What Are Three Differences Between a Structured Interview and an Unstructured Interview?

Choosing between the structured interview and unstructured interview format can be tricky for the hiring manager. These formats have differences in preparation, types of interview questions used, and the candidate experience. A structured interview format requires thorough preparation and uses standardized questions to check how the candidate meets the formal criteria. On the other hand, the unstructured interview method feels more like a conversation and reveals the candidate's personality in the first place.

Keep reading to explore differences between the structured and unstructured interviews and choose the best type of interview process for your company.

Why Choosing the Right Interview Format Matters

When conducting interviews, you want to gather detailed information about each candidate, assess their skills and qualifications, and evaluate cultural fit. The type of interview you choose (structured or unstructured interview) will impact the outcomes of your hiring, so you want to choose carefully.

For example, structured interviews use the same questions asked in the same order to screen applicants. These questions are usually standardized and allow for easy qualitative data collection to compare candidates. This makes structured interviews perfect when you need to assess hard skills of candidates, have a large pool of applicants, or when meeting formal criteria for the job is more important than evaluating the personality or cultural fit of job candidates. Such interviews use formal interview questions for predicting job performance.

On the flip side, unstructured interviews use open-ended questions, and the hiring manager may ask different questions to each applicant. They focus more on assessing the candidate's personality, and approach to solving problems, and feel like an everyday conversation. Unstructured interviews also require preparation, but the discussion is more spontaneous. When interviewing candidates, the hiring manager might share their own experience, and ask follow-up questions based on the candidate's answers. This interview type is best when personality fit is paramount, for example, for senior leadership positions.

Choosing the right interview format can make or break your hiring process. But do you know the real differences? Read below to gain comprehensive understanding of each interview type and pick the right one for you.

Comparison Table: Structured vs. Unstructured Interviews

Quick Comparison Table