The first time I interviewed for a job, I was 15 and the manager simply asked “Do you want to work here?” and I responded with “Yep”. That was how I got my first job, until I started interviewing for jobs after I got to college. Most of these interviews were conducted online which I found to be ineffective since it took away the personal connection between the interviewer and the interviewee. The interviews I was a part of were very well structured with open ended questions. But, the process wasn’t effective because with the way they were structured, it was difficult for the interviewees to showcase who they were in 20 minutes or less. I wouldn’t say this structure is valid across a variety of different jobs since each job has different characteristics to them. For example, a heavily structured interview for photographers wouldn’t be effective since the job would entail taking photographs and showcasing their talent. I think structured interviews are best for office jobs and ones that are more task oriented.
One improvement I would advise is to try and have the interview take place in person if possible. A lot of employers use Zoom or Teams to hold virtual interviews because it’s easier, but if the interviewee lives close to the company, they should prioritize having the interview in person. There is a lot that you can learn about someone based on their nonverbal communication which is something that is difficult to see over a video screen. Another piece of advice I have to improve the effectiveness of the interviews I was a part of is to ask more questions that allow the interviewee to show who they are. Most interviewers ask them “Tell me about yourself”, but they should have more questions that open the interviewee up. Ones that help them explain the experiences they’ve had and how it shaped them to who they are today.