Interviewers use an interview scoring sheet (sometimes referred to as scorecard or matrix) to grade and compare candidates after interviews. You can dramatically improve your interview scores by delivering answers which exceed the recruiters expectations. This article explains how recruiters score your interview answers, and how you can influence these scores.

How do recruiters score my interview answers?

Most companies use an interview scorecard or matrix which scores the candidate’s interview answers, qualifications and experience against the role criteria. This enables the company to compare candidates, whilst avoiding subjective opinions such as personal bias, personal preference and initial impressions, ensuring the hiring process is fair and objective.

An interview scorecard provides a consistent rating system against the essential and desirable criteria for the role, which can usually be found in the job description. Most interview scorecards assign one mark for each question about your technical skills, experience and knowledge. One mark for each competency or behavioural question, and one mark for cultural fit (how well you will fit in with the company culture and the current team). A scorecard usually includes space for the recruiters thoughts and impressions on each candidate and an overall score.

Some companies may add additional scores for certain questions such as the value you can bring to the role (based on your expertise and past results), and may assign scores based on the impression of your soft skills (e.g. communication, teamwork, first impressions, how well you build rapport etc) portrayed through your interview answers.

Recruiters do not usually score your answers to general interview questions, such as “tell me about yourself” and “why do you want to work for us?” individually, although they may contribute to your overall interview score.

How do recruiters assign interview scores?

Most companies use a scoring scale which covers 0-5, or 1-5 against the role criteria. Some companies assign double weighting to the essential skills/experience in the job description and single weighting to the desirable criteria, which helps them to narrow down the best candidates. Here is a typical scoring matrix:

• 5 Perfect answer/example, highly relevant, addressing all points.
• 4 Very good relevant answer / example, covering all or most points.
• 3 Average answer / example covering relevant points.
• 2 Some examples provided covering some points, but not all relevant.
• 1 A few good points but main issues are missing. No answer / example or an irrelevant answer provided.
• 0 No answer / example or an irrelevant answer provided.
  

Some large companies score answers against their competency framework. Typically, a director is operating as 5/5, a high performer, manager or technical expert as 4/5, an average professional working independently at 3/5, someone working under close supervision (e.g. a school-leaver) as 2/5. Rating employees against a competency framework is less common than the 1-5 scale above, as it is difficult for interviewers who are not familiar with the competency framework to quickly score candidates.

The scores are then added together to arrive at an overall interview score. Usually, the role will be offered to the candidate with the highest overall interview score, unless the interviewers have specific concerns about this candidate.

How can I maximise my interview scores?

In order to maximise your interview scores, focus on preparing examples of the technical skills and competencies / behavioural questions, as this is where you have the greatest opportunity to improve your interview scores. Whilst it is worth practicing some common interview questions, these have much less impact on your final interview scores.

Focus on the content of your answers rather than how you deliver your answers

Often, people are concerned by how fluently (or concisely) they deliver their interview answers, rather than how powerful their examples are. Recruiters score the content of your answers, rather than how fluently you deliver them. If you deliver a word-perfect, but inadequate answer you are likely to score 2/5, whereas an excellent example which isn’t delivered as well is likely to score 4/5. You can increase your interview score by ensuring you have identified your best examples, before you start improving the delivery of your answers.

Choose your best examples

A typical day-to-day example averages 3/5 for an experienced professional and 2/5 for a junior candidate. An excellent answer will score 4/5 or 5/5 (although 5/5 is unusual, below director level). Choosing your best examples can increase your interview scores by one or two points per answer, which can increase your final interview score by 10-15 points, potentially more if some answers are double weighted, dramatically increasing your final interview score.

Recruiters are looking for high achievers who can evidence their success with metrics such as revenue generation, cost / time savings, process improvements, key projects, awards and recognition. Great examples have a wider impact on the business, customers, other departments or your colleagues. They may have been rolled out throughout your site or other sites, or held up as best practice and adopted by other organisations.

Directly answer the question

You can increase your interview scores by carefully listening to the question and ensuring you directly answer this. If the recruiter asks for an example of communication skills, and you provide an excellent example of teamwork, this is likely to be scored as 0, as it the answer was irrelevant. Recruiters score your answer against the question they asked and do not usually transfer your answers between competencies unless you are extremely lucky!

If you plan your answers in advance, you will need to tweak your answers to ensure they directly answer the question. It is easy to answer the question you’d prepared, rather than the question you were asked. You can increase your interview scores by directly answering the question, as a less relevant example is likely to lose 1-2 marks.

Practice using the STAR technique

The STAR technique is a story telling technique which ensures your examples contain the required information. Your STAR based examples need to be specific examples, meaning they refer to a particular time, project or people. Often people give general examples saying what they usually do, or would do in a situation, which is likely to score 0 as it doesn’t provide any evidence. A couple of low or zero scoring answers will severely impact your interview score.

Usually a recruiter will ask prompting questions if you forget part of your STAR answer, and this will not impact your interview score, however some companies do not prompt candidates and an incomplete answer can cost you several points. Learning to use the STAR technique effectively can significantly improve your interview score. You can find further information and tips on using the STAR technique in this blog post.

Would you like to improve your interview skills and confidence? You can find further information on the interview coaching page of my website. I offer a discounted interview skills package, or single sessions. Please contact me, and I’ll be pleased to discuss how I can plan a session to help you.