A structured interview uses an agreed set of core questions, the same assessment criteria and a consistent scoring method for every candidate. Acas recommends asking applicants the same questions where possible so they are treated consistently.
For a small employer, structure does not need to make the interview robotic. It simply separates the evidence needed to make the decision from general impressions.
Start with the role, not the candidate
Before writing interview questions, define what good performance in the role actually looks like. Separate essential requirements from preferences. If the scorecard is vague, the interview will be vague too.
Choose five to eight criteria that matter: technical capability, customer handling, planning, commercial judgement, leadership, accuracy or another role-specific requirement.
Build questions around evidence
Good questions invite candidates to describe what they actually did. Ask for examples, decisions, obstacles and outcomes rather than relying only on hypothetical answers.
Use the same core questions for everyone, then allow sensible follow-up questions where clarification is needed. This maintains comparability without turning the conversation into a script.
Use more than one interviewer where practical
Acas says it is a good idea, where possible, for interviews to involve more than one person to reduce discrimination risk. For smaller firms, that might mean a director and the future line manager.
Agree in advance who is assessing which areas so the panel does not simply duplicate the same judgement.
Score before discussing
Ask each interviewer to score independently before the panel discusses the candidate. This reduces the risk that the most senior or confident person anchors everyone else’s view.
Scores should link back to evidence in the answer, not charisma, similarity to the interviewer or a vague sense of “culture fit”.
Keep recruitment questions lawful
Recruitment decisions must not discriminate. GOV.UK highlights restrictions around asking about protected characteristics and health/disability except in specific circumstances.
Ask candidates before interview whether they need reasonable adjustments to take part in the selection process.
Make the final decision explainable
A robust decision should be capable of being summarised in a few sentences: which candidate best demonstrated the required criteria, where the evidence came from and any material risk the business considered.
If your final choice cannot be explained without relying on “gut feel”, the assessment method probably needs strengthening.
The Guardian Forge view
Small employers do not need a complex assessment centre. A one-page scorecard, consistent questions and disciplined notes can transform the quality of a hiring decision.
The aim is not bureaucracy. It is making a decision you can defend to yourself six months later.
Official sources & further reading
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