Share the rubric before the loop. A candidate who knows the shape of the test can meet you squarely. Describe the competencies you will measure and the scale you will use.
Use work samples that match the job, not puzzles that reward nerves over judgment:
- If the role writes code against a service boundary, ask for a small design and a short implementation at that seam
- If the role manages a team, present a messy calendar and a conflicting set of goals and ask for a plan that respects both people and outcomes
Calibrate interviewers with recorded exemplars. Collect a small library of answers, anonymized and varied, that cover the range from weak to strong. Sit as a panel and score them together. The goal is not unanimity. It is a shared understanding of what each rung means so that two interviewers a month apart do not grade on different planets.
Reduce noise:
- Keep interviews at humane lengths
- Avoid marathon days for roles that do not require endurance as a skill
- Respect time zones and caregiving schedules
- Offer a break and mean it
- Provide accommodations without making a candidate ask twice
When a candidate shares context about a disability or a need, treat it as ordinary information, not an exception.
Ask follow"‘ups that invite depth. A good follow"‘up begins with curiosity rather than suspicion. "Tell me how you chose that tradeoff, and what you would do if the constraint changed." Press gently on the edges. You are not looking for a perfect path, you are watching how a person thinks when the path bends.
Take notes in the language of behavior. "Designed X under Y constraint, considered A and B, picked A for these reasons, measured Z after launch." Notes written this way help the debrief escape bias and memory. In the debrief, keep to the rubric. Anchor each vote to evidence from the conversation. If someone speaks in generalities, ask them for a sentence that describes what they saw.
Close quickly, even with a no. Silence is not neutral. If the candidate asks why, explain in a way that gives them something to carry forward. "Your experience in systems design is strong. The role requires deep practice with incident response at scale, which we did not see. If you build that muscle over the next months, we would be glad to speak again." Words like that cost little and pay back into the market you will hire from for years.
Case notes
Structured interviews with shared rubrics improve signal and reduce bias. Work"‘sample tests that mirror the job predict performance better than trivia or brainteasers.