Before the full interview: a fast 15-minute phone, video, or survey pass to sift a large applicant pool down to the candidates worth a real conversation.
Your own prep matters as much as the candidate's.
Different formats surface different signals — mix them deliberately rather than defaulting to one style for the whole interview.
E+E Consulting's own trait framework — pick the traits that matter most for the role, and 2–3 questions per trait rather than working through the whole list.
Sample stems and follow-up probes, organized by what you're trying to assess. Pick 1–2 per competency rather than asking all of them.
For hiring people managers specifically. Ask every candidate the same set, and score each answer out of 5 in the Candidate Scorecard below to compare fairly.
Candidates ask questions too — have real answers ready, not "I'll follow up."
If you need to know about a job-relevant constraint (availability, travel, physical requirements), ask about the requirement directly — never the protected characteristic behind it.
The same question can get a strong or weak answer — these are the signals that separate them.
Beyond scoring individual answers, keep these running in the back of your mind throughout the conversation.
Most candidates will structure behavioral answers as Situation, Task, Action, Result — here's what to check for in each part.
In-the-room habits that get you better signal, regardless of which questions you ask.
The single biggest lever for a fair, defensible process: the same core questions, for every candidate, scored against the same rubric.
Score each candidate right after the interview, while it's fresh — before comparing notes with anyone else on the panel.
How a panel reconciles individual scorecards into one decision, without the loudest voice winning by default.
The natural next step after a strong interview — what to ask, and how much weight to give what you hear.
Evaluation is only half the job — for candidates you want, you're also the one being evaluated.
What changes when the interview happens over video instead of in person.
Especially for candidates who made it deep into the process — how you reject shapes your employer brand as much as how you hire.
If the role uses a skills test or work sample, evaluate it as consistently as you would an interview answer.