I’ve found that interviewing is where recruitment quietly unravels for a lot of people. Hiring managers pin their hopes on them, but too often they’re not planned properly.

Industry experience, education, gut feel – they all have their place, but none of them are solid predictors of success.

The critical factor is it being a structured interview. Yes, it can feel repetitive and boring. But asking the same questions, in the same order, for each job a candidate has held gives you a career trend line you can actually measure. It also means you can compare candidates honestly, side by side. The key is being systematic and consistent.

So what do you ask?

• Why did you choose to join the company?
• What was the job – what were you asked to do?
• What was the organisation structure – who were your staff, peers, manager?
• What results did you deliver in that role?
• Specifically, how did you achieve those results? (dig, dig, dig!)
• What was your biggest accomplishment or impact?
• What didn’t work?
• What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?
• What was your manager’s style and how did you work together?
• What will your manager say when I call them for a reference? (and if not, why not)
• What did you enjoy least and most about the role?
• How was the compensation structured?
• Why did you choose to leave?

Before you ask a single question, make sure everyone involved has agreed on a scorecard with five or six core competencies needed for success in the role. Then use the answers to score each candidate against those competencies.

For example, if you’re hiring a finance manager, your scorecard might include being methodical and meticulous (able to work through backlogs with care and accuracy) and being process-driven and tech-savvy (capable of improving systems and streamlining workflows).

You’re listening for evidence of those traits in their answers.

And one last tip: aim for three finalists. Four or more doesn’t usually give you better data, but it does slow things down and risks decision fatigue.

Simple, repeatable, and surprisingly effective.