Behavioral Interviews: 5 Reasons to use a Scorecard

First off, if you got to this post by typing the headline above into Google then you haven’t read our blog on Behavioral Interviews: FAQs. We will give you a few minutes to read it.

Done? Ok good, now your know what behavioral interviewing is and why you should be using this technique in every single interview you conduct! Hireology Product Development Director, Margot Baill, says the biggest mistake an interviewer can make is not scoring their interviews. A good scorecard will help you choose the right candidate to hire, here’s 5 reasons why you should always, always, score a behavioral interview.

Scorecards highlight behaviors that relate to success on the job

You already know (by reading the above blog post) that you should base your interview questions around the traits associated with those employees who show success in the position you are hiring for. A good scorecard will rate candidates higher if they display those key traits during an interview therefore predicting future success.

Scorecards rate candidates on their past and present behaviors 

Reason #4 is similar to #5 but instead of giving a score based on the position you are hiring for, it scores their past and present behaviors. An effective scorecard will give candidates a higher score if they have had success in their past and present positions because of the specific traits that made them successful like leadership skills, organization, and persistence.

Scorecards are based on sound research

If you’re not absolutely positive the scorecard you’re using is backed by research – don’t use it! Good scorecards have researched scoring algorithms that allow users to compare candidates and make the right hiring decision – based on the facts.

Scorecards minimize guessing

You know who you are… The interviewer who assumes the candidate will be a good fit. A.K.A the “gut feeling” hiring manager. A good scorecard takes the gut feeling out of hiring by rating each candidate based on their answers- not on their outfit, favorite sports team, college… you get the point.

Scorecards detect a lying candidate!

Hireology CEO, Adam Robinson, wrote a blog post last week on spotting lies on a resume, but what do you do if a candidate makes it to their in-person interview and might still be bluffing? You use a scorecard of course! An effective scorecard will unveil hidden lies by scoring the candidate’s answers based on the in-depth follow up questions you ask!

A behavioral interviewing scorecard is key to avoiding bad hires and making good hiring decisions. Hireology released their behavioral interviewing scorecards last year and have helped hundreds of hiring managers make better decisions. Isn’t it time you start scoring your behavioral interviews?

Bonus: Another reason to use a score card – because it helps you identify the four essential elements every candidate should encompass.