What is Structured Interview?

A structured interview is a type of job interview in which the interviewer asks each candidate a pre-determined set of standardized questions. The questions are carefully crafted to assess specific job-related competencies, skills, and behaviors that are deemed important for the role being interviewed for. Structured Interviews are designed to be consistent and objective, aiming to evaluate candidates fairly and systematically based on their responses to the pre-determined questions.

Features of Structured Interviews are:

• Standardized Questions: Structured Interviews involve asking all candidates the same set of questions in the same order. These questions are typically developed in advance and are based on job analysis to ensure relevance to the position.
• Job-Related Focus: Questions in structured interviews are tailored to assess specific job-related competencies, such as problem-solving abilities, communication skills, teamwork, leadership, and technical expertise.
• Consistency: The goal of structured interviews is to maintain consistency across all interviews, ensuring that each candidate is evaluated based on the same criteria and standards.

Structured and Unstructured Interviews are two common types of job interviews used by employers to assess candidates. Structured Interviews follow a standardized format with pre-determined questions, aiming for consistency and objectivity in assessing candidates’ job-related competencies; whereas, Unstructured Interviews are more flexible and open-ended, allowing for deeper exploration of candidates’ personalities and qualities but may be subject to greater interviewer bias and variability.