Interview Guide Template For Interviewers

If you’re an interviewer tasked with assessing potential candidates for your company, then you already know how tedious and time-consuming the process can be. Without the right preparation, you might end up with a subpar set of questions and a list of generic answers that fail to provide the information you need to make informed hiring decisions. To help you streamline your interviewing process, avoid these common pitfalls, and identify top-notch talent for your team, we’ve put together this list of essential interview guide templates.

### 1. **The Basic Interview Template**

A simple yet effective template to get you started, this guide covers the basics of any job interview. It asks essential questions about a candidate’s background, skills, and experience, as well as their goals and motivations.
Create a template with the following sections:
– Introduction
– Career Background
– Education and Skills
– Experience and Achievements
– Goals and Motivation
– Behavioral Questions

### 2. **The Problem-Solving Interview Template**

This template focuses on the candidate’s ability to think critically and solve problems, which are essential skills for many job positions. Prepare a set of scenario-based questions that will challenge the candidate’s creative thinking and decision-making skills.
– Introduce a scenario and ask the candidate to describe how they would handle it.
– Follow up with questions focusing on their thought process, decision-making, and potential roadblocks.
– Discuss potential results or outcomes.

### 3. **The STAR Interview Template**

The STAR method is a widely used framework for behavioral-based interviewing. It stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result – and each letter should be answered in the corresponding section. This template can be a great way to get a comprehensive understanding of a candidate’s past experiences and skills.
– Situation: Describe the context of the situation.
– Task: Explain the task or problem you faced.
– Action: Discuss the actions you took to overcome the challenges.
– Result: Share the outcomes and impact of your actions.

### 4. **The 60-Second Pitch Interview Template**

This template is designed to quickly gauge a candidate’s personality, communication skills, and enthusiasm for the job. Prepare a list of prompts that require a 60-second response, allowing you to see how well the candidate presents themselves.
– Prepare a list of 3-5 questions that will spark interesting responses
– Give each candidate a set amount of time (usually 1 minute) to answer the questions
– Observe and take note of their responses and demeanor

### 5. **The Case Study Interview Template**

A case study is an in-depth presentation that requires the candidate to analyze complex information and communicate their findings effectively. Preparing a case study interview can help you assess their problem-solving skills, data analysis abilities, and presentation techniques.
– Create a case study that requires candidates to read a complex document or scenario
– Present the case study and explain the task or objective of the study
– Let candidates work on it for some time and present their analysis
– Discuss results and outcomes

### 6. **The Role-Playing Interview Template**

This template helps you assess how well a candidate will fit into your team’s dynamics and adapt to different situations. Prepare a list of scenarios that require role-playing, such as working with a new team member or handling a difficult customer.
– Prepare a list of 3-5 scenarios for role-playing exercises
– Discuss expectations and instructions with each candidate
– Observe and note feedback on their performance

### 7. **The Whiteboarding Interview Template**

This template focuses on problem-solving and coding skills, which are essential for many technical positions. Prepare a series of whiteboard challenges that will test the candidate’s coding abilities and mathematical knowledge.
– Prepare several whiteboard challenges for each candidate
– Explain instructions clearly and give them enough time to complete the tasks
– Assess results and discuss outcomes

### 8. **The Behavioral Interview Template**

Behavioral interviewing involves asking specific questions about a candidate’s past experiences and behaviors in relation to your company values and requirements. Use this template to determine how well the candidate aligns with your company culture.
– Prepare questions that directly relate to company values and required skills
– Assess responses and note alignment with desired qualities
– Evaluate the potential fit based on these answers

### 9. **The Competency-Based Interview Template**

This template helps you assess the candidate’s essential skills and competencies for the job position. Use the company’s competency framework to prepare a set of questions and rating criteria.
– Create a list of essential competencies for the job role
– Prepare questions and rating criteria for each competency
– Assess the candidate’s responses against the rating criteria

### 10. **The Panel Interview Template**

This template involves a team of interviewers evaluating the candidate’s responses and performance in a group setting. Prepare a set of shared questions that will allow you to gather a comprehensive understanding of the candidate’s skills and fit for the position.
– Prepare shared questions among all panel members
– Discuss expectations clearly
– Observe and note feedback from each panel member