Two rounds are enough for most roles: one skills/personal and one with the line manager or a case. Three or four rounds are rarely more accurate — they are slower and lose candidates. Leadership and highly specialised roles can justify an extra round. Decide before you invite.
Interviews
How to run a job interview
A guide for employers: structured interviews, lawful questions, scorecards and the mistakes that cost you the best candidates. With a question guide.
Step-by-step guide
- 1
Set a fixed frame before the first candidate walks in
Agree in advance: 5 minutes intro, 25–35 minutes skills, 10 minutes for the candidate’s questions, 5 minutes next steps. Say the frame out loud so the candidate knows what will happen. A loose “tell us about yourself” hour favours people used to selling themselves — not necessarily people who can do the job. Book a room without interruptions, and use two interviewers if you can, so you can compare notes.
- 2
Ask the same behavioural questions of everyone
Build 5–8 questions on the must-haves you wrote in the job ad. Use behaviour: “Tell us about a time you…” rather than “Are you good at…”. STAR works from your side too: you want situation, task, action and result. Examples: a concrete conflict, a missed deadline, a task without instructions, a collaboration that went wrong. Avoid riddles and “where do you see yourself in five years” unless you know what you are listening for.
- 3
Do not ask about what you must not use
Health, pregnancy, plans for children, religion, political views, sexual orientation, age and ethnicity do not belong in the interview. “Do you have children to pick up?” is a no. You may ask about availability, working hours and whether the candidate can do the concrete tasks, including any physical requirements the job genuinely needs. Write the questions down so a colleague does not improvise into something unlawful.
- 4
Score criteria — not “good energy”
Make a scorecard with the 4–6 must-haves and a scale (for example 1–4) plus space for evidence. Fill it in separately before you talk. Otherwise the person who speaks first wins, and you hire whoever reminded you of the last employee. “Chemistry” may fill one field — not the whole decision. Keep the scorecards; they are your documentation if a rejected candidate asks why.
- 5
Let the candidate feel the job, not only you
A short case, a look at the tools, or 20 minutes with a future colleague tells you more than three rounds of small talk. Be honest about what is hard in the role. Candidates who withdraw after honesty would have left anyway — just later and more expensively. Send the agenda the day before, and keep to time. That is your employer brand in practice.
- 6
Close with a process, and follow up when you said you would
Say when you will get back, and keep that promise — including with a no. A no with one concrete sentence is professional; radio silence is not. Ask whether the candidate has other processes running, so you do not lose them to three weeks of internal hesitation. When you offer the job, do it in writing with pay, start and terms, and follow up with a contract (see the employment-contract guide).
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Frequently asked questions
Preferably two. One runs the conversation, the other takes notes. Afterwards you compare scorecards. A panel of five all asking random questions is tiring for the candidate and harder to keep lawful. Introduce everyone in the room, and stick to the agreed agenda.
Yes, for a first screen. Test audio and camera, and use the same questions as in person. A final view of collaboration and culture is often better in person or hybrid. Tell the candidate the format in the invitation, and send the link in good time.
Yes, as part of recruitment, but only what you need and no longer than the purpose requires (GDPR). Write about skills and evidence — not appearance, accent or family life. Provide access if the candidate asks, under the rules that apply to you.
A short, factual reply improves your reputation and costs five minutes. Keep it to what the scorecard shows: “we went ahead with a candidate with more experience in X”. Avoid personal judgements you cannot document.