What are interview techniques?

Interview techniques are the methods an interviewer uses to learn whether a candidate can do the job: the questions, the format and how answers are scored. Structure usually matters more than any single clever question.

In shortInterview techniques range from unstructured conversations to structured interviews where every candidate gets the same job-related questions and is scored against the same criteria. Common techniques include behavioral questions about past situations, situational questions about hypothetical ones, work samples and panel interviews. Some questions are off limits: under the ADA, an employer may not ask applicants before employment whether they have a disability or about its nature or severity, but may ask about their ability to perform job-related functions (42 USC 12112(d)(2)). Questions about other protected characteristics invite trouble too, even when asked out of curiosity.

Techniques compared

Common interview techniques
Technique	Example	Best for
Behavioral	Tell me about a time a customer was angry. What did you do?	Past behavior as a predictor
Situational	A coworker is 30 minutes late for handover. What do you do?	Candidates with little experience
Work sample	Set up this register, or plate this dish	Hands-on jobs
Structured	Same questions and scorecard for everyone	Fair, comparable decisions
Panel	Two or three interviewers together	Reducing one person’s bias

With the same questions and scorecard, the two managers’ scores mostly agree.

Worked example: structure fixes disagreement

A hotel front desk

A hotel’s two managers interview front desk candidates separately and often disagree. One favors confident talkers; the other favors people with hotel experience. Neither can explain a decision in a way the other accepts.

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They agree on 5 questions tied to the job: two behavioral, two situational and a 5-minute check-in role play. Each answer is scored 1 to 4 on an interview scorecard with examples of a 1 and a 4. Questions about personal life are dropped, and the availability question is asked the same way of everyone.

On the next 8 candidates, the two managers’ total scores differ by more than 3 points only once, and they discuss that one using the role play notes. Hires made this way have fewer early departures, and the managers stop arguing about gut feel.

Mistakes that are specific to interview techniques

Asking different candidates different questions, then comparing them.
Asking about health, family plans, religion or age, even casually.
Deciding in the first minutes and spending the rest confirming it.
Not testing the actual work when a short sample is possible.
No notes, so the decision cannot be explained later.

Building a structured interview in an hour

List the 4 to 6 most important requirements of the job, using its KSAs.
Write one question per requirement: behavioral for experienced candidates, situational for entry-level ones.
For each question, write what a weak, average and strong answer sounds like.
Add one short work sample if the job allows it, such as counting stock or answering a sample call.
Ask every candidate the same questions in the same order, take notes, and score before discussing.

That is enough structure to make decisions comparable. You can still ask follow-up questions; the difference is that every candidate starts from the same core questions.

Second example: asking about availability the right way

A grocery store used to ask, “Do you have kids? Who watches them?” to judge whether candidates could work evenings. The question invited claims of discrimination and did not predict attendance.

The store replaces it with one question for every candidate: “This role works Thursday to Sunday, 3 to 11 p.m. Can you work that schedule?” It gets a clear answer, is asked the same way of everyone, and goes on the scorecard like any other question.

Score before you talkWhen two people interview, have each write their scores before discussing the candidate. Talking first lets the more senior or more confident person set the answer.

Questions people ask

What is the most effective interview technique?

Structured interviews with job-related questions and a scorecard are consistently among the most reliable, often combined with a short work sample.

What questions should interviewers avoid?

Questions about disability, health, age, religion, family plans, national origin or other protected characteristics. Ask about the ability to do the job instead.

What is the difference between behavioral and situational questions?

Behavioral questions ask what the candidate did in a past situation. Situational questions ask what they would do in a hypothetical one.

How many interviewers should there be?

Two is often enough for frontline roles, scoring separately before comparing.

How long should a structured interview take?

For frontline roles, 20 to 40 minutes is usually enough for 5 or 6 questions and a short work sample.

Can you ask follow-up questions in a structured interview?

Yes. Ask the same core questions of everyone, then follow up to get specific examples. Score against the same criteria.

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Disclaimer: What you read here about interview techniques is general information, not legal, payroll or tax advice, so confirm the current rule where you operate; the examples are fictional.