Job interviews are an integral part of the hiring process. They allow for both the candidate and the potential employer to get to know each other a little better and ultimately see if there is a match. However, interviews are frequently conducted in an unstructured manner, which – according to multiple studies – often leads to bad results. And, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, each failed hire can cost the organization 30% of the annual salary of the role in question.

To improve interviews, and therefore to improve hiring, organizations are encouraged to embrace structured job interviews. It has been proven time and time again that structure is key to making better hiring decisions. Despite numerous studies pointing this out, many organizations still refrain from using structured interviews as they require more work to conduct.

Luckily, that is something we can change.

Job Interviews In A Nutshell

The basic premise of recruitment is quite simple: There is a need for a certain skillset in an organization, and in order to satisfy that need, the organization seeks for people with corresponding talent. The required skillset for any given position is often specific and the desired culture fit may be an important factor in the hiring process.

From the employer’s perspective, the purpose of the interview is mainly to see how the candidate thinks, how they have operated in various situations in the past, and whether they are a cultural fit to the organization. Their role-specific know-how is also tested, and depending on the role in question, the interviewers may also test the candidate’s ability to withstand pressure and measure how they are able to operate under stress.

From the candidate’s perspective, the purpose of the interview is to be able to showcase their skills and work experience while getting a feel for the organization they are aiming to work for.

No matter what the interview consists of, almost everything and anything in the session should be evaluated. The interviewer should make proper notes and ensure that there is plenty of data for the candidates to be compared with each other.

Currently, interviews in many organizations are unstructured and the hiring manager may make final decisions to a great extent based on their gut, which can be considered as effective as flipping a coin. The reason for relying on gut is usually due to unstructured interviews not yielding enough data for appropriate candidate comparison.

By using proper tools to plan and evaluate structured interviews, the hiring manager can comfortably rely on data, resulting in a much more effective and fair hiring process.

Structure Structure Structure

Structured interviews are beneficial in many ways. They save time (and therefore money), reduce unconscious bias, and establish comparability between candidates. Whether surveying a hiring manager or a candidate, a structured interview almost always results in a better subjective experience.

When structuring an interview, it is very important to define the role properly. The hiring manager should have a very clear idea of which skills and what kind of a mindset is required from the candidate for them to bring value to the organization and succeed in the role. The interview itself should then be built around the requirements of the position.

The specific areas to cover in the interview can be technical, behavioral or cultural, and they should be evaluated with the same criterion regardless of the candidate. The structure should also be as similar as possible from candidate to candidate.

But how to do all this without spending too much time planning and evaluating the interviews?

The answer: Valinta.

Make Better Hires With Valinta

We built Valinta to simplify the planning of structured job interviews and to help base hiring decisions on data. By using Valinta, any organization can enforce the use of structured interviews across divisions and teams, unifying the in-house interview processes. Valinta helps create interviews with relevant questions and proper structure.

Through structure, candidates can be evaluated and compared using data points provided by the platform. The outcome is a more efficient process which leads to satisfied candidates and better results for the organization.

Hiring is one of the most important aspects of business, and choosing the right people can have an immense effect on any venture. We want to help organizations make right hiring decisions through which their business can truly thrive.

Check out our website for more information, and join us on our mission of making hiring better for everyone!