What is a Structured Interview? A structured interview is an effective interviewing process in which an employer can measure job related competencies of candidates.

Through asking tailored competency based questions that relate to the candidate’s behaviour in the past or their proposed behaviour in a hypothetical situation an employer can gain a great deal of insight into the candidate.

Competency based interview questions consist of both behavioural and situational questions.

What is the typical structure to an interview?
The interview can be broken down into the following stages:

1. Welcome: On arrival the interviewee is made to feel relaxed by using selected ‘small talk’.

2. Information is supplied: The interviewer gives relevant background information on the business, including its objectives, organisation and culture. They will state the tasks involved in the job.

3. Information gathering: This is where the interviewer will use open-ended, specific questions about the interviewee’s background to probe further into their experience and qualifications.

4. Q and A time: This is where you can ask questions about the company from your list of pre-prepared questions. Some businesses take the time to show the interviewee around the company at the end.

5. Ending: The interviewer will explain the timeframe and the next stages in the process.