Did you ever wonder where from a hiring manager grab a list of question, why he asks only specific questions? How all those questions and answers help him pick the right candidate for the job?

Every interviewer has an interview guide. He follows this guide and shortlists only the most qualified or best-fit candidates for the job.

What is an Interview Guide?

An interview guide comprises of a list of questions that an interviewer asks from the participants/ potential candidates for an interview. Depending on the type of interview, he picks a specific order of question and can divert from this set of questions to some degree.

There are three standard types of interview

Structured : In this kind, an interviewer strictly follows the order of questions. An interviewer asks the same questions in the same order from all the candidates. There is an assessment sheet where he rates the candidate based on his answer.

A structured interview is like entering data about a potential candidate with remarks like

• Good

• Very Good

• Average

• Poor

• Excellent

When there are so many candidates, companies prefer this type of interview. It allows them to enter data and get computer-generated results in minutes.

2. Semi-structured : In this kind of interview, the interviewer is free to change the order. However, he asks the same questions. An interviewer got an interview guide, but he likes to follow the natural flow of conversation. Today, hiring managers prefer this style because it allows them to go beyond an interview guide.

If, during an interview, they have some additional questions in mind, then they go with it. Thereby, they look more closely at the behavior and experience of a potential candidate. This type of interview brings more freedom.
 

3.Unstructured : It is a very common kind of interview. In this type, the interview feels like a conversation. An Interview may deviate from the structure and degree of questions based on the context of the conversation.

Since a hiring manager doesn’t ask the same question from all the candidates, so it’s kind of tricky for him to provide the results. He can’t give weight to all candidates based on the same answer and question. This type of interview is less common, but still, a few companies go with them.

What is the purpose of an Interview Guide?

Every company has to hire employees who can perform well and according to specific requirements. Therefore, the HR department makes the most from an interview guide. Through it, they can sort out the best candidate from tons of applications they got for a specific job.

Every job has different requirements. For example, a manager role and responsibility is different from a clerk. The interview guide includes questions specific to a job role and needs.

A reason for creating this guide is to make it easy for an interviewer to better understand behavior, attitude, experience, and another related characteristic of a potential candidate.

With the mean of a structured or semi-structured interview guide, a hiring manager can know:

• The opinion of an applicant about a particular subject

• How a person behaves under different circumstances

• What is the level of his experience?

• Is he suitable for the company or not?

• Will he adjust with another employee?

• Is he the right fit for company culture?

The purpose of an interview guide is to better understand every candidate by collecting in-depth information about him. Know more about Sturctured and unstructured interview here.

Advantages of an Interview Guide

Here are some benefits you can have as an interview:

• Get to know a potential candidate
• Getting an understanding of whether he is qualified enough for a job or not
• Shortlisting only a few BEST Fit candidate from a long list of application
• Finding the top talent for any job
• Hiring the most suitable person for the company
• Selecting a person based on his experience and skills

How to Make an Interview Guide

Here are some steps you would like to take to create a useful interview guide.

Step No.1 Know what you are looking for:

It means you will have to decide the exact qualifications, experience, and skills required to do the job. For this purpose, you can prioritize some skills like what you need the most and on what skills you can make a compromise.

For example, when you are going to hire a freelance content writer. Give priority to his writing skills, writing quality, and research he does. You can second to his SEO knowledge and familiarity with the tools.

Step No.2 Write Down all Question

For this purpose, I suggest you write

• The question that helps you understand his job qualification

• Questions let you look into his skills

• Questions that allow you to know all about his opinion, attitude, and behavior

Step No.3 Following a Specific Format

It would be best if you went easy on every interviewee at the start. You can ask him a question like “Tell me about yourself” or introduce yourself. So, he feels easy and relaxes.

Then you can start asking about experience, job qualifications.

Usually, attitude and behavior related questions come in the middle of an interview.

You can inquire informally about skills. But don’t act like a friend. Keep your professional ethics intact.

Also, you should ask him at the end, “Do you have any questions for me?” So, if he has some queries in mind, then you can handle them right away.

4 Tips for Writing the best Interview Guide

I’m going to share some tips which let you craft a useful guide for you.

1. Write a question in a transparent manner. Don’t use jargon and technical language. Here is how you can write effective questions.

2. Don’t write those questions whose answer is either Yes or No, as they won’t let you evaluate any candidate.

3. Always start your interview with natural and neutral questions.

4. Your interviewer guide must have open-end questions because this is how you can enjoy the free flow of information.

Still, have some questions regarding an interview guide? Feel free to ask

Don’t forget to read:

• 27 Common Interview Questions to Ask

• 4 Popular Interview Techniques

• Killer Interview Questions to Ask Employer

• What Questions You Should Never Ask from Your Employer

• Interview Skills to Ace a Job Interview