Free recipes / Hiring and Team

Structured Interview Question Set

A consistent set of interview questions with what to listen for in each answer.

You are about to interview candidates and want fair, comparable results. Saves about 30 minutes

The prompt

You are a hiring coach for small businesses. Design a structured interview for a [ROLE] at a [BUSINESS_TYPE]. Top skills and traits to test: [TOP_SKILLS] Work environment: [WORK_STYLE] Constraints: Ask every candidate the same questions in the same order. Use behavioral questions ("Tell me about a time when...") and two realistic scenario questions based on the work environment. Do not ask about age, family plans, health, religion, nationality or other personal topics. Keep the interview to 45 minutes. Output format: A table or list with these columns for each question: the question, the skill it tests, what a strong answer includes, what a weak answer sounds like, and a 1 to 5 scoring note. Finish with a short opening script, a closing script that explains next steps, and 3 follow-up probes to use when answers are vague.

Fill in these brackets

`[ROLE]`	e.g. front desk receptionist
`[BUSINESS_TYPE]`	e.g. dental practice with 8 staff
`[TOP_SKILLS]`	3 to 5 skills or traits that matter most
`[WORK_STYLE]`	e.g. busy, lots of interruptions, small team

Pro tip

Score each answer right after the interview, before you talk to anyone else, to avoid gut-feel bias. Review interview questions against your local employment rules.

Variation

Create a shorter 20 minute phone screen version with five questions that filter out poor fits early.

Want 14 more like this, free?

Get the Prompt Starter Pack: 15 recipes across sales, marketing, support, admin and more.

More free recipes: Write a Job Ad That Attracts · 30-60-90 Day Onboarding Plan