When every interviewer judges something different, the loudest opinion wins. A scorecard gives everyone the same standard. Here is how to build one.
The problem with gut feel
Ask three interviewers what they thought of a candidate and you will often get three answers about three different things. One liked the energy, one doubted the technical depth, one was unsure about the fit with the team. None of them is wrong, and none of them can be compared.
What a scorecard is
A scorecard lists the four to six things the role needs, taken straight from the brief, with a short description of what weak, good and strong look like for each. Every interviewer scores the same things on the same scale, and writes down the evidence behind each score.
How to build one
- 1Take the outcomes and must-haves from the brief.
- 2Turn each into something you can observe in an interview.
- 3Write what a 1, a 3 and a 5 look like for each.
- 4Decide who covers which area, so interviews do not repeat each other.
- 5Score on your own, before the debrief.
Run the debrief on evidence
Collect the scores before anyone speaks, then talk through the differences. When two scores disagree, ask what each person saw.
The conversation moves from “I liked her” to what she actually did.
Decisions get faster, and fairer to every candidate.
Where to start
Building scorecards and training managers to use them is part of Build Right, our hiring process service. If your team keeps hiring the wrong people, it is usually the place to begin.
