Chapter 16
Interviewing Techniques: Selecting the Right Candidate
Last reviewed 1 January 2026
Equal Opportunity Act, Chap. 22:03
Why This Matters
The interview is the most visible and consequential stage of the recruitment process. It is the point at which the employer forms a direct impression of the candidate and the candidate forms a direct impression of the employer and the business. For this reason, the interview must be structured, consistent, and legally compliant, not because process is an end in itself, but because an unstructured interview produces unreliable information, inconsistent comparisons between candidates, and a hiring decision that reflects the interviewer’s impressions rather than the candidate’s actual capabilities.
Under the Equal Opportunity Act (Chap. 22:03), the employer is required to ensure that the interview process does not discriminate on the basis of any protected characteristic. This means using the same question set for all candidates, scoring responses against objective criteria, and ensuring that every question asked in the interview relates only to the requirements of the role.
Structuring the Interview
A structured interview follows a consistent format for every candidate assessed for the same role. The question set is prepared in advance, based on the competencies and requirements defined in the job description. Every candidate is asked the same questions in the same sequence. Responses are scored against predefined criteria during or immediately after the interview, and those scores, along with brief notes supporting each rating, are retained as part of the recruitment record.
This approach produces three significant advantages. First; it allows genuine comparison between candidates, because every candidate has been asked to demonstrate the same competencies. Second; it reduces the influence of unconscious bias, the tendency to favour candidates who are similar to the interviewer in background, communication style, or personal manner. Third; it produces a documented record of the basis for the hiring decision, which is the employer’s primary defence in the event of a complaint under the Equal Opportunity Act (Chap. 22:03).
Types of Interview Questions
1. Behavioural Questions
Behavioural questions are based on the principle that past behaviour is the most reliable predictor of future behaviour. They ask the candidate to describe a specific situation they have encountered, the action they took, and the outcome that resulted. The standard framework is the Situation-Action-Result (SAR) model. A strong response identifies a concrete situation, describes the candidate’s specific action, not the team’s action or what the candidate would hypothetically do, and articulates a clear outcome. Weak responses are vague, hypothetical, or describe the candidate’s general approach rather than a specific instance.
2. Situational Questions
Situational questions present the candidate with a hypothetical scenario relevant to the role and ask how they would respond. They are particularly useful for assessing judgment, problem-solving approach, and values in candidates who are earlier in their careers and may not yet have directly relevant experience to draw on for behavioural questions. The scenario should be realistic and drawn from challenges the role actually encounters.
3. Technical Questions
Technical questions assess the candidate’s knowledge of and proficiency in the specific skills, tools, systems, or subject matter the role requires. They should be drawn directly from the job description and reflect the actual technical demands of the position. For roles requiring professional qualifications, technical questions should explore not just whether the candidate holds the qualification but how they have applied the relevant knowledge in practice.
Behavioural Question Bank by Competency
The following question bank provides ready-to-use behavioural interview questions organised by competency. Select two to three questions per competency that are most relevant to the role being filled. Use the same questions for every candidate interviewed for the same position. All questions follow the SAR framework and invite the candidate to describe a specific past experience.
| Communication |
|---|
| Tell me about a time when you had to explain a complex or technical matter to someone without a background in that area. How did you approach it and what was the outcome? |
| Describe a situation in which you had to deliver difficult or unwelcome news to a colleague, client, or manager. How did you handle it? |
| Give me an example of a time when a miscommunication created a problem in your workplace. What happened, what did you do, and what did you learn from it? |
| Problem-Solving and Initiative |
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| Tell me about a time when you identified a problem or inefficiency in your workplace before it was raised by others. What did you do? |
| Describe a situation in which you had to make a decision without having all the information you would have liked. How did you approach it? |
| Give me an example of a time when a plan or project did not go as expected. How did you respond and what was the result? |
| Teamwork and Collaboration |
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| Tell me about a time when you had to work closely with someone whose working style or approach was very different from your own. How did you manage the relationship? |
| Describe a situation in which your team faced a significant challenge or deadline. What was your role and how did you contribute to the outcome? |
| Give me an example of a time when you had to put the needs of the team ahead of your own preferences or priorities. |
| Leadership and Accountability |
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| Tell me about a time when you took ownership of a problem that was not strictly your responsibility. What happened and what was the outcome? |
| Describe a situation in which you had to lead or influence a group of people without having formal authority over them. How did you approach it? |
| Give me an example of a time when you made a mistake at work. How did you handle it and what did you do differently afterwards? |
| Adaptability and Resilience |
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| Tell me about a time when your priorities changed significantly at short notice. How did you manage the transition? |
| Describe a situation in which you had to continue performing under sustained pressure or during a period of significant change. How did you maintain your effectiveness? |
| Give me an example of a time when you received critical feedback on your work. How did you respond and what did you do with the feedback? |
| Integrity and Professional Judgement |
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| Tell me about a time when you were asked to do something at work that you felt was not the right approach. What did you do? |
| Describe a situation in which you had to maintain confidentiality under pressure. How did you handle it? |
| Give me an example of a time when you had to balance competing interests or demands that were in tension with one another. How did you reach a decision? |
What Not to Ask
The following categories of questions are prohibited under the Equal Opportunity Act (Chap. 22:03) because they invite information about protected characteristics that have no bearing on the candidate’s ability to perform the role. Asking these questions, even informally or as casual conversation, creates legal exposure for the employer regardless of the intent behind them.
| Category | Prohibited Questions | Why It Is Prohibited |
|---|---|---|
| Family and Marital Status | Are you married? Do you have children? Are you planning to start a family? | Disproportionately affects female candidates · No bearing on job performance |
| Age | How old are you? When did you graduate? | Protected characteristic under the Equal Opportunity Act (Chap. 22:03) |
| Religion | What religion do you practise? Do you observe religious holidays? | Protected characteristic · Frame around availability for specific working requirements instead |
| Nationality / Ethnicity | Where are you really from? What is your background? | Protected characteristic · Right to work may be verified through documentation |
| Health and Disability | Do you have any medical conditions? Have you had significant illness? | Health information is not appropriate at the pre-employment interview stage |
| Financial Status | Do you have debt? What is your financial situation? | Irrelevant to job performance in all but a narrow category of regulated roles |
The discipline required is to keep the interview focused entirely on whether the candidate has the skills, experience, and competencies to perform the role. Every question asked should be traceable to a requirement in the job description. Anything else is irrelevant, and asking about it carries legal risk.
Practical Insight: Employer Risk The most common interview compliance failure is not a deliberate discriminatory question; it is a conversational question asked informally, often at the beginning or end of the interview, that inadvertently solicits protected information. “So, are you local?” “Do you have family here?” “What does your partner do?” These questions feel like small talk but they introduce protected characteristics into the assessment. If the candidate is subsequently unsuccessful, any one of these questions can form the basis of a complaint under the Equal Opportunity Act (Chap. 22:03). The safeguard is straightforward: train every person who conducts interviews on what may and may not be asked, and open every interview with the structured question set rather than unscripted conversation. |
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Making and Documenting the Hiring Decision
The interview evaluation forms provide the raw material for the hiring decision, but the decision itself requires a structured comparison across all candidates assessed. This is particularly important where two or more candidates have performed strongly, where scores are close, or where the hiring manager and another interviewer have formed different views.
The recommended approach is to convene a brief debrief session involving all interviewers immediately after the final interview, while assessments are fresh. Each interviewer presents their scores and supporting notes for each competency. Where scores differ significantly, the interviewers should discuss the specific evidence that led to each rating, not advocate for their preferred candidate, but align on what the evidence shows. The final decision should be based on the aggregate competency scores, weighted toward the competencies most critical to the role, and documented in a hiring decision record.
Where the preferred candidate’s scores are close to those of another candidate, the hiring decision record should clearly articulate the specific factors that distinguished the selected candidate. This documentation is the employer’s primary protection in the event of a complaint by an unsuccessful candidate under the Equal Opportunity Act (Chap. 22:03).
Tip: Hiring Decision Record Always document the basis for the final selection decision in writing before the offer is made. A hiring decision record need not be lengthy, two to three sentences explaining why the selected candidate best met the requirements of the role is sufficient. What matters is that the reason is grounded in the competency evidence gathered during the interview, not in impressions, instinct, or personal rapport. Retain this record alongside the interview evaluation forms on the recruitment file. |
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Reference Checks: Verifying What the Interview Cannot
The interview assesses how a candidate presents themselves and how they respond to structured questioning. It cannot verify whether the candidate’s account of their experience is accurate, how they actually performed in a previous role, or how a former employer assessed their conduct and reliability. Reference checks fill this gap, and they are one of the most consistently underused tools in the recruitment process.
A meaningful reference check goes beyond a courtesy call that confirms dates of employment. It should be conducted as a structured conversation with a person who directly managed the candidate, not a peer or HR administrator, and should be focused on the specific competencies and requirements of the role being filled. Where a reference raises concerns, those concerns should be explored, documented, and weighed against the interview evidence before an offer is made.
What You May and May Not Ask a Former Employer
Reference checks are subject to the same equal opportunity principles that govern the interview. Questions should relate to the candidate’s job performance, professional conduct, reliability, and suitability for the role. Questions about personal characteristics, age, health, family status, religion, or ethnicity, are not appropriate in a reference check and should not be asked. Former employers are not obligated to provide a reference, and many will confirm only dates of employment and job title as a matter of policy. Where this is the case, it is worth noting, but it does not in itself indicate a concern.
Template – Reference Check Record
Conduct a structured reference check for the preferred candidate before making an offer. Record all responses during the call and retain the completed form on the recruitment file. Conduct reference checks by telephone where possible, written references are often more guarded and less informative than a direct conversation.
| Candidate Name | |
|---|---|
| Position Applied For | |
| Referee Name | |
| Referee Job Title | |
| Organisation | |
| Relationship to Candidate | Direct Manager □ Other □ (specify): _______ |
| Date of Reference Check | |
| Conducted By |
| Question | Response and Notes |
|---|---|
| Can you confirm the candidate’s job title and dates of employment? | |
| What were the candidate’s primary responsibilities in that role? | |
| How would you describe the candidate’s overall performance? | |
| What were the candidate’s greatest strengths in the role? | |
| Were there any areas where the candidate needed to develop or improve? | |
| How did the candidate respond to feedback or direction? | |
| How did the candidate interact with colleagues, managers, and clients? | |
| Was the candidate’s attendance and reliability satisfactory? | |
| Would you re-employ this candidate if the opportunity arose? If not, why not? | |
| Is there anything else you would like to share that would help us assess the candidate’s suitability for this role? |
| Overall Reference Assessment | Positive □ Mixed □ Concerns identified □ |
|---|---|
| Concerns (if any) and Action Taken | |
| Recommendation | Proceed with offer □ Further investigation required □ Do not proceed □ |
Template – Interview Evaluation Form
Use this form for every candidate interviewed for the same role. All interviewers should complete their own form independently before comparing assessments. Completed forms must be retained as part of the recruitment file for a minimum of twelve months following the hiring decision.
| Candidate Name | |
|---|---|
| Position Applied For | |
| Interview Date | |
| Interviewer(s) |
| Competency | Rating (1–5) | Supporting Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Relevant Skills and Technical Knowledge | ||
| Relevant Experience | ||
| Communication and Presentation | ||
| Problem-Solving and Judgment | ||
| Attitude and Professionalism | ||
| Alignment with Role Requirements | ||
| Overall Score | /30 |
| Recommendation | Proceed to offer □ Second interview required □ Unsuccessful □ |
|---|---|
| Notes in support of recommendation |
Tip: Consistency in Practice Use the same structured question set for every candidate interviewed for the same role. Where a panel interview is used, assign each panel member responsibility for a specific competency area so that the assessment is thorough and no single interviewer’s impression dominates the outcome. Brief all interviewers before the session on the prohibited question categories and on the scoring criteria, so that every assessment is conducted on a consistent and legally defensible basis. |
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PART VI
Managing Performance, Building Relationships, and Resolving Workplace Issues