Interviews at Google

Did you ever wonder what a job interview at Google is like? How does Google manage to choose the top talent in their interviewing process?

Their big secret is called - structured interviewing.

According to Google, structured interviewing simply means using the same interviewing methods to assess candidates applying for the same job.

Structured job interview definition by Google

Google defines structured interviewing as using the same interview questions, grading candidate responses on the same scale, and making hiring decisions based on consistent, predetermined qualifications.

Structured interviewing is a process where candidates are asked a consistent set of questions and clear criteria are used to assess the quality of responses. Structured interviews are used all the time in survey research.

The idea is that any variation in candidate assessment is a result of the candidate’s performance, not because an interviewer has higher or lower standards, or asks easier or harder questions.

Why does Google use structured interviews?

Research shows that structured interviews can be predictive of candidate performance, even for jobs that are themselves unstructured. The benefits of structured interviewing, including increased predictive validity and reduced adverse impact, have been well documented by academic research over the last 20 years.

Google's hiring team decided to experiment with a structured interviewing and they found that:

• Structured interviews are better at indicating who will do well on the job
• Interviewers are happier and saving time
• Structured interviews make candidates happier as well.

Why don’t you use structured interviews?

Why don’t more organizations use structured interview questions?

Well, they are hard to develop. You have to write them, test them, and make sure interviewers stick to them.

Research has also shown that interviewers generally think they’re good at interviewing. Surely many of them like to think they’re excellent judges of character.

But when it comes to hiring, trusting your gut can be detrimental. Research shows that during first encounters we make unconscious judgments heavily influenced by unconscious biases and beliefs.

Using structured interviews in your hiring process can help you choose the best candidates and ensure a better candidate experience.