Hiring • 7 MIN READ
The Complete Guide to Structured Interviews
MAY 6, 2026
Structured interviews are the most reliable interview method available. Here is how to design and run them effectively.
Why structure improves predictive validity
A meta-analysis of interview research by Schmidt and Hunter found that structured interviews have a predictive validity of approximately 0.51 for job performance, compared to 0.38 for unstructured interviews. The difference is explained by consistency: in a structured interview, all candidates for the same role answer the same questions in the same order, evaluated against the same criteria. This removes the noise introduced when different interviewers ask different questions and make overall judgements based on overall impression, which is heavily influenced by cognitive biases.
Designing a structured interview
A structured interview is built from the candidate profile for the role. For each essential criterion, write two to three questions designed to elicit evidence of that capability. Use behavioural questions ('Tell me about a time when you...') to probe past experience and situational questions ('What would you do if...') to assess reasoning and judgement. Write a scoring rubric for each question that defines what a weak, adequate, and strong response looks like. This allows different interviewers to score independently and then calibrate their scores in a debrief, producing a consistent and defensible hiring decision.
