As interviewing is a critical step in the hiring process, my experiences have shown how much interviews can vary especially when the interviewer is not properly prepared. In particular, I’ve been in interviews that felt like casual conversations and others that were highly rigid. These extremes highlight how important it is to balance structure with flexibility in order to achieve meaningful and fair results. From this week’s reading in First, Break All the Rules, it’s clear that interviews are more than just asking questions, they need to be built around uncovering talent and insight.
In the more casual interviews I’ve had, the lack of structure made it difficult to understand what the interviewer was actually looking for. As they jumped from topic to topic, the conversation felt friendly, but it wasn’t a reliable way to compare candidates fairly. On the other hand, I’ve also experienced overly rigid interviews where the interviewer couldn’t ask any follow-up questions, making the interaction feel robotic. While this format may ensure fairness through consistency, it misses the opportunity to understand how a candidate thinks, communicates, or solves problems.
Furthermore, the article How to Take the Bias Out of Interviews emphasizes that while structured interviews help reduce potential bias, structure alone isn’t enough to truly engage with candidates. Managers should aim to identify individual talent rather than trying to mold people into a generic ideal. To improve the process, I would advise employers to use structured interviews with questions that directly relate to the competencies required for the role, while also training interviewers to ask thoughtful follow-up questions when appropriate.
Ultimately, interviews should be fair, consistent, and thoughtfully designed to uncover real talent. They shouldn’t feel like a formality or a rushed attempt to fill a vacancy. Instead, they should be a meaningful opportunity to understand a candidate’s strengths, potential, and fit for the team. When employers strike the right balance between structure and flexibility, they create a process that respects both the organization’s needs and the candidate’s individuality, leading to better hires and stronger teams.
