What is the role of structured interviews in the hiring process?

Structured interviews play a critical role in the hiring process by ensuring a consistent evaluation process for all candidates. This approach involves asking each candidate the same set of predetermined questions, which allows for a fair comparison of their responses. By utilizing a standard format, structured interviews help to minimize bias and subjectivity that may arise from unstructured or informal interviews. This consistency not only aids interviewers in assessing the qualifications and suitability of candidates more effectively, but it also enhances the overall reliability of the hiring process.

In addition to providing a fair evaluation framework, structured interviews often utilize a scoring system that allows for quantitative assessment of responses. This quantitative approach further supports the ability of interviewers to compare candidates on a uniform basis, ensuring that decisions are based on factors that are relevant to the job.

While flexibility in questioning, speeding up the hiring process, or creating a formal interview setting may be advantages in certain contexts, they do not capture the primary purpose and strength of structured interviews, which is centered on creating a rigorous and objective evaluation standard across the candidate pool.