Structured Interviews
Understand the power of structured interviews by learning about a standardized hiring process.
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Structured interviews
A structured interview is a type of job interview where the questions and evaluation criteria are predetermined and standardized across all candidates. This means that every candidate is asked the same set of questions in the same order, and their responses are evaluated using a preestablished scoring system. The purpose of a structured interview is to eliminate bias and subjectivity from the hiring process by ensuring that all candidates are evaluated fairly and objectively. Structured interviews are commonly used in large organizations and government agencies where consistency and fairness in the hiring process are critical.
In general, there are two types of questions a structured interview can ask:
Behavior Questions: These are designed to predict future job performance based on the premise that past behavior is a good indicator of future behavior. This type of question typically involves asking candidates to describe specific, job-related situations they've encountered in the past and how they handled them. The purpose of this approach is to assess the candidate's experience and some aspects of their personality.
Situational Questions: These are hypothetical, job-related situations presented to applicants based on the goal-setting theory and the assumption that intentions can predict future behavior. These questions aim to evaluate the applicant's job knowledge and cognitive ability by asking them to describe what they would do in those situations.
Numerous studies have found that structured interviews are more successful overall than unstructured interviews in both identifying competencies & predicting other important outcomes.
Structured interviews eliminate bias because they are designed to be consistent and objective. Instead of relying on gut feelings or personal opinions, structured interviews use standardized questions that are asked in the same way to every candidate. This ensures that each candidate is evaluated on the same criteria, making the process fairer and less subjective. Additionally, the use of specific criteria and rating scales helps to reduce bias by keeping the interviewer's focus on the candidate's qualifications and skills, rather than on irrelevant factors such as their appearance or personal background. The structured approach of these interviews makes it easier to compare and evaluate candidates objectively, reducing the potential for bias and discrimination.
Behavioral interviews
Behavioral interviews are a type of structured interview where the interviewer asks you to give examples of your past behavior in specific situations. Based on your answers, they can predict how you’ll perform in the future. Behavioral interviews are considered more accurate than traditional interviews because it’s harder to give inauthentic answers about your past behavior.
Behavioral interviews typically start with the interviewer asking open-ended questions, such as “Tell me about a time when you had to handle a difficult situation at work.” The candidate is then expected to provide a specific example of a past situation, including what they did, how they did it, and what the outcome was.
In contrast, in a regular, non-behavioral interview, you can often tell the interviewer what they want to hear, even if it's not entirely true. If they ask you how you'd handle a specific situation, you can answer without much accountability. But in a behavioral interview, it's much harder to fake what has already happened. When you tell a story about your past behavior, the interviewer will ask a lot of follow-up questions to get at the specific behaviors you exhibited. They might ask, "What were you thinking at that point?" or "Tell me more about your meeting with that person," or "Lead me through your decision process." If you're not telling the truth, your story will fall apart under the weight of all the probing questions.
The purpose of behavioral interviews is to assess a candidate's skills and abilities, as well as their level of experience and their potential for success in the role. This type of interview can be particularly useful for assessing a candidate's ability to work under pressure, their problem-solving skills, and their ability to work effectively as part of a team.
Situational interviews
While behavioral interviews involve asking candidates to provide specific examples of how they have behaved in the past in situations related to the job, situational interviews involve asking candidates how they would handle hypothetical situations that may arise on the job. The interviewer will present a scenario and ask the candidate how they would respond. For example, they may ask how the candidate would handle a software bug, how they would improve the performance of a slow application, or how they would handle a conflict with a team member.
The focus is on the candidate's problem-solving skills and ability to think on their feet. The interviewer may also be interested in understanding the candidate's decision-making process, communication skills, and ability to work collaboratively with others.
Studies have shown that behavioral interviews are generally considered a more accurate predictor of job performance than situational interviews. This is because behavioral interviews focus on past behavior in similar situations, which can be a good indicator of future behavior. Situational interviews, on the other hand, ask hypothetical questions about how the candidate would handle a given situation—it is easier for a candidate to answer these questions with answers that differ from how they may actually behave. While situational interviews can help assess a candidate's problem-solving skills and thought processes, they may not provide as much insight into how the candidate would behave in the job.
Behavioral interviews are commonly used by companies in the software engineering interview process, while situational interviews are less common. However, this course offers a leadership assessment rubric that can help you prepare for situational interview questions and model the expected behavior. This will help you to perform well during both behavioral and situational interviews, as well as increase your chances of landing the job.