How to Create a Standardized Interview Process

Here’s my three-step interview process that can significantly improve your hiring outcomes. 🎯 Most startups, and even many larger companies, have a terrible interview process. The recruiter schedules a few interviewers, and each asks different, random questions. Often, there’s no detailed feedback—just a verbal "yeah, good" or "not that good." 😬 As interviews move to more senior people, they often don’t prepare and say, "I'm sure the technical points have been covered by someone else; I'm just looking at culture," leading to vague discussions about commitment. 🗣️ Step 1: Identify Critical Skills/Experience 🔍 Map out the critical skills and experience required for the job. Do they need to manage projects, code in a certain language, be proficient with software, navigate office politics, or travel frequently to different countries? Be honest about what will truly drive success in this role. Step 2: Create Behavioral Interview Questions 📝 Develop interview questions that explore each of these critical skills or experience areas. Use behavioral interviewing techniques: 🔸 Ask about real, previous behaviors—not hypotheticals. "Tell me about a time when you..." 🔸 This allows the interviewer to drill down into the details: "Tell me more about X," "Who else was involved in Y?" "How were decisions made about Z?" 🔸 Ensure all candidates are assessed against the same set of questions, allowing for a fair comparison. For example: Good question: Tell me about a project for a new feature that you were responsible for, that was running significantly behind schedule, and the actions that you took? Useless question: What would you do if you were managing a project and it was running behind schedule? Step 3: Collect Structured Feedback 📝 Each interviewer should provide written feedback referencing the set of questions and how the candidate answered them. Ideally, schedule a debrief call with all interviewers—this doesn’t replace the requirement for written feedback. Benefits: 🔹 All interviewers assess candidates based on the most relevant aspects of their experience. 🔹 Candidates are impressed by high-quality interviews, helping them understand the role’s expectations.

If your interview process sounds like, “Ask whatever you want!” Congratulations, you’ve built a chaos machine!🎉 Interviews should not be a free-for-all. Because unstructured interviews lead to poor hiring decisions, bias, confusion, and candidates left feeling that your team isn’t aligned.😬 And they’re not wrong. If you want interviewing to work well, every person in the process needs a defined role. End of story.🤷🏻♀️ Head Heart Briefcase is the model I teach companies (and yes, it really works!): 👤 Interviewer #1 (HEAD): The Soft Skills Detective Potentially, the departmental manager. They probe how the candidate is wired: collaboration style, problem-solving, adaptability, and leadership tendencies. Their job is to answer:  “Is this person built for this role?” 👤 Interviewer #2 (HEART): The Culture Keeper Hello, HR. This person digs into values, motivations, work style, and alignment with how the team operates. Their job is to answer: “Can this person thrive here?” 👤 Interviewer #3 (BRIEFCASE): The Reality Checker The direct manager. Their job is to dig into the resume. They confirm the candidate can do the day-to-day work: systems, tasks, expectations, KPIs, and performance metrics. Their job is to answer: “Can they do the job, for real?” Why this works: ✔ No redundant questions ✔ No “gut-driven” decisions ✔ Scorecards are comparable ✔ Everyone stays in their zone of genius ✔ Candidates have a clear, consistent experience ✔ You avoid the infamous panel interview power struggle Unfortunately, most companies interview like it’s 1995.😳 Hand them a resume, ask a few softball questions, then huddle after: “So what did you think?” “I liked them!” “I didn’t vibe with them.” Zero structure. Zero clarity. Zero alignment. Try my three-role interview model instead. It turns your interview process from “random conversation” into “strategic evaluation.” That’s how you get aces in their places, not surprises on day one. How does your team handle interviews?��

What remains a colossal waste of time in start-ups? Having leaders and peers interview candidates without clearly defining the competencies they should be assessing or how to assess them. It still happens today because the talent supply feels strong, & busy leaders tolerate false negatives (rejecting great candidates) as long as it feels like they're avoids false positives (hiring bad ones). But adding more interviewers without a structured process doesn’t prevent bad hires. It just makes the process slower and less precise. Before interviewing candidates, hiring leaders must clearly define the mix of behaviors and skills required for success in a role. (key competencies). Not sure? Hit pause on hiring. Study your top performers. Consult with your advisors, peers, investors, recruiters. But this is not enough to throw bodies in the mix with assigned competencies. You also really need to prepare questions in advance for EVERYONE involved. And clarify: ➤ What’s a great answer versus a bad one? Why? ➤ When should you ask clarifying questions? ➤ How many questions are needed to assess each competency? ➤ Which competencies need validation through assignments or role plays? Only after this should you assemble an interview panel—and size it based on the competency set, not out of a sense of obligation to involve others. When this is done well, it streamlines your process and reduces the number of steps in hiring. And it does all of this without lowering your standards, but rather by making them a heck of a lot more rigorous. #hiring #hiringprocess #structuredinterviewing

After building TestGorilla from 0 to thousands of customers across 100+ countries, I've learned that most companies fail at hiring before they even post a job. Here are the 5 steps that separate world-class hiring from expensive mistakes: 1) Define your talent requirements (most skip this) "We need a great developer" isn't a hiring strategy - it's wishful thinking. Great companies get surgical about exactly who they're looking for: • Specific technical competencies (not just "knows Python") • Required experience levels for each skill • Cultural attributes that predict success in YOUR environment • Growth trajectory you need (steady performer vs. high-potential) Vague requirements = mediocre hires. Every time. 2) Identify their decision drivers (this is where magic happens) You're not just competing on salary. Top talent has options. Ask yourself: • What frustrates high performers in their current roles? • What career aspirations keep them up at night? • What would make them leave a "safe" job for yours? • What do they value more than money? When you understand their psychology, you can craft offers that speak to their souls, not just their bank accounts. 3) Design your evaluation framework (objectivity beats gut instinct) Most hiring decisions are made in the first 10 seconds of an interview. That's not evaluation - that's bias confirmation. Build systems that predict actual performance: • Skills-based assessments that mirror real work • Structured interviews with consistent scoring • Objective measures of potential and values fit • Efficient processes that respect everyone's time Data beats "good vibes" every single time. 4) Establish your selection criteria (know your non-negotiables) What actually distinguishes your top performers from average ones? And here's the harder question: Why should A-players choose your process over companies with bigger brands and deeper pockets? Your hiring process IS your product. Make it remarkable: • Faster time-to-decision than competitors • More meaningful evaluation than "tell me about yourself" • Clearer communication throughout • Genuine respect for candidates' time and expertise 5) Communicate your hiring philosophy (story beats specs) Stop posting job descriptions that read like legal documents. Start telling stories: • Why does this role exist? • What impact will this person have? • What's the vision they'll help build? • What's your approach to finding and developing talent? People don't join companies. They join missions. TAKEAWAY: Most companies treat hiring like procurement - find the cheapest resource that meets basic requirements. World-class companies treat hiring like product development - deeply understand your users (candidates), design remarkable experiences, and iterate based on data. The companies that master this don't just fill roles faster. They build competitive advantages one hire at a time.

Stop hiring for “culture fit.” It’s bias with better branding. Culture isn’t about “liking” someone or feeling chemistry. Culture is how work gets done. Hire for that. Here’s the playbook I teach the leaders I work with: 𝟭. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 • Mission: why the role exists • Outcomes: what success looks like in 6–12 months • Competencies: the behaviours that deliver those outcomes    If you can’t write this in plain English, you’re not ready to hire. 𝟮. 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗮𝘅𝗲𝘀 • Fit — will they thrive in how you work today • Add — will they strengthen the team with new perspective • Adapt — can they grow with where you’re going You’re not looking for “same.” You’re looking for “effective today, better tomorrow.” 𝟯. 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿, 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 • “Tell me about a time you owned X end-to-end. What changed for the business?” • “What’s the toughest disagreement you resolved at work. How did you decide?” • “Walk me through a decision you made with incomplete data. Why that path?” Drive depth. Push for actions, trade-offs, measurable impact. 𝟰. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 Tie every question to outcomes and competencies. Use a 1–4 scale with no middle option. Require 1–2 lines of evidence per score. 𝟱. 𝗥𝘂𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄 0–5 min: set context, create safety, invite their agenda 5–10: frame mission, outcomes, how you work 10–45: high-signal questions, go deep rather than wide 45–55: their questions 55–60: reflect key signals, outline next steps 𝟲. 𝗗𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘁 Everyone submits scorecards first. Start with evidence, not opinions. HiPPO (highest paid person’s opinion) speaks last. 𝟳. 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 How they prepare, schedule, follow up, and clarify. Those are your culture signals. Treat every touchpoint as data. If you want managers to hire this way, train them. At School of Hiring, we turn this into simple systems. At Klareda, we power these systems with AI. Because clarity is half the problem solved.

One of the most exciting aspects of writing "Make Work Fair" with my coauthor, Iris Bohnet, has been turning behavioral science insights and research evidence into practical, data-driven organizational design. Today, I want to share a powerful tip for improving hiring processes: structured decision-making. Unstructured interviews are notoriously poor predictors of job performance and rife with bias. But by adding structure to our hiring processes, we can significantly improve both fairness and —importantly—effectiveness. Here's a simple three-step approach you can implement: 📋 Define clear evaluation criteria before reviewing any applications. 🔢 Use a standardized scoring rubric for all candidates. ↔️ Compare candidates’s answers horizontally (all answers to question 1, then all answers to question 2, etc.) rather than vertically (one full candidate at a time). This method helps mitigate the impact of unconscious bias by focusing our attention on relevant qualifications rather than subjective "fit" or first impressions. In my research, I've seen organizations implement similar approaches with promising results. While specific outcomes vary, the trend is clear: structured hiring processes tend to lead to more diverse candidate pools and better alignment between job requirements and new hire performance. Have you tried structured hiring in your organization? What was your experience? #HiringPractices #WorkplaceFairness #DataDrivenHR #MakeWorkFairBook

Entrepreneurs and visionaries Before you fly that cardboard rocket to the moon, you’ve gotta pick your space crew. Hiring is where the magic (or madness) begins. It’s how you find the wild ones willing to build wings mid-air, fix leaks with chewing gum, and still high-five at liftoff. Here is our process at Studio 186 to assemble those brave souls! Basis our research - most scientifically validated and aligned hiring approach is a structured behavioural interview process combined with cognitive testing and job simulations. We are basing this approach on empirical research by Paul Sackett and colleagues (2022) that refines and recalibrates the classic findings from Schmidt & Hunter (1998), especially around predictive validity coefficients: 1. Structured Behavioural Interviews : Old R ~0.51, New R - still the highest 2. Cognitive Ability Tests : Old R ~0.51, New R ~0.23-0.31 3. Work Samples : Old R ~0.54, New R - slightly reduced, still strong Structured Behavioural Interviewing : Past behavior is a strong predictor of future performance; reduces bias when using STAR-PC (Situation, Task, Action, Result, Probe, Challenge) framework. eg  Q1. How have you used technology to solve a people problem? S: What was the challenge or friction point? T: What outcome did you want to improve for people? A: What tools or approaches did you apply? R: What changed for the users/stakeholders? P: Were there non-tech approaches you considered? C: What did you learn about balancing automation and empathy? Cognitive Ability Test (product management specific question): If you were launching a luxury collectibles platform for affluent Indians, how could you use India Stack (Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker, ONDC) to create a premium but frictionless experience? Work Samples: Pick a feature-heavy product you use. Strip it to an MVP for India’s top 1M users. Share how you'd validate it in < 10 days? Combined R of these three stages put together is >0.6 and maximises the probability of a cultural fit, missionaries who will stick and build. Sure, this is the science. But the real magic is the (he)art. It’s how you sprinkle the ‘hiring great’ mindset across the whole crew. It’s shadowing, reverse-shadowing, Jedi mind-training your interviewers. It’s crafting a candidate journey so warm they’d join just for the vibes. It’s how you talk, how you welcome, how you wow from Day Minus One. That’s what makes a hire a perfect hire. Merril Mary Mohan

I’m getting pitched non stop by people claiming they’ve fixed hiring and recruitment. When I ask them their experience, its always the same… “I’ve done a lot of hiring in the past…” 🙄 Well here is a comprehensive list of what goes into actual recruitment! 1. Planning and Preparation: Identify Hiring Needs: Determine the number of positions, roles, and skills required. Job Analysis: Define the responsibilities, necessary skills, outcomes, and work environment of a particular job. Create a Job Description: Write a detailed job description and job specification. Set a Recruitment Budget: Allocate resources for advertising, recruitment tools, and other expenses. 2. Sourcing Candidates: Internal Recruitment: Consider current employees for promotion or lateral moves. External Recruitment: Use job boards, company website, social media, recruitment agencies, and career fairs. Employee Referrals: Encourage employees to refer qualified candidates. Networking: Attend industry events and use professional networks like LinkedIn. 3. Screening and Shortlisting: Resume Screening: Review resumes and cover letters to shortlist candidates. Pre-Screening Interviews: Conduct initial phone or video interviews to assess basic qualifications. Assessment Tests: Use tests to evaluate skills, personality, and cultural fit. 4. Interviewing: Structured Interviews: Prepare a set of standardized questions for all candidates. Panel Interviews: Involve multiple interviewers to get diverse perspectives. Behavioral Interviews: Focus on past behavior as an indicator of future performance. Technical Interviews: Assess specific technical skills and problem-solving abilities. 5. Evaluation/ Selection: Candidate Evaluation: Compare candidates based on interviews, tests, and references. Reference Checks: Contact previous employers to verify candidate information. Decision Making: Select the best candidate based on evaluation criteria. 6. Job Offer and Negotiation Prepare Job Offer: Draft a formal job offer including salary, benefits, and other terms. Negotiate: Discuss and finalize the terms of employment with the candidate. Offer Acceptance: Obtain a signed acceptance of the job offer. 7. Onboarding Onboarding Plan: Develop a plan to integrate the new employee into the company. Orientation: Introduce the new hire to company policies, culture, and team members. Training: Provide necessary training to help the new employee succeed. 8. Post-Recruitment Evaluation Feedback Collection: Gather feedback from new hires and hiring managers about the recruitment process. Process Improvement: Analyze feedback to identify areas for improvement in future recruitment efforts. These steps will be repeated multiple times due to hiring manager changes, candidate offer rejection, insufficient candidates presented and a myriad of other reasons. I guess recruiting is a little more than you thought. Share with your nonrecruitment freinds. ���️

One of the most common questions we get asked from hiring managers is: “What’s the best interview process for hiring a Software Engineer?” While there’s no perfect interview process, we’ve found that this framework works well for most companies: Step 1: Recruiter Screen (30 minutes) ✔️ Confirm the candidate is qualified and interested in the role  ✔️ Align expectations for salary, start date, etc. Step 2: Hiring Manager Screen (45 minutes) ✔️ Dig deeper into the candidate’s career story  ✔️ Screen technical skills & team fit   ✔️ Share the vision for the role and how success is measured Step 3: Skills Assessment – Choose Your Own Adventure Option 1: Take-Home Assignment (≤ 2 hours) Option 2: Live Coding Session (1 hour) Step 4: Final Interview (3-4 hours total) Skills Assessment Round 2 (1 hour) – Code review from round 1 with 1-2 team members Technical Project Discussion (75 minutes) – Candidate presents a past technical project in depth with 1-2 team members Leadership Session (30 minutes) – Conversation with the skip-level leader about vision, mission & culture for the larger department and company. This gives the opportunity for the candidate to meet someone from the leadership team beyond their future manager.  Hiring Manager Wrap-Up (30 minutes) – Go through any remaining questions & sell the dream Step 5: Interview Debrief (Within 24 Hours) ✔️ Gather feedback from all interviewers  ✔️Make a hiring decision This framework ensures your team can run a fair and streamlined process. How does your team interview software engineers?