Guidelines for Developing and Conducting Structured Hiring Interviews

Developed by: The Test Validation and Construction Program

Overview 

This guide has been developed to provide a description of the procedures for developing and conducting valid and reliable hiring interviews. A valid interview means that job-related knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (e.g., personality, physical requirements, (KSAOs)) are being assessed and that job performance can be predicted from performance in the interview. A reliable interview means that the same responses are given the same rating.

For the purpose of this guide, a distinction has been made between an employment interview and a hiring interview. An employment interview is used to assess the qualifications of a candidate (i.e., Qualifications Appraisal Panel), while a hiring interview is used to determine the candidate- organization "fit." A hiring interview is conducted after an employment interview, when the candidates' qualifications for the job have been established.

Part I - Identifying What to Assess

Part II - Developing Interview Format and Content

Part III - Establishing Scoring Criteria

Part IV - Selecting and Training Panel Members

Part V - Conducting and Scoring the Interview

Go to Part 1