When it comes to interviews, the method by which you conduct an interview can greatly influence the quality of the data you collect. It can also impact how the interviewee perceives the interview, company, and people involved in the process.
Two popular interview styles are structured and conversational.
So, what's the difference? And which is best?
Structured
A structured interview follows a pre-determined set of questions that are typically asked in a specific order. The interviewer may stick closely to a script and present more formally to the interviewee. Structured interviews aim to ensure that all candidates or participants are asked the same questions in the same way. This keeps the interviews fair and consistent allowing the interviewer to compare responses across candidates.
A con is that this is not a natural interaction and will be less likely to give you a sense of this person's goals, emotional intelligence, and values. This may not be a great way to assess cultural fit into a company, or how someone may present themselves in day-to-day interactions.
Conversational
Conversational interviews are perceived to be much more informal and natural. The interviewer may have topics or broad questions to discuss but keeps the conversation dynamic. These interviews are designed to be more like a dialogue, allowing for follow-up questions, exploration of new topics, and natural interactions.
The con of conversational interviewing is that there may be key details or questions that are overlooked. A specific topic that could provide great insight may have been missed. Since there are less structured questions being asked, information and conversations may differ greatly from one candidate to another, making it difficult to compare.
The difference between a structured and conversational interview is clear, but which one is best?
This will depend on the objective of the interview. Things like the interviewer, position in question, stage of the interview process, etc. may all change the objective and in turn, the interview style. Understanding the pros and cons of each will allow you to conduct the interview most efficiently for your goals.
Written by: Emily Onheiser, Senior Search Consultant at Hunter Crown, LLC
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