Interview scorecard template
Pick the competencies, set their weight and a 1-5 rating scale with anchors, then copy the scorecard to Google Sheets or print it.
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How to use the scorecard
- Fix the criteria before the first interview. Choose three to six competencies the job needs and agree on the weights while no candidate is in the room.
- Ask every candidate the same questions. The question under each competency stays the same for the whole pool, so the answers can be compared.
- Score each answer on its own, with evidence. Write what the candidate said, then match it to the closest anchor: 1, 3 or 5, with 2 and 4 in between.
- Score alone, then discuss. Every interviewer hands in a filled scorecard before the debrief, and the debrief looks at the large gaps first.
- Compare candidates side by side. Read the scores question by question across the pool, not one candidate at a time.
The research behind these steps: structured interview questions, behavioral interview questions and what reduces hiring bias.
Questions
What is an interview scorecard
A form every interviewer fills in for every candidate: the same competencies, the same questions and the same rating scale, with room for the evidence behind each score. It turns impressions into scores that can be compared across candidates.
What rating scale should a scorecard use
A 1 to 5 scale with a written example of what a 1, a 3 and a 5 answer sounds like for each competency. Anchors like these make interviewers rate the answer instead of the rapport, and they agree with each other more often.
Should interviewers discuss a candidate before scoring
No. Each interviewer scores every answer alone, with notes, before any debrief. Discussion first lets the most senior or the most confident voice set the score for everyone.
How do I use the scorecard in Google Sheets
Click Copy for Google Sheets, open a new sheet and paste into cell A1. The weighted score at the bottom is a live formula: fill in the Score column and it updates.