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  • August 2019 (Revised March 2020)
  • Background Note
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Note on Structured Interviewing

By: Ethan Bernstein and Amy Ross
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:17
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Abstract

Making good hiring decisions is a critical management activity, yet many leaders just “wing it” when interviewing candidates to fill openings by having an organic conversation to assess the candidate’s fit, unknowingly subjecting the process to unconscious bias. Instead, organizations should employ structured interviewing techniques to carefully assess the skills needed for a given opening, to determine a consistent approach for fairly evaluating candidates’ skills, and ultimately to make the best possible hiring decision. This note aims to help the reader acquire the skills necessary to be an effective interviewer and to champion best-practice interviewing within his or her organization. Beginning by briefly summarizing the pitfalls of unstructured interviewing, the note proceeds to explain three types of structured interviewing techniques, the steps hiring managers should undertake to prepare for and conduct interviews, and tips for making evidence-based assessments.

Keywords

Interviewing; Job Interviews; Recruitment; Selection and Staffing; Human Resources

Citation

Bernstein, Ethan, and Amy Ross. "Note on Structured Interviewing." Harvard Business School Background Note 420-032, August 2019. (Revised March 2020.)
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About The Author

Ethan S. Bernstein

Organizational Behavior
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Related Work

    • August 2019 (Revised March 2020)
    • Faculty Research

    Note on Structured Interviewing

    By: Ethan Bernstein and Amy Ross
Related Work
  • Note on Structured Interviewing By: Ethan Bernstein and Amy Ross
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