How interviews become comparable
Job interviews differ in their degree of structure. In unstructured interviews, each conversation takes a different course – making comparisons difficult and bias more likely. Fully structured interviews follow a fixed set of questions with no room for informal exchange. They’re highly comparable but feel impersonal. The most common format is the semi-structured interview: it balances consistency with a conversational tone, combining fairness with authenticity.
Strict structure, strong impact
Fully structured interviews are demanding—both for interviewers and candidates. They’re based on critical job situations, from which targeted questions and rating scales are developed. Instead of past behaviour (as in behavioural interviews), they mostly assess how candidates would act in hypothetical scenarios (situational interview). When well executed, these interviews offer strong predictive validity—especially if structure is paired with empathy.
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