Structured first interview template: three questions in 40 minutes

A structured first interview template should test a few job-related capabilities with the same questions for everyone, and leave real time for the candidate to judge you. It does not have to settle the hiring decision. It has to produce evidence you can compare.

Choose the capabilities before you meet anyone, and if the job is still a collection of wishes, fix the brief first. Structure makes a question consistent; it cannot make an irrelevant question useful.

OPM describes structured interviews as predetermined questions assessed with common rating standards (OPM's overview). The plan below is our own adaptation for a small team, not a validated assessment or a complete hiring process.

1. Write three questions and their anchors before the first call

Here is a made-up example for an implementation role. The first interview covers clarifying incomplete work, communicating a risk and coordinating a handoff. Test technical skills in a separate step if the role needs it.

Write the core questions, allowed probes and evidence criteria in advance, and ask them in the same order every time. Agree on neutral follow-ups so nobody coaches one candidate toward the desired answer.

Tell candidates the format and length beforehand, and how to request adjustments. Consistency is there for fairness, never as a reason to ignore an access need.

2. Run it in 40 minutes

The minutes are a planning example. Practice the guide and adjust it before using it with applicants.

Score after the candidate leaves, and never eat into their questions because your introduction ran long. (The company origin story can wait for the offer call.)

3. Ask what they did and what happened

Adapt these to the actual role. Candidates should not reveal confidential information; anonymized examples are enough.

1. Clarifying incomplete work: "Tell me about a task you received when important information was missing. What was the task, what did you do, and what happened?"
2. Communicating risk: "Describe a time you identified a risk to an agreed piece of work. How did you decide what to communicate, to whom, and when?"
3. Coordinating ownership: "Walk me through a handoff you were responsible for. How did you determine what the next person needed, and how did you find out whether the handoff worked?"

Useful neutral probes: "What was your own contribution?", "What information did you have at that point?" and "What was the outcome, including anything that remained unresolved?"

If a candidate has no past example, use the alternative agreed in advance, such as one scenario for everyone, and record that you did. Do not quietly swap in an easier question for a candidate you already like.

4. Write down evidence, then rate it

For each question, note the situation, the candidate's actions, the result and any gap. Mark paraphrases as paraphrases. Write "did not explain how ownership was confirmed" rather than "not senior enough."

Tie anchors to the task. For handoffs, a middle anchor might require a clear next owner, the information needed to proceed and a way to check progress. Stronger evidence might show the candidate catching and correcting a failed handoff. Have someone who knows the job review these illustrative anchors.

Keep "not assessed" separate from a low rating. Running out of time is missing evidence, not proof the candidate lacks the skill.

CIPD's selection guidance recommends scoring independently before group discussion, and treats the interview as a chance for both employer and candidate to judge the fit.

5. Debrief on the answers, not on the impression

Right after the interview, each assessor finishes notes and ratings before hearing anyone else's view. Then settle disagreements by pointing to the answer and the agreed anchor.

A fluent answer can lack a concrete action, and a less polished one can contain strong evidence. Skip the general "culture fit" score, which soaks up impressions unrelated to the job.

End the round with one of three outcomes: enough evidence for the next stage, one named gap to assess consistently, or evidence that does not meet the requirement. If you hold a second interview, give it its own purpose instead of repeating the first until everyone feels certain.