How to Conduct Better Interviews: A Practical Guide for Hiring Managers

Most people underestimate how difficult interviewing actually is.

At first glance, it seems simple.

Review a resume.

Ask a few questions.

Decide whether you like the candidate.

Move them forward—or don’t.

The reality is far more complicated.

Every hiring decision is based on information.

And interviews are one of the primary ways organizations gather that information.

The challenge is that most hiring managers are never formally trained on how to interview.

They’re often promoted because they’re strong performers, trusted leaders, or subject matter experts. Then they’re expected to evaluate talent with little guidance on how to do it effectively.

As a result, interviews frequently become unstructured conversations.

Questions are asked without a clear purpose.

Interviewers rely on first impressions or gut feelings.

Strong candidates are overlooked.

Weak candidates move forward.

And hiring teams struggle to explain why they reached the conclusions they did.

In my experience, the best interviewers approach interviews differently.

They don’t view interviews as conversations designed to confirm whether they “like” someone.

They view interviews as structured opportunities to gather evidence.

Their goal is to understand whether a candidate can solve a specific problem, succeed in a specific environment, and create value for the organization.

Throughout this guide, we’ll explore how to prepare for interviews, ask better questions, evaluate candidates more consistently, reduce common biases, and create a stronger candidate experience.

Because while no interview process is perfect, great interviewers consistently give themselves a better chance of making great hiring decisions.

Why Great Interviews Matter

Organizations invest significant time and money attracting talent.

They build employer brands.

They source candidates.

They invest in recruiting technology.

They encourage employee referrals.

They create hiring processes designed to identify strong talent.

Then the interview happens.

And that’s where many hiring decisions are won or lost.

A great interview helps hiring teams gather meaningful information, evaluate candidates fairly, and make better hiring decisions.

A poor interview does the opposite.

It creates confusion.

Introduces bias.

Damages candidate experience.

And often leads to weaker hiring outcomes.

One of the biggest misconceptions about interviewing is that interviews exist solely to evaluate candidates.

They don’t.

Strong interviews serve two purposes:

• They help employers evaluate candidates.

• They help candidates evaluate employers.

Both are equally important.

Candidates are paying attention to far more than the questions you’re asking.

They’re evaluating:

• How prepared interviewers are

• How professionally the interview is conducted

• How respectfully they’re treated

• How decisions are made

• What it might feel like to work with your team

Every interaction shapes their perception of your organization.

A positive experience can lead to:

• Referrals

• Future applications

• Stronger employer branding

• Better acceptance rates

• Positive word-of-mouth

A negative experience can spread just as quickly.

Candidates talk.

They post online.

They share experiences with friends and colleagues.

The goal isn’t to create a perfect interview.

The goal is to create a structured conversation that helps both sides gather the information they need to make informed decisions.

Questions Worth Asking

• What information are we trying to gather?

• Is this interview helping us make a better hiring decision?

• What experience are we creating for candidates?

• Are we gathering evidence or collecting opinions?

Key Takeaway

The best interviews aren’t casual conversations or gut checks. They’re structured information-gathering exercises designed to support better hiring decisions.

How to Prepare Before an Interview

One of the easiest ways to improve interview quality is improving interview preparation.

It sounds obvious.

Yet many interviewers spend more time preparing for a customer meeting than they do preparing for an interview.

They quickly scan a resume.

Think of a few questions.

Join the call.

And hope for the best.

The problem is that poor preparation usually leads to poor interviews.

Important topics get missed.

Weak questions get asked.

Time gets wasted.

And candidates leave without being properly evaluated.

Strong interviews begin before the candidate joins the conversation.

Understand What You’re Responsible For Evaluating

Before every interview, you should know exactly what you’re trying to learn.

This sounds simple.

But many organizations struggle with it.

Multiple interviewers meet the same candidate.

Everyone asks similar questions.

Nobody owns a specific area of evaluation.

The result is redundancy instead of useful information.

Before the interview, ask yourself:

• What am I responsible for evaluating?

• What evidence do I need to gather?

• What concerns am I trying to validate or eliminate?

• What information would increase my confidence in this candidate?

Your answers should connect back to the scorecard and success criteria established before recruiting began.

If those things don’t exist yet, stop there first.

For more on scorecards, hiring alignment, and interview design, see our guide: How to Design a Hiring Process That Actually Works.

Review The Candidate’s Background

You don’t need to memorize a candidate’s resume.

You do need to understand enough to ask thoughtful questions.

Look for:

• Career progression

• Notable accomplishments

• Interesting transitions

• Relevant projects

• Areas you’d like to explore further

The goal isn’t to catch candidates off guard.

It’s to identify opportunities for deeper discussion.

Candidates should feel like you’ve invested time preparing for the conversation.

Understand Which Stage Of The Process You’re Conducting

Not every interview should evaluate the same things.

This is one of the most common interviewing mistakes.

A recruiter asks a question.

A hiring manager asks the same question.

A technical interviewer asks it again.

An executive asks it a fourth time.

Candidates end up repeating themselves while the organization learns very little new information.

Every interview should have a purpose.

The questions you ask should reflect that purpose.

Questions Worth Asking

• What am I responsible for evaluating?

• What evidence do I need to gather?

• What information has already been validated?

• What information still needs to be explored?

• What does success look like for this interview?

Key Takeaway

Strong interviews begin long before the candidate joins the call. The more intentional your preparation, the more likely you are to gather meaningful information, create a better candidate experience, and make stronger hiring decisions.

What Should Different Interview Stages Actually Evaluate?

One of the biggest mistakes organizations make is treating every interview the same.

Candidates meet multiple people.

The same topics get covered repeatedly.

The same questions get asked.

And everyone leaves believing they’ve completed a thorough evaluation.

In reality, they’ve often collected the same information several times.

A stronger approach is assigning a clear purpose to each interview stage.

Every interview should answer a different set of questions.

Together, those interviews should build a complete picture of the candidate.

Recruiter Screen

The recruiter screen is typically designed to validate baseline alignment.

Topics often include:

• Interest in the opportunity

• Relevant experience

• Compensation expectations

• Work authorization

• Availability

• High-level motivation

This is not the stage for deep technical evaluation.

The goal is simply to determine whether it makes sense to continue the conversation.

Hiring Manager Interview

The hiring manager interview should focus on role fit.

This is where you’ll often explore:

• Relevant accomplishments

• Scope of responsibility

• Decision-making

• Problem-solving

• Stakeholder management

• Leadership experience

The hiring manager is often best positioned to determine whether the candidate can solve the problems the team is trying to address.

Technical Interviews

Technical interviews should validate capability.

Not trivia.

Not brainteasers.

Not questions designed to make candidates uncomfortable.

The objective is understanding whether the candidate possesses the knowledge, skills, and judgment required to succeed in the role.

We’ll explore technical interviews in more detail later in this guide.

Leadership And Executive Interviews

Leadership interviews often focus on:

• Strategic thinking

• Communication

• Judgment

• Long-term potential

• Alignment with organizational goals

One mistake I frequently see is senior leaders repeating questions that have already been covered in earlier stages.

The more senior the interviewer, the more important it becomes to focus on information that only they are uniquely positioned to evaluate.

A Practical Example

Imagine you’re hiring a Product Manager.

A poor process might look like this:

• Recruiter asks about product experience

• Hiring manager asks about product experience

• Director asks about product experience

• Executive asks about product experience

The candidate answers essentially the same questions four times.

A stronger process might look like this:

• Recruiter validates baseline qualifications and motivation

• Hiring manager evaluates product execution and decision-making

• Cross-functional stakeholder evaluates collaboration and communication

• Executive evaluates strategic alignment and long-term potential

The number of interviews didn’t change.

The quality of information gathered did.

Questions Worth Asking

• What is the purpose of this interview?

• What information has already been gathered?

• What information still needs validation?

• Who is best positioned to evaluate each area?

• Are we gathering new information or repeating previous conversations?

Key Takeaway

Different interview stages should gather different information. The goal isn’t to repeatedly evaluate the same things—it’s to build a complete picture of the candidate over time.

Bonus: How to Use Feedback Between Interview Stages to Assess Coachability

Great candidates don’t always deliver perfect interviews.

Sometimes they’re nervous.

Sometimes they misunderstand a question.

Sometimes they simply miss the mark.

That doesn’t necessarily mean they lack the skills or experience required for the role.

In some situations, it can be valuable to provide feedback between interview stages and observe what happens next.

Do they listen?

Do they become defensive?

Do they ask thoughtful follow-up questions?

Do they incorporate the feedback?

Do they improve in the next round?

For example, imagine a candidate provides vague answers during an initial interview. Rather than immediately rejecting them, you might explain that you’d like to see more specific examples and greater detail in future conversations.

Then, make a note of that feedback and intentionally assess it during the next stage.

Did they adapt?

Did they demonstrate improvement?

Did they apply the feedback effectively?

In many environments—particularly startups, leadership roles, and rapidly changing organizations—the ability to learn, adapt, and respond to feedback can be just as important as existing experience.

Sometimes a candidate’s response to feedback tells you more than their original performance.

How to Start an Interview

The first few minutes of an interview matter more than most people realize.

They’re often the difference between a productive conversation and an uncomfortable one.

Many interviewers jump straight into questions.

I don’t recommend that.

A few minutes of framing can dramatically improve the quality of the conversation that follows.

Set Expectations Early

Before asking your first question, explain:

• Who you are

• Your role in the process

• What you’ll be evaluating

• How the interview will be structured

• How much time you’ve set aside

This helps candidates understand what to expect and reduces unnecessary anxiety.

A simple example:

That final sentence can be incredibly valuable.

It gives you permission to guide the conversation later if needed.

Give Yourself Permission To Facilitate

Many interviewers make one of two mistakes.

They either:

• Allow candidates to completely control the conversation

• Treat the interview like an interrogation

Neither approach works particularly well.

Your job is to facilitate the discussion.

That means:

• Redirecting when someone goes off-track

• Asking follow-up questions

• Clarifying unclear answers

• Managing time effectively

• Moving on when you’ve gathered enough information

Candidates generally appreciate this when expectations are established upfront.

Help Candidates Perform At Their Best

Interviews are stressful.

Even highly qualified candidates can become nervous.

The goal isn’t to eliminate that stress entirely.

The goal is to create an environment where candidates can demonstrate their capabilities.

Simple things help:

• Start with easier questions

• Explain what you’re trying to learn

• Show curiosity

• Be present and engaged

• Avoid unnecessary pressure

The best interviews often feel more like professional conversations than formal interrogations.

Questions Worth Asking

• Have I explained what to expect?

• Does the candidate understand the structure?

• Have I created an environment where they can perform at their best?

• Am I prepared to guide the conversation when necessary?

Key Takeaway

The opening minutes of an interview set the tone for everything that follows. Clear expectations, strong facilitation, and a little empathy can dramatically improve the quality of the conversation.

Why Candidate Experience Matters

Candidate experience is often treated as a recruiting topic.

I think that’s a mistake.

Every person involved in the hiring process influences candidate experience.

Recruiters.

Hiring managers.

Executives.

Interview panel members.

Everyone.

And whether you realize it or not, candidates are evaluating your organization throughout the process.

They’re asking themselves questions like:

• Would I want to work with these people?

• Does this organization seem well-run?

• Do they respect my time?

• Do they communicate effectively?

• Is this a place where I can succeed?

• Is this a company I’d refer a colleague to?

The answers to those questions often influence hiring outcomes just as much as compensation or job responsibilities.

Candidate Experience Has Long-Term Consequences

Strong candidate experiences create:

• Future applicants

• Employee referrals

• Positive employer branding

• Higher offer acceptance rates

Poor candidate experiences create:

• Negative reviews

• Damaged reputations

• Lost referrals

• Declined offers

Candidates talk.

Especially strong candidates.

And they often share both positive and negative experiences with their networks.

Respect People’s Time

One of the easiest ways to improve candidate experience is respecting the time candidates invest in your process.

That means:

• Showing up prepared

• Being punctual

• Communicating clearly

• Avoiding unnecessary interview stages

• Providing updates when possible

It also means being thoughtful about assessments, presentations, and take-home assignments.

If candidates are investing significant time, make sure you’re doing the same.

Remember That Interviews Are A Two-Way Evaluation

Many organizations behave as though candidates should simply be grateful for the opportunity.

Strong organizations understand something different:

Great candidates have options.

The interview process is your opportunity to demonstrate why they should choose you.

Questions Worth Asking

• Would I enjoy going through this hiring process myself?

• Are we respecting candidates’ time?

• Are we communicating clearly?

• What impression are we creating?

• Would a strong candidate leave this interview wanting to learn more?

Key Takeaway

Candidate experience isn’t separate from interviewing. It’s a direct result of how interviews are planned, conducted, and managed. Strong interviewers understand they’re evaluating candidates while candidates are evaluating them.

How to Ask Better Interview Questions

The quality of your interview is often determined by the quality of your questions.

Unfortunately, many interviewers rely on generic questions, hypothetical scenarios, or whatever happens to come to mind in the moment.

The result is inconsistent information and weaker hiring decisions.

Strong interviewers approach questioning with intention.

Their goal isn’t simply to ask questions.

Their goal is to gather evidence.

Start With Open-Ended Questions

One framework I often recommend is TED:

• Tell me…

• Explain to me…

• Describe to me…

These prompts encourage candidates to share information rather than provide short answers.

For example:

Instead of:

Try:

Instead of:

Try:

The goal is to create conversation, not conduct an interrogation.

Match Your Questions To The Interview Stage

Different interviews require different questions.

A recruiter screen may focus on motivation and career progression.

A hiring manager interview may focus on accomplishments and decision-making.

A technical interview may focus on expertise and problem-solving.

An executive interview may focus on judgment and strategic thinking.

Don’t ask questions simply because they’re on your list.

Ask questions because they help you gather information relevant to the purpose of the interview.

Avoid Turning The Interview Into A Checklist

Many interviewers work through a list of questions without ever exploring the answers.

A candidate says something interesting.

The interviewer ignores it and moves on to the next question.

That’s usually a mistake.

Some of the best information you’ll gather comes from following a thread and digging deeper.

Behavioural Interviewing Is A Tool, Not A Script

Most hiring managers are familiar with behavioural interviewing.

Questions like:

can be extremely effective.

But they’re often overused.

Some interviewers begin every conversation with highly structured behavioural questions before the candidate has had an opportunity to get comfortable.

That can create unnecessary pressure and often leads to rehearsed responses.

I generally prefer starting broader.

Learn about the candidate’s role.

Understand the context.

Then gradually move into specific examples.

Once you’ve established context, behavioural questions become significantly more effective.

If you’re planning to ask for specific examples, help candidates understand what good answers look like.

For example:

Good interviewers don’t just ask better questions.

They help candidates provide better answers.

Focus On Evidence

A useful question to ask yourself throughout an interview is:

The goal isn’t to confirm your assumptions.

It’s to understand whether the candidate can succeed in the role.

Good questions generate evidence.

Weak questions generate opinions.

Questions Worth Asking

• Does this question help me evaluate something important?

• Am I gathering evidence or collecting opinions?

• Am I encouraging the candidate to share meaningful information?

• Am I exploring answers deeply enough?

• Am I helping candidates provide useful information?

Key Takeaway

Strong interviewers don’t just ask more questions. They ask better questions that generate meaningful information, support stronger hiring decisions, and help candidates demonstrate what they’re capable of.

The Funnel Technique: How to Go Deeper

One of the most effective interviewing techniques I’ve used throughout my career is what I call the Funnel Technique.

The concept is simple.

Start broad.

Then gradually narrow your questions until you’ve gathered the information you need.

Most candidates are far more comfortable talking about their experiences than immediately answering highly specific behavioural questions.

The Funnel Technique allows you to build context before diving into details.

Start Broad

Begin with a high-level question.

For example:

Or:

At this stage, you’re gathering context.

You’re not evaluating depth yet.

You’re learning where depth might exist.

Follow The Thread

As candidates share information, listen for topics worth exploring.

Maybe they mention:

• Leading a migration

• Managing stakeholders

• Implementing a new system

• Building a team

• Scaling a process

Those become opportunities for deeper exploration.

For example:

Then:

Then:

Then:

Then:

Each question narrows the conversation and reveals additional information.

Why This Works

Many candidates prepare for interviews.

Few prepare for ten layers of follow-up questions.

As you move deeper into a topic, it becomes increasingly difficult to rely on rehearsed answers.

Eventually you begin uncovering:

• Depth of expertise

• Decision-making ability

• Ownership

• Problem-solving capability

• Communication skills

This is often where the most valuable information lives.

A Common Mistake

Many interviewers hear something interesting and immediately move on because they want to finish their question list.

That’s often a missed opportunity.

If a candidate is discussing something highly relevant to the role, follow the thread.

Some of the strongest evidence you’ll gather comes from deeply exploring a real experience.

Questions Worth Asking

• Am I starting broad enough?

• Have I explored this topic deeply enough?

• Am I learning something new with each question?

• Have I gathered enough evidence to move on?

Key Takeaway

Strong interviewers rarely get the information they need from a single question. They start broad, follow the thread, and gradually narrow the conversation until they understand the candidate’s true level of experience and expertise.

The Tunnel Technique: How to Validate Specific Experience

The Funnel Technique is excellent for exploring depth.

The Tunnel Technique serves a different purpose.

It’s designed to quickly validate whether specific experience exists.

Sometimes you don’t need a long discussion.

You simply need to know whether a candidate has worked with a particular technology, industry, methodology, certification, or type of problem before.

Start With Direct Validation

For example:

• Have you implemented Workday before?

• Have you managed people directly?

• Have you sold into enterprise accounts?

• Have you worked in a regulated environment?

• Have you built products using AI or machine learning?

The answer is often yes or no.

At this stage, you’re validating facts.

Know When To Switch Techniques

One mistake I see frequently is interviewers using Funnel questions when a Tunnel question would have been more efficient.

Another is using Tunnel questions for the entire interview.

Neither approach works particularly well.

For example:

If the answer is no, you’ve learned something important and can move on.

If the answer is yes, that’s where Funnel questioning becomes valuable:

The two techniques work together.

Tunnel validates that experience exists.

Funnel helps you understand how meaningful that experience actually was.

Don’t Mistake Exposure For Expertise

One of the biggest interviewing mistakes is assuming experience automatically means competence.

A candidate may have worked with a technology, process, or methodology without owning meaningful responsibility for it.

Tunnel questions help identify whether experience exists.

Funnel questions help determine the depth of that experience.

Questions Worth Asking

• Do I need validation or depth?

• Am I using the right questioning technique?

• Have I confirmed the experience exists?

• Have I explored it deeply enough?

Key Takeaway

Tunnel questions help validate whether specific experience exists. Funnel questions help you understand the quality and depth of that experience. Strong interviewers know when to use each.

How to Ask Better Follow-Up Questions

Most interviewers spend their time thinking about the next question.

Great interviewers focus on the answer they just heard.

The first answer is rarely the whole story.

And some of the most valuable information often emerges several layers into the conversation.

Explore Tradeoffs

One of my favourite follow-up questions is:

Almost every meaningful decision involves competing priorities.

Time.

Budget.

Quality.

Resources.

Risk.

Tradeoff questions often reveal how someone thinks far better than questions about success alone.

Explore Decision-Making

Candidates frequently tell you what happened.

Strong interviewers explore why it happened.

For example:

These questions help uncover judgment, reasoning, and problem-solving ability.

Explore Obstacles

Success stories are useful.

Challenges are often more revealing.

Questions like:

often produce stronger insights than questions focused solely on positive outcomes.

Explore Ownership

One challenge in interviewing is separating team accomplishments from individual accomplishments.

When candidates describe successful projects, ask:

This helps clarify ownership and impact.

Don’t Move On Too Quickly

One of the most common interviewing mistakes is hearing a strong answer and immediately moving to the next question.

If the topic is relevant to the role, keep digging.

The goal isn’t to collect stories.

The goal is to understand:

• What happened

• Why it happened

• What the candidate did

• What they learned

• Whether they can repeat that success

Questions Worth Asking

• Have I explored this topic deeply enough?

• Do I understand what the candidate actually did?

• Have I explored the decisions behind the outcome?

• Am I moving on too quickly?

Key Takeaway

The best interviewers aren’t necessarily the ones asking the best initial questions. They’re often the ones asking the best follow-up questions.

How to Take Better Interview Notes

Most hiring managers trust their memory far more than they should.

That’s understandable.

The problem is that memory is unreliable.

Especially when you’re interviewing multiple candidates over several days or weeks.

Strong interview notes improve hiring decisions, reduce bias, and create more productive debrief discussions.

Capture Evidence, Not Conclusions

One of the most common mistakes is writing conclusions instead of observations.

For example:

Poor note:

Great communicator.

Better note:

Explained a complex migration project clearly, provided specific examples, answered follow-up questions directly, and adjusted explanations based on audience.

The second example contains evidence.

The first contains an opinion.

Write Down What You Observed

Focus on:

• Examples shared

• Decisions made

• Tradeoffs discussed

• Results achieved

• Behaviours demonstrated

These observations are far more useful during debrief discussions than broad labels like:

• Strong leader

• Smart

• Great culture fit

• Weak communicator

Notes Reduce Bias

Without notes, interviewers often rely on:

• First impressions

• Recent conversations

• Personal preferences

• Memory

Good notes create a record of what actually happened.

That makes it easier to evaluate candidates fairly and consistently.

Notes Improve Debriefs

A structured debrief is much easier when interviewers have documented evidence.

Instead of saying:

You can say:

One statement is an opinion.

The other is evidence.

Questions Worth Asking

• Am I recording evidence or opinions?

• Would another interviewer understand these notes?

• Have I documented examples that support my conclusions?

• Could I defend my recommendation using these notes?

Key Takeaway

Strong interview notes capture evidence, not impressions. The better your notes, the better your hiring discussions and decisions become.

When to Redirect, Reframe, or Interrupt

Many interviewers are uncomfortable interrupting candidates.

They worry about appearing rude.

They worry about cutting someone off.

They worry about damaging the candidate experience.

In reality, one of the most important skills an interviewer can develop is knowing when and how to guide the conversation.

Remember:

Your job is not to sit silently and hope the interview goes well.

Your job is to gather information.

Sometimes that requires intervention.

When A Candidate Goes Off Track

Most candidates don’t intentionally avoid answering questions.

Sometimes they misunderstand the question.

Sometimes they’re nervous.

Sometimes they’re simply trying to provide too much context.

When this happens, it’s perfectly acceptable to step in.

For example:

Or:

A small redirect can save several minutes and produce a much stronger answer.

When You Need To Reframe The Question

Occasionally you’ll realize the candidate understands the question differently than you intended.

When that happens, don’t assume they lack the experience.

Try reframing.

For example:

Instead of:

Try:

Sometimes the issue isn’t the candidate.

It’s the question.

When You’ve Heard Enough

Interviewers often allow conversations to continue long after they’ve gathered the information they need.

This creates two problems:

• Valuable interview time gets consumed

• Candidates spend time discussing topics that no longer provide additional signal

If you’ve gathered sufficient evidence, move on.

Respecting time is part of running a strong interview.

Interruption Isn’t The Problem

Poor interruption is the problem.

Candidates generally don’t mind being redirected when:

• Expectations were set upfront

• The interviewer is respectful

• The purpose is clear

Most candidates would rather have a focused conversation than spend ten minutes discussing something that isn’t relevant.

Questions Worth Asking

• Is the candidate answering the question?

• Do I need to redirect or reframe?

• Have I gathered enough information?

• Am I managing the conversation effectively?

Key Takeaway

Strong interviewers don’t control conversations. They guide them. Knowing when to redirect, reframe, or move on helps create better interviews and better hiring decisions.

Common Interview Biases (And How to Reduce Them)

No interviewer is completely objective.

Every person brings experiences, assumptions, preferences, and biases into the interview process.

The goal isn’t eliminating bias entirely.

The goal is recognizing it and reducing its impact on hiring decisions.

The Halo Effect

The Halo Effect occurs when one positive characteristic influences your overall perception of a candidate.

For example:

A candidate worked at a prestigious company.

Attended a well-known school.

Has an impressive title.

Because of that, you begin assuming they’re strong in unrelated areas.

Sometimes they are.

Sometimes they aren’t.

The Horn Effect

The Horn Effect is the opposite.

One negative characteristic influences your overall perception.

Perhaps a candidate struggled with an early question.

Had an awkward introduction.

Or made a mistake during a presentation.

That single moment can unfairly shape the rest of the interview if you’re not careful.

Similarity Bias

People naturally connect with people who remind them of themselves.

Shared backgrounds.

Shared interests.

Shared experiences.

The danger is that familiarity can be mistaken for capability.

A candidate shouldn’t receive a higher evaluation simply because you enjoy talking to them.

First Impression Bias

Many interviewers form opinions surprisingly quickly.

Sometimes within minutes.

The challenge is that first impressions are often incomplete.

The purpose of the interview is to gather evidence.

Don’t let your conclusion arrive before the evidence does.

Recency Bias

Candidates interviewed most recently are often remembered more clearly.

This is one reason strong note-taking matters so much.

Memory isn’t always a reliable evaluation tool.

The Best Defense Against Bias

Most bias mitigation strategies ultimately point to the same solution:

Structure.

• Clear success criteria

• Consistent questions

• Good note-taking

• Multiple interviewers

• Evidence-based evaluation

• Structured debriefs

Perfect objectivity isn’t realistic.

Greater consistency is.

Questions Worth Asking

• What evidence supports this conclusion?

• Am I reacting to one answer or the full interview?

• Would I view this candidate differently if their background were different?

• Am I evaluating capability or familiarity?

Key Takeaway

Bias is a normal part of human decision-making. Strong interviewers acknowledge it, account for it, and build processes that reduce its impact.

Diversity, Equity, and Fair Hiring

Discussions about diversity and hiring can become surprisingly polarized.

In my experience, the best approach is usually the simplest one.

Create a fair process.

Give qualified people opportunities.

Evaluate candidates consistently.

And hire the best person for the role.

Diversity And Merit Are Not Opposing Ideas

One misconception I frequently encounter is the belief that diversity initiatives and merit-based hiring are somehow in conflict.

They shouldn’t be.

A strong hiring process widens access to opportunity while maintaining consistent evaluation standards.

The goal isn’t lowering the bar.

The goal is ensuring everyone has a fair chance to clear it.

Opportunity And Outcome Are Different

Organizations have significant influence over opportunity.

They have much less control over outcomes.

For example:

If every candidate entering your hiring process comes from the same school, industry, geography, or network, you may unintentionally be limiting access to talent.

Expanding sourcing strategies can help create a broader and more diverse candidate pool.

What happens after that should be determined through a fair and consistent evaluation process.

Culture Fit vs Culture Add

I’m generally cautious about the phrase “culture fit.”

Too often it becomes:

That’s not what hiring should be optimizing for.

A better question is:

Strong organizations hire people who align with core values while bringing different experiences, perspectives, and ideas.

Every hire changes culture.

The question is whether they’re helping evolve it in the right direction.

Consistency Matters

The strongest defense against unfair hiring decisions isn’t a slogan.

It’s consistency.

When candidates are evaluated against the same criteria, using the same standards, hiring outcomes become more defensible and more equitable.

Questions Worth Asking

• Are we creating fair access to opportunity?

• Are we evaluating candidates consistently?

• Are we hiring for culture add rather than sameness?

• Are our standards applied equally to all candidates?

Key Takeaway

Fair hiring isn’t about lowering standards. It’s about creating consistent opportunities, evaluating candidates objectively, and making decisions based on evidence rather than assumptions.

How to Run Better Hiring Debriefs

The interview itself doesn’t make the hiring decision.

People do.

And the quality of that decision is often determined by the quality of the debrief.

Unfortunately, many hiring debriefs are little more than a group of people sharing opinions.

Someone says they liked the candidate.

Someone else says they didn’t.

The most senior person weighs in.

A decision gets made.

The problem is that opinions aren’t always useful.

Evidence is.

Strong hiring debriefs are structured discussions focused on determining whether a candidate is likely to succeed in the role.

Start With The Scorecard

The scorecard should anchor the conversation.

Not personal preferences.

Not first impressions.

Not comparisons to other candidates.

A useful way to structure a debrief is by reviewing each competency, responsibility, or success criteria from the scorecard and asking:

What evidence did we gather?

This shifts the discussion from opinions to observations.

Evaluate Candidates Based On What You Were Asked To Assess

Every interviewer should have a purpose.

The recruiter may have evaluated motivation and alignment.

The hiring manager may have assessed accomplishments and decision-making.

A technical interviewer may have validated capability.

A leader may have explored judgment and long-term potential.

Different interviewers should have different perspectives.

In fact, that’s the point.

The goal isn’t for everyone to reach the same conclusion.

The goal is for everyone to contribute a different piece of the puzzle.

Let Everyone Speak

Every interviewer should contribute before a decision is made.

Not just the hiring manager.

Not just the executive.

Not just the loudest person in the room.

The person who spent forty-five minutes evaluating a specific competency may have insights that nobody else gathered.

Strong debriefs create space for everyone to share their evidence.

Let The Most Senior Person Speak Last

This is one of the easiest ways to improve hiring decisions.

When a founder, executive, or senior leader speaks first, they can unintentionally influence everyone else in the room.

People begin adjusting their feedback.

Concerns go unspoken.

Disagreement becomes less likely.

Allowing everyone else to contribute first typically leads to more honest discussions and better decisions.

Separate Must-Haves From Nice-To-Haves

Not everything on a scorecard carries the same weight.

Some competencies are required for success.

Others are simply beneficial.

Before rejecting a candidate for a perceived gap, ask:

Is this a true requirement for the role?

Or:

Is this something we would simply prefer to have?

The answer often changes the conversation.

Consider What Can Be Taught

One mistake hiring teams make is treating every gap as a disqualifier.

Some skills are difficult to teach.

Others can be learned surprisingly quickly.

A useful discussion point is:

Does this candidate have the ability and willingness to learn what they don’t already know?

Learning agility, curiosity, and coachability are often more important than checking every box on a job description.

Challenge New Requirements

Occasionally someone will raise a concern that wasn’t included in the scorecard.

When that happens, ask:

Is this actually required for success in the role?

If the answer is yes, consider whether the scorecard should be updated.

If the answer is no, be careful about introducing new evaluation criteria late in the process.

Changing the rules mid-search rarely improves hiring outcomes.

Avoid Comparing Candidates Too Early

This is one of the most common mistakes hiring teams make.

Someone says:

Candidate A communicated better.

Someone else says:

Candidate B had stronger technical depth.

Both observations may be true.

But before comparing candidates against each other, evaluate them independently against the scorecard.

Otherwise, discussions can become focused on isolated strengths and weaknesses instead of overall likelihood of success.

The question isn’t:

Who was better at one thing?

The question is:

Who is most likely to succeed in this role?

Questions Worth Asking

• What evidence supports our conclusions?

• Did everyone have an opportunity to contribute?

• Are we evaluating against the scorecard?

• Are we separating must-haves from nice-to-haves?

• What can be taught versus what must already exist?

• Are we introducing new requirements?

• Are we evaluating candidates independently before comparing them?

Key Takeaway

Strong hiring debriefs are structured, evidence-based discussions. The best teams evaluate candidates against the scorecard, encourage every interviewer to contribute, and create space for healthy disagreement before making a hiring decision.

The Most Common Interview Mistakes

Most interviewing mistakes aren’t caused by bad intentions.

They’re usually caused by a lack of preparation, structure, or awareness.

The good news is that nearly all of them can be improved with practice.

Talking Too Much

One of the most common mistakes I see is interviewers doing most of the talking.

Candidates should generally be speaking far more than interviewers.

Your role is to guide the conversation, ask questions, and gather information.

Not deliver a monologue.

A useful rule of thumb:

If you’re speaking more than the candidate, you’re probably learning less than you could be.

Making Decisions Too Early

Many interviewers form opinions within the first few minutes.

Sometimes those opinions are correct.

Sometimes they aren’t.

The problem is that once we form an opinion, we often begin looking for information that confirms it.

Whether your first impression is positive or negative, resist the urge to make a decision too early.

Let the interview do its job.

Overweighting One Answer

Candidates are human.

Strong candidates occasionally give weak answers.

Weak candidates occasionally give strong answers.

A hiring decision should rarely be based on a single response.

Evaluate the entire body of evidence.

Asking Questions Without Knowing Why

Every question should have a purpose.

If a question doesn’t help you evaluate something important, consider removing it.

Candidates often judge the quality of an interview by the quality of the questions being asked.

Failing To Follow Up

Some interviewers ask good questions but never explore the answers.

A candidate mentions something highly relevant.

The interviewer acknowledges it and moves on.

That’s often where the most valuable information is hiding.

Bringing The Wrong People Into The Process

Not every top performer is a strong interviewer.

And not every strong interviewer is the most senior person on the team.

Interviewers represent your organization.

They influence candidate experience.

They influence hiring decisions.

And they influence employer brand.

Choose them carefully.

Ignoring Candidate Experience

Many organizations focus exclusively on evaluating candidates.

The strongest organizations remember they’re being evaluated too.

A poor candidate experience can cost you great hires long before an offer is extended.

Questions Worth Asking

• Am I speaking too much?

• Have I made a decision before gathering enough evidence?

• Am I evaluating the full interview or one answer?

• Does every question have a purpose?

• Are the right people involved in this process?

Key Takeaway

Most interviewing mistakes are preventable. Preparation, structure, curiosity, and discipline go a long way toward improving hiring outcomes.

Final Thoughts on Conducting Better Interviews

Interviewing is a skill.

Like any skill, it improves through practice.

The challenge is that most hiring managers receive very little training on how to do it effectively.

They’re expected to evaluate people, predict future performance, and make important hiring decisions based on a handful of conversations.

That’s not easy.

But it becomes much easier when interviews are approached with intention.

Throughout this guide, we’ve focused on a simple idea:

Great interviews are designed to gather evidence.

That means:

• Preparing properly

• Asking better questions

• Exploring answers more deeply

• Taking stronger notes

• Reducing bias

• Evaluating candidates consistently

• Creating a positive candidate experience

None of these ideas are particularly complicated.

The challenge is applying them consistently.

The best interviewers aren’t necessarily the most charismatic.

They aren’t the toughest.

And they aren’t the ones asking the most questions.

They’re the ones who consistently gather the information required to make informed hiring decisions.

Because at the end of the day, interviewing isn’t about catching candidates making mistakes.

It’s about understanding whether someone can succeed in the role, contribute to the organization, and help move the business forward.

And the better you become at gathering that information, the better your hiring decisions will become.