account. How did you find it, and what did you do?" Follow-ups: "How did you make sure it did not happen again?"

3. Policy (situational). "A customer asks for a refund two days outside the refund policy and says they will cancel if you refuse. What would you do?" Follow-ups: "What would you check first?" "What would you say to the customer?"

The table below is a structured interview sample rubric for question 1. Write a similar four-level scale for each question.

Behavioural vs situational questions

Behavioural interview questions ask about the past: "Tell me about a time when...". They work well when candidates have relevant experience, because past behaviour in similar situations is good evidence. Probe for specifics: what the candidate did, not what the team did or what they would usually do.

Situational questions describe a realistic situation and ask what the candidate would do: "A customer asks for... What would you do?" They suit early-career candidates and career changers who may not have a directly relevant example, and they let everyone answer the same scenario.

Most structured interview questionnaires use both. A useful pattern is one behavioural and one situational question per critical skill, so experienced and less experienced candidates each have a fair chance to show what they can do.

Scoring and calibration

Score each answer straight after the candidate gives it, against the anchors, and write one line of evidence: what they said that justifies the score. Avoid scoring the whole interview at the end, when the strongest memory wins.

If more than one person interviews, score independently first, then compare. Where scores differ by more than a point, discuss the evidence, not the impression, and agree a score. After the first two or three interviews, check that everyone is using the scale the same way; this short calibration makes the rest of the round much more consistent. Record scores on a shared interview scorecard so they can be compared with each other and with test results.

Common mistakes

• Going off script. Interesting tangents are fine at the end, but every candidate must get the core questions.
• Leading questions. "You're good with difficult customers, right?" invites a yes, not evidence.
• Scoring on rapport. Liking someone is not the same as their answer meeting the anchor.
• Accepting hypotheticals for behavioural questions. If the question asks for a real example, gently ask for one.
• Skipping the follow-ups. The first answer is often polished; the second and third layers show real experience.
• Changing the questions mid-round. If a question is not working, fix it for the next round, not halfway through this one.

Structured interviews and fairness

Structured interviews are one of the simplest ways to make hiring fairer, because every candidate is judged on the same job-related questions and standards. Keep questions focused on the job, avoid questions about personal circumstances, offer adjustments to the format when asked, and keep your scorecards as a record of the evidence. Our guide to whether pre-employment tests are legal covers the wider legal basics, and the hiring process for small businesses shows where interviews fit.

Structured interview questions for other roles

The same method works for any role: pick the critical skills, then write one behavioural and one situational question for each. A few examples:

• Sales: "Tell me about a prospect who was not a good fit. How did you find out, and what did you do?" and "A prospect says your price is too high. What do you do next?"
• Office administration: "Tell me about a week when several deadlines clashed. How did you decide what came first?" and "Your manager is double-booked tomorrow morning. What would you do?"
• Junior data analysis: "Tell me about a time your numbers did not add up. How did you find the problem?" and "A report shows sales doubling overnight. What would you check before sharing it?"

Each question needs its own four-level anchors, written before the first interview. The role templates below include structured questions you can start from.

Preparing candidates for a structured interview

Telling candidates what to expect makes structured interviews fairer and gives you better answers. In the invitation, say how long the interview lasts, who will be there, and that you will ask about specific examples from their experience as well as how they would handle some situations. Suggest they think of two or three examples from recent work beforehand.

At the start of the interview, explain the format: everyone gets the same questions, you will take notes, and there will be time for their questions at the end. Candidates who know the structure relax more quickly and spend less effort guessing what you want, so you see more of how they actually work. Offer adjustments, such as extra time or a different format, to anyone who asks.

Using structured interviews with skills tests

A short skills test before the interview and a structured interview work well together. The test shows what candidates can do under the same conditions; the interview explores how they work and confirms the test result. Ask each candidate to talk through one of their test answers: someone who reasoned through it can explain it easily, which also guards against outside help. The skills assessment tests library and role bundles give you the first half of the evidence.