This guide covers what you need to know to interview and assess candidates for jobs at startups. It was created for TechStars to help participants in the accelerator make their first, critical hires.

2. Beforetheinterview
listofquestions
here
Createanoutline.Givesomecarefulthoughttothejobyouarehiringforandwrite
anup-to-datejobdescriptionlistingthejob'spurposeandfunctionalandsoftskill
requirements.
Writeyourquestions.Fromyourlistofrequiredskills,developpromptsthatask
applicantstodescribetheirrelevantexperiences.Askingallapplicantsthesame
questionsismoreeffectiveandreducesbiasinyourinterviews.We’vepulled
togetheracomprehensive youcanuseforreference.
Decidehowyou’llscorecandidates’responses.Startwithatleastthreescoring
categoriesforeachskillyouinterviewforanddefinewhateachmean:Below
Requirements,MeetsRequirements,andExceedsRequirements.Expandthese
threecategoriestofiveifyoulike.We’vedevelopedahandytemplateforyouto
workfrom .
Puttogetheraninterviewpanel.Choosetwotothreecoworkers(toomany,and
youriskoverwhelmingapplicants).Includepeoplewithdifferentperspectiveson
thejobandhiringprocess(likeapeer,amanager,andHR).
Considersharingtheinterviewquestionswithapplicantsinadvance.This
reducesstressandgivesthemachancetopreparerelevant,coherentexamples,
soyouknowwhatthey'recapableof.
Protips
Brush up on the STAR response method that candidates use to frame answers. You can even use it to
guide a response. Remember, you want to understand past performance of applicants, not just whether they
interview well—and seeking clarifying information is ok. Here’s what to expect:
S = Situation: Applicants will set the stage by describing a situation or challenge faced
T = Task: Applicants will describe what was required
A = Action: Applicants will cover the action they took to overcome the situation or challenge
R = Result: Applicants will let you know the outcome their action produced
Push yourself to evaluate “culture adds” and not just “culture fits.” Consider candidates who bring to the
table new perspectives or experiences that vary from those of your existing team. Those new perspectives
(even when challenging) can significantly impact moving the business forward.
Say hi
Ready for an edge in hiring
great teams? WhoCo has tools
to help you design and conduct
awesome interviews.

3. Ensureinterviewtimeisuninterrupted.Employmentdecisionsarelife-changing
andworthyofyourundividedattention.Remember,applicantsareinterviewing
you,too.
Beginwithintroductionsandwhattoexpect.Saywhoisintheroom,andhowit
willallgodown.Like,“We’llbetakingnotesonourconversation.We’llspendaround
20minutesonourquestionsandthentake10minutesforquestionsyoumight
haveforus.”
Gatherinformation.Haveinterviewerstakenotesoneachquestionandrate
responsesusingyourpre-determinedcategories(seeabove).
Givetheapplicantthefloor.Alwayssetasidetimefortheapplicanttoask
questionsandtooffersomebackgroundonyourcompany.
Duringtheinterview
Protips
EEOC’s complete list
Avoid prohibited topics. Don’t ask about applicants’ race, weight, religion, citizenship, marital status, children,
pregnancy, gender, and perceived disabilities. To fully familiarize yourself with what not to ask, check out the
.
Don’t just "have a chat." Unstructured interviews are less than half as predictive of future performance as
structured interviews (demonstrated across industry, time, job, and place). It’s okay to go off-script once in a
while, especially for clarifying information—but don't make it the whole thing. It seems friendlier, but it's more
likely to result in biased decision-making (not so friendly after all).
Say hi
Ready for an edge in hiring
great teams? WhoCo has tools
to help you design and conduct
awesome interviews.

4. When?Areyougoingtodebriefaftereachapplicantorforagroupof
applicants?Ifthepositionisopen-until-filled,youshoulddebriefaftereach.If
youhaveaclosedatefortherole,waittodebriefanddecideonceeveryoneis
done.
Scoring.Areyougoingtotakeanaverageofallratingsorreviewtheratingsand
cometoaconsensus?Ifthelatter,whosettlesanimpasse?
Aftertheinterview
Invitethepaneltoadebrief.Ifyou'reatadecision-makingpoint(i.e.,rejectingor
movinganapplicantforward)bringtheinterviewpaneltogethertowalkthrough
thecandidate'sscores.
Agreeonsomegroundrules.Dothisbeforeyoustartdebriefingtoensureyourun
afairandeffectiveprocess:
•
•
Decidewhotoadvanceandwhotoreject.Baseyourdecisionsontheratingsof
applicantsfromthedebrief.Remember,youmadeanefforttomeasurejob-related
skillsfromthestart—don’tundermineyourprocessnow.
Protip
Ensure the interview team is aware of biases. Cognitive biases can unintentionally enter the interview and
decision-making process. They include:
•
•
• there are quite a few!
Anchoring and confirmation bias. This means weighing one data point too heavily (e.g., “they dress nice so
they must be ok”) or ignoring evidence that conflicts with a first impression.
Like-me bias and in-group favoritism describe favoring people we socially identify with, which often
relates to legally-protected distinctions like race, gender, and religion.
These and many other cognitive biases ( ) can lead to an overly positive (halo effect)
or negative (horn effect) impression. Knowing they exist and designing a structured hiring process is your
best defense to hiring bias.
Say hi
Ready for an edge in hiring
great teams? WhoCo has tools
to help you design and conduct
awesome interviews.