Throughout interviews in my past, I’ve experienced both seemingly structured interviews, and loosely organized hiring processes. Looking back, I now realize how much the structure of an interview impacts its reliability, validity, and utility.
One of my most effective interviews was with a construction firm that used what seemed like a structured interview format. Each candidate was asked a very similar set of questions about things like project experience, safety management, and teamwork. The consistency in questions improved reliability, since each applicant was evaluated using pretty similar criteria. The questions were also directly tied to real job responsibilities, which strengthened the validity, the interview actually measured how well I could perform the tasks the position required. Because the process was organized and focused on job-related competencies, it provided strong utility for the company, helping them make a well informed hiring decision.
In contrast, I have also interviewed with a smaller contractor where the interview felt more like casual conversation. The questions jumped between unrelated topics, and the interviewer seemed to rely mostly on personal impressions. While it was friendly, it could be seen as lacking structure, reducing reliability and making it more difficult to compare candidates fairly. The questions also didn’t always connect to the job duties, which weakened validity and could lead to hiring decisions based on “gut feeling” rather than real qualifications.
Even though I enjoy the looser structured interview, if I could go back and advise those employers, I would recommend adopting a structured interview approach with behavioral and situational questions tied directly to the job’s competencies. Using rating scales or scoring rubrics could also help improve consistency and fairness. Lastly, I’d encourage interviewers to receive training on how to avoid bias and evaluate answers objectively. These steps would enhance the interview’s reliability, validity, and overall utility, leading to better hiring outcomes and a more professional candidate experience.