Structured vs. Unstructured Interview: Which Type is Best?

Interviews are critical to hiring, qualitative research, and usability testing. They help organizations assess candidates’ responses, communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and suitability for a role. 

However, interview formats vary greatly, with structured and unstructured interviews being two of the most common. Understanding the difference between structured vs. unstructured interviews is essential to selecting the correct interview method based on job requirements and research objectives.

This blog dives into structured and unstructured interviews, highlighting their characteristics, advantages, disadvantages, and best use cases.

What is a Structured Interview?

A structured interview follows a standardized format. In this method, interviewers ask multiple interviewees the same set of questions in the same order. This method is commonly used in job interviews, research interviews, and usability testing to ensure that the data collected is consistent and comparable. 

Characteristics of a structured interview

Structured interviews follow a clear format, ensuring every candidate is evaluated under the same criteria.

1. Standardized interview format
2. The same set of questions for every candidate
3. Predefined evaluation criteria
4. No deviation or follow-up questions
5. Typically used in job interviews and research interviews

Advantages of a structured interview

Structured interviews provide a fair, unbiased, and efficient way to assess multiple candidates.

• Ensures consistency: Each candidate is evaluated using the same criteria, making it easier to compare candidate’s responses.
• Minimizes bias: Since the interviewer asks the same structured interview questions, personal opinions, and unconscious bias are reduced.
• Improves reliability: Data collected is more reliable and easier to analyze.
• Saves time: Less deviation means a time-efficient process.
• Enhances hiring success: Standardized job requirements improve the ability to predict job performance.

Disadvantages of a structured interview

Despite their advantages, structured interviews can be rigid and limit deep exploration of candidate responses.

• Limits flexibility: Interviewers cannot delve deeper into interesting responses.
• Restricts rapport-building: This makes assessing a candidate’s personality and interpersonal skills harder.
• Reduces adaptability: The lack of follow-up questions limits exploring specific problem-solving abilities.

Example of a structured interview

Structured interviews provide a clear format, making it easier to evaluate candidates systematically.

A hiring manager conducting an initial round of interviews asks:

1. “Can you describe a previous role where you demonstrated leadership?”
2. “How do you handle workplace conflicts?”
3. “What specific skills make you a strong candidate?”

Since all candidates are asked the same questions, their responses are evaluated consistently.

What is an Unstructured Interview?

An unstructured interview, also known as an informal interview, allows for flexibility in questioning and does not follow a strict format. The interviewer asks open-ended questions and follows the candidate’s responses, enabling a more natural discussion. 

Characteristics of an unstructured interview

Unlike structured interviews, unstructured interviews do not follow a fixed format and can vary widely between candidates.

1. No predefined interview format
2. Questions vary greatly between candidates
3. Follow-up questions are common
4. Allows for deep discussion
5. Used in qualitative research, informal interviews, and research questions

Advantages of an unstructured interview

Unstructured interviews provide deeper insights and allow candidates to express themselves more freely.

• Encourages thoughtful responses: Candidates share more about their opinions, soft skills, and problem-solving abilities.
• Builds rapport: The interview style helps establish trust.
• Dives deeper: Provides a more comprehensive understanding of human behavior.
• Allows adaptability: Enables the interviewer to tailor questions based on the candidate’s responses.
• Gathers rich qualitative data: Helpful for qualitative research and data collection.

Disadvantages of an unstructured interview

While flexible, unstructured interviews can introduce inconsistencies and biases in evaluation.

• Time-consuming: Since questions are not predefined, interviews take longer.
• Lacks consistency: Candidate’s responses cannot be compared as easily.
• Higher interviewer bias: The interviewer’s judgment may influence responses and evaluations.
• Unpredictable possible responses: Some data collected may be irrelevant or harder to analyze.

Example of an unstructured interview

Unstructured interviews create a more conversational atmosphere, allowing candidates to express themselves naturally.

A hiring manager might ask broad questions such as:

1. “Tell me about yourself.”
2. “What motivates you in a work environment?”
3. “Can you share a challenge you faced and how you handled it?”

Since unstructured interviews tend to be more exploratory, candidates can delve deeper into their experiences.

Difference Between Structured vs. Unstructured Interview

Structured and unstructured interviews differ in approach, consistency, and suitability for various contexts.

What are the Similarities Between Structured and Unstructured Interviews?

While different in approach, both interview types serve similar fundamental purposes in assessment and research.

• Both are part of the interview process.
• Both can be used for qualitative data collection.
• Both assess communication skills, interpersonal skills, and specific skills.
• Both help gather information about a candidate’s experience and job requirements.

When to Use Structured vs. Unstructured Interviews in Usability Testing

Understanding the right context for each interview type is essential for maximizing results in usability testing.

Use Structured Interviews When:

Structured interviews are best when consistency, reliability, and efficiency are key concerns.

1. You need standardized questions to compare multiple interviews.
2. Collecting data samples for usability research.
3. Evaluating job performance or candidate’s personality objectively.
4. Predicting hiring success with clear evaluation criteria.

Use Unstructured Interviews When:

Unstructured interviews work best when flexibility and deep exploration of user insights are needed.

1. You need deep insights into human behavior.
2. Exploring new research questions or conducting additional research.
3. You want to delve deeper into specific user experiences.
4. The goal is to collect rich, qualitative research data.

Conclusion

Structured vs unstructured interview is important in hiring, research, and usability testing. Structured interviews provide consistency, efficiency, and objective comparisons, making them ideal for standardized assessments. 

On the other hand, unstructured interviews offer flexibility and deeper insights into candidates’ personalities, problem-solving abilities, and communication skills. Choosing between the two depends on the interview’s goals, whether reliability and comparability are prioritized, and whether rich qualitative insights are needed. 

Organizations can make informed decisions to improve hiring outcomes, gather valuable research data, and enhance usability testing results by understanding their strengths and applications.

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