Interviews are often treated as conversations about a candidate's background and personality. These conversations matter, but they can be misleading. Some people interview brilliantly yet struggle with the actual work; others are less polished in interviews but excellent in practice. The best selection processes combine structured conversations with practical evidence of how candidates perform the real job.
Use the role scorecard
Base the interview on your role scorecard: the outcomes, responsibilities, essential skills and qualities. Prepare questions that explore each area. Using the same questions for all candidates makes comparisons fairer and more reliable.
Ask about past behaviour
Questions about how candidates handled real situations often reveal more than hypothetical questions. For example: "Tell me about a time you had to manage several urgent requests at once. What did you do?" Ask follow-up questions to understand their actions and results.
Use a practical task
Where appropriate, ask candidates to complete a short, relevant task: responding to a customer email, editing a document, solving a simple problem or reviewing a sample project. Practical tasks show how candidates think and work.
Keep tasks reasonable in length and respect candidates' time. For substantial work, consider paying for the task.
Explain the role honestly
Describe the real challenges and expectations of the role. Honest explanations help candidates decide whether the role suits them and reduce the risk of early disappointment.
Listen more than you talk
Give candidates time to explain their experience and ask questions. Their questions can reveal motivation, understanding and priorities.
Honest explanations help candidates decide whether the role suits them and reduce the risk of early disappointment.
Score candidates consistently
After each interview, score candidates against the same criteria before discussing them. Consistent scoring reduces the influence of first impressions and personal bias.
Check references thoughtfully
Speak with previous employers or clients where appropriate. Ask specific questions about reliability, quality of work, communication and areas for development.
Follow fair practices
Avoid questions that are unrelated to the role or may be discriminatory. Follow applicable employment and equality rules. Fair processes help you select the best person and treat candidates respectfully.
A practical tool: the interview scorecard
Create a sheet listing each essential skill and quality from the role scorecard, with one or two questions for each and a score from one to five. Add a section for the practical task and notes. Complete it immediately after each interview, before comparing candidates.
Questions worth asking
Useful questions include: "Walk me through how you would approach this task." "Tell me about a mistake you made at work and what you learned." "What kind of support helps you do your best work?" "What would you want to achieve in your first three months?" Each reveals how a candidate thinks, learns and works.
Common mistakes
Founders often rely on informal conversations, ask different questions of each candidate, hire based on personal chemistry alone, skip practical tasks or fail to check references. Others oversell the role. Structured questions, relevant tasks and consistent scoring lead to better decisions.
An example in practice
A small software company hired a support specialist based mainly on a friendly interview. The new hire struggled with written communication. For the next hire, the founder used a structured interview and asked finalists to reply to three realistic customer emails. One candidate who seemed quieter in conversation wrote outstanding responses and became the company's most valued support team member.
Making the final decision
When comparing finalists, return to the scorecard and the evidence. If two candidates score similarly, consider which one would be most likely to succeed in the first ninety days and grow with the business. Avoid choosing simply because someone is similar to you; complementary strengths often make a stronger team.