A well-designed AI interview is the difference between noisy data and clear hiring signals.
Start with the End in Mind
Before configuring your interview, answer these questions:
- What must this person be able to do on Day 1? These are your non-negotiable criteria.
- What skills can be learned on the job? These are nice-to-haves, not dealbreakers.
- What does failure in this role look like? This helps you identify red flags.
Structure Your Interview
A good AI interview follows a natural flow:
- Warm-up — Easy questions to help the candidate settle in (2–3 minutes)
- Experience deep-dive — Explore relevant background and achievements (5–10 minutes)
- Skills assessment — Role-specific technical or competency questions (5–10 minutes)
- Scenario questions — “How would you handle…” situations (3–5 minutes)
- Candidate questions — Let the candidate ask about the role and company
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Don’t overload with criteria. 5–7 evaluation criteria is the sweet spot. More than that dilutes the signal and makes scores less meaningful.
Test your own interview. Before going live, complete the AI interview yourself. You’ll immediately spot questions that are confusing, too vague, or don’t add value.
