Interview Best Practices

Overview

This skill provides guidance on designing effective interview processes, asking good questions, and evaluating candidates fairly and consistently.

Interview Process Design

Standard Interview Stages

Stage	Purpose	Duration	Who
Phone Screen	Qualification, mutual fit	30 min	Recruiter or hiring manager
Hiring Manager	Role fit, experience	45 min	Hiring manager
Technical/Skills	Domain expertise	60 min	Senior IC or specialist
Team Fit	Collaboration, values	45 min	Future teammates
Executive/Final	Culture, closing	30 min	Founder or executive

Principles

1. Consistency: Same process for all candidates at same level
2. Structured: Use scorecards, not gut feel
3. Efficient: Respect candidate time, minimize rounds
4. Transparent: Tell candidates what to expect
5. Inclusive: Train interviewers on bias, diverse panels

Structured Interviewing

Why Structure Matters

Unstructured interviews are poor predictors of job performance. Structured interviews:

• Ask same questions to all candidates
• Use defined evaluation criteria
• Rate on specific competencies
• Reduce bias in decision-making

Competency-Based Evaluation

Define 4-6 competencies per role, then assess each:

Example: Senior Engineer

1. Technical problem-solving
2. System design
3. Code quality and testing
4. Collaboration and communication
5. Ownership and initiative
6. Learning and growth

Rating Scale

Score	Definition
1	Does not meet - Significant gaps
2	Partially meets - Some gaps
3	Meets expectations - Would succeed
4	Exceeds - Above average for level
5	Strongly exceeds - Exceptional

Anchor each score with specific examples for the role.

Question Types

Behavioral Questions

Ask about past experience. Best predictor of future behavior.

Format: "Tell me about a time when..."

Examples:

• "Tell me about a time you had to make a decision with incomplete information."
• "Describe a situation where you disagreed with a teammate. How did you handle it?"
• "Give me an example of a project that didn't go as planned. What did you learn?"

Follow-up probes:

• "What was the result?"
• "What would you do differently?"
• "How did others react?"

Situational Questions

Present hypothetical scenarios relevant to the role.

Format: "Imagine you're in this situation... How would you approach it?"

Examples:

• "You inherit a codebase with no tests. How do you prioritize what to test first?"
• "A key customer is threatening to churn. What's your approach to the conversation?"
• "Your team is behind on a deadline. What do you do?"

Technical Questions

Assess domain-specific knowledge and skills.

Types:

• Coding exercises
• System design
• Domain knowledge
• Portfolio/work review

Best practices:

• Mirror actual work they'd do
• Allow multiple valid approaches
• Assess thinking process, not just answer

Values/Culture Questions

Assess alignment with company values.

Examples:

• "What kind of work environment brings out your best work?"
• "How do you give feedback to teammates?"
• "Tell me about a time you took initiative beyond your role."

Questions by Interview Stage

Phone Screen (30 min)

Goals: Qualification, logistics, mutual interest

Sample questions:

1. Walk me through your background and what brings you to this opportunity
2. What are you looking for in your next role?
3. [1-2 role-specific qualifying questions]
4. What questions do you have about the role or company?

Logistics to cover:

• Compensation expectations
• Start date availability
• Location/remote preferences
• Visa status if relevant

Hiring Manager (45 min)

Goals: Role fit, experience depth, working style

Sample questions:

1. What accomplishment from your last role are you most proud of?
2. Tell me about a challenging project and how you approached it
3. How do you prioritize when everything feels urgent?
4. What feedback have you received that you've acted on?
5. What would your manager say are your strengths and growth areas?

Technical/Skills (60 min)

Goals: Domain expertise, problem-solving, quality bar

Structure varies by role:

• Engineering: Coding, system design, debugging
• Product: Product sense, prioritization, analytics
• Sales: Discovery, objection handling, pitch
• Design: Portfolio review, critique, process

Team Fit (45 min)

Goals: Collaboration, communication, values alignment

Sample questions:

1. How do you like to receive feedback?
2. Tell me about a time you helped a teammate who was struggling
3. Describe your ideal working relationship with [other function]
4. What's something you believe that most people disagree with?
5. What do you do when you disagree with a decision that's been made?

Executive/Final (30 min)

Goals: Culture fit, closing, answering questions

Sample questions:

1. Why this company at this stage?
2. What would make you wildly successful in this role?
3. What questions do you have about our strategy or vision?

Closing:

• Share enthusiasm (if genuine)
• Outline next steps and timeline
• Ask about their timeline and other processes

Avoiding Bias

Common Biases

Bias	Description	Mitigation
Affinity	Favoring similar people	Diverse interview panels
Halo/Horn	One trait colors all ratings	Rate competencies separately
Confirmation	Seeking info that confirms initial impression	Structured questions
Recency	Overweighting recent answers	Take notes throughout
Leniency/Strictness	Rating everyone high/low	Calibrated rating scale

Inclusive Interviewing

• Use consistent process for all candidates
• Train interviewers on bias
• Diverse interview panels
• Evaluate against job requirements, not "culture fit"
• Give candidates context and preparation material
• Provide accommodations as needed

Making Decisions

Debrief Process

1. Interviewers submit written feedback before debrief
2. Share scores independently (prevent anchoring)
3. Discuss specific evidence for each competency
4. Identify and address disagreements
5. Make hire/no-hire recommendation

Decision Framework

Outcome	Criteria
Strong Hire	Multiple 4-5 ratings, no major concerns
Hire	Meets bar on all competencies, no red flags
No Hire	Below bar on key competency, significant concern
Strong No Hire	Multiple gaps, fundamental misalignment

When to Pass

• "Not right for this role" is valid - don't lower bar
• Trust red flags from multiple interviewers
• Strong no-hires are just as important as strong hires
• Document concerns for potential future roles

Additional Resources

For role-specific interview guides, see:

• references/engineering-interviews.md - Technical interview guidance
• references/sales-interviews.md - Sales assessment guide
• references/behavioral-questions.md - Question bank by competency