The short answer
A structured interview guide gives every candidate the same questions, in the same order, scored against the same scorecard. Plan three rounds: a bar check, a working session on a real problem, and a round with the team. Research on hiring methods ranks structured interviews as the strongest single predictor of job performance.
Updated
What goes in it
- 01The scorecard it maps to. Each question lists the scorecard line it tests.
- 02Round 1: the bar check. The hiring manager tests whether the person can do the job. You leave with a clear yes or no.
- 03Round 2: the working session. Pre work on a real problem, then a role play of a hard situation from the job.
- 04Round 3: the team. The people who will work with the hire. Their view counts in the decision.
- 05Follow up prompts. What to ask when an answer is vague: the numbers, their part, what they would change.
- 06Scoring and the debrief. Each interviewer scores alone, then the panel meets and compares.
A structured interview has three rounds. Each round has its own job, and every question ties to a scorecard you wrote first. A list of behavioral questions pulled off the internet does not get you there. If the questions do not map to the scorecard, the interview turns back into a chat.
Round one is the bar check. Could this person lead the team? Does the resume hold up under specific questions? You walk away with a clear yes or no.
Round two is a working session. You bring them into the real problem. They prepare a one page point of view on something you sent over. You role play one of the harder situations they would face by day 60. You watch them think.
Round three is the team: the people who would work for them or with them. Their feedback is binding. If they say no, the offer does not go out.
Talent Traction writes all three rounds for you, with the questions, the pre work and the scoring rubric. It is free and written for your role, and you can download it. Mike Cioffi runs the same method on his own searches.
A filled structured interview guide for a VP of Sales
This example is for a fictional B2B software company, GreenLeaf SaaS, hiring a VP of Sales to build a mid market team. Swap in your own role, problems and scorecard.
Round 1: the recruiter and the hiring manager (45 minutes)
- Tell me about the last mid market sales motion you built. Walk me through month 1, month 6 and month 12.
- The last time you let go of a rep who was missing the number but well liked. What led up to it?
- What does your weekly cadence look like with your top account executive, and with your bottom one?
- What is the smallest forecast number you have ever defended to a board, and what happened?
Round 2: working session (90 minutes)
- Pre work: send the last four lost mid market deals, with names removed. Ask for a one page view on what went wrong.
- In the room: they walk the panel through their view.
- Role play: they are the account executive on one of those deals, and the CFO asks why now.
- Share the real quarterly forecast and ask what they would change about how it is built.
Round 3: the team (60 minutes, no recruiter)
- Two account executives and the head of SDR, with an open agenda
- Each one scores the candidate on the culture lines of the scorecard
- Their feedback is binding
How each answer is scored
| Question | Scorecard line | A strong answer includes |
|---|---|---|
| Built a mid market motion | Building a sales team | Headcount, quota and win rate at month 12 |
| Let go of a well liked rep | Holding the bar | The coaching tried first and the timeline |
| Defended a forecast | Forecast discipline | The number, the method and what actually closed |
Build one for your role in about fifteen minutes.
Answer a few questions about the role and your company, and the kit fills in as you go. It is free, with no credit card and no sales call.