Best practices for interviewers
Sharing clear expectations with interviewers improves both candidate experience and the quality of signal you get. Below are practices that help.
Before the interview
- Review the role and the focus areas you’re responsible for evaluating.
- Prepare questions that map to those areas and to what “good” looks like.
- Read the candidate’s background so you’re not asking for info you already have.
During the interview
- Put the candidate at ease — Brief intro, explain the format and how long it’ll take. A relaxed candidate gives better signal.
- Ask the right questions — Open-ended, behavioral, and role-relevant. Avoid yes/no or leading questions.
- Listen more than you talk — Take notes on what they say and how they think, not just whether they “passed.”
- Leave time for their questions — Interviews are two-way; give them a real chance to learn about you and the role.
- Take detailed notes — Write down examples and quotes so you can back up your rating in the debrief. Submit written feedback using the template before the debrief and avoid discussing the candidate with other interviewers before everyone has submitted.
After the interview
Submit your written feedback and a clear yes/no (or lean yes/lean no) before the debrief. That keeps the debrief focused and reduces bias from people influencing each other before they’ve written their own view.