Structured Interview

Lesson: Interviewing ( structured).

Structured Interview | Definition, Guide & Examples

A semi-structured interview is a blend of structured and unstructured types of interviews. Semi-structured interviews are best used when:

You have prior interview experience. Spontaneous questions are deceptively challenging, and it’s easy to accidentally ask a leading question or make a participant uncomfortable.

Your research question is exploratory in nature. Participant answers can guide future research questions and help you develop a more robust knowledge base for future research.

The Difference Between Structured, Unstructured & Semi-Structured Interviews

Conducting interviews well takes skill and planning. Even those of us that are natural interviewers need to prepare, and a great place to start is by determining which type of interview you are going to give: structured, unstructured or semi-structured. Each type has advantages, and regardless of whether your interview is on the phone or in-person, knowing the type of interview you are conducting will help make it more successful.
Structured Interviews
What is a structured interview? In structured interviews, questions are planned and created in advance. All candidates are asked the same questions in the same order.
Since in structured interviews all the candidates are asked the same questions, it is easy to compare their answers and hire the right job candidate. You can evaluate candidates in an objective and fair way, which also makes structured interviews more legally defensible.
On the other hand, structured interviews are harder and more complicated to develop. You have to test them and make sure interviewers follow them precisely. You also risk your interview questions leaking out, which means future candidates can come prepared. Moreover, a one-size-fits-all interview can seem a bit cold and unpersonalised, making it harder to really get to know the candidate.