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What's the difference between structured and unstructured interview?

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Question added by Ehab Zaki I Certified HRBP , Senior HR Officer /HRBP , Mezzan Holding Group
Date Posted: 2015/06/05
umar sher
by umar sher , Manager operation , MTBC

structured interview is where set of questions are prepared prior to interview according to job analysis and they are asked to every interviewee

unstructured interview in not standardized,preparations related the interview are not made in advance.

hina riaz
by hina riaz , human resource executive , versay engineering ltd

structured interview is where set of questions are prepared prior to interview according to job analysis and they are asked to every interviewee while unstructured interview involves random questions that are asked according to resume and job description of the interviewee which are different for everyone and assessed individually.

 

Ahmed Gomaa
by Ahmed Gomaa , HR Senior Specialist , Saudi Arabian Engineering Co.

- Structured interviews are a fixed set of closed questions , which are easy to quantify – this means it is easy to test reliability of the candidate , unstructured interview is not.

- Structure interviews are not flexible. This means new questions cannot be asked , in unstructured interview is more flexible  as some questions can be adapted and changed depending on the answers of the interviewee.

Major questions of  the Structured interviews are " closed questions" , unstructured interview questions are usually " open- ended" questions,

As Saleh
by As Saleh , Recruitment Manager , Saudi House Recruitment

Organization interview be directly be faster decision-making

Either by the organization is the decision to take a long time and talk until the decision for adopting it

It would be interesting to know from which side? Employer or possible employee?

Sonya Belloumi
by Sonya Belloumi , Trademark Officer , Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property

Structured interviews work through a specific set of questions already set by  the HR department . The same questions get asked to all of the candidates as a kind of fair interview.However, unstructured interviews are less structured and candidates are asked individually: each one gets different questions and evaluation.

 

Farwah Batool
by Farwah Batool , Manager Human Resources , Bella View Lounge Boutique Hotel

A structured interview is the style of interviewing the candidates where each Interviewer or panel member has same set of Questions to be asked from all the candidates being interviewed for the same position. Although this style of Interview lacks free flow of Questions and Analysis from each interviewer and bounds them to stick with the format and doesn't allow them to discover each candidate's hidden talent (to perform better may be in any other domain) and highlight it during the assessment process to encourage him/her; still this format of Structured Interview ensures uniformity, justice, reliability and balance or precision at the time of calculation of interview scores.

 

Whereas, an unstructured Interview is the opposite style of structured interviews in which the interviewers can asked different set of Questions from each candidate depending upon their responses, their credentials, job requirements and overall the atmosphere set during the interview session. Although this a free style interview conduction and allows interviewer free hand to go into details and conduct different levels of interviews with different candidates as far as the difficulty level is concerned; still it lacks precision, reliability when it comes to creating a benchmark or balance between the candidates performance during the interview sessions.

HADIL AL GHAMDI
by HADIL AL GHAMDI , Operations Manager , Laboratory Systems - LabSystems

structured interview: formal interview, set of predetermined an prepared questions for all candidates, focus on education and past experience and achievements, recorded interview, not flexible format, quickly conducted , close ended questions

 

Unstructured interviews : casual interview, conversation format, the interview questions flow as the engagement of the interviewee, focus on personal qualities, more flexible interview format, consume more time, Open ended Questions.

Rameez Ahamed Puthiya Nalakam
by Rameez Ahamed Puthiya Nalakam , Human Resources Consultant , Bosq - Ergonomic Living

 

 

 

In a structured interview, each candidate is asked similar questions in a predetermined format.  Emphasis tends to be on your past experience and assets you can bring to company.  Typically, the interviewer records your answers, which are potentially scored on a standard grid.

Unstructured interviews are much more casual and unrehearsed.  They depend on free flowing conversation which tends to focus on your personal qualities as they relate to the work.  Questions about skills and strengths can be asked and should be answered as formally as in a structured interview

Ansu Malamparackal Cherian
by Ansu Malamparackal Cherian , Reinsurance Placement Officer , Crescent Global Services W.L.L

Structured interviews are more of formal interviews that are set in a standardized order. They are more of done through fixed schedules. They are easy to quantify and test for reliability of a candidate. It generally takes less time to conduct interviews as interviewer will be replicating the same set of questions and its easy to come to an conclusion as answers are compared here. Whereas Unstructured interviews are more of informal interview or a general conversation. They contain open ended questions and more flexible as questions are not fixed instead they can be adapted and changed depending on the respondents answers.  Unstructured interviews are better than structured interviews as the interviewer understands the candidates understanding about the subject and his/her intelligence on the topic although it can be more time consuming.

Charmaine Chavez
by Charmaine Chavez , Talent Acquisition Executive , The Ned Doha

There is a big difference in a Structured and Unstructured way of interviewing. In a structured interview, this is the other term for formal interview. Questions are usually close-ended, therefore, not flexible. You cannot also determine the behavior of a certain applicant for this type of interview since structured interview lacks of details as only closed questions are asked. 

However, in Unstructured interview or informal interview, interviewers may ask open-ended questions and can be asked in any order. Unstructured interview may probe or ask in-depth questions to know more about the applicant. 

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