The Biggest Hiring Myth: Interviews Are Effective Without Structure
Many companies believe their interview process works, until bad hires or poor candidate reviews add up. Without structure, interviews are inherently biased, inconsistent, and inefficient. It’s time to challenge common interviewing myths and improve hiring practices.
Interviews are one of the most critical steps in hiring, yet they remain one of the least structured and most misunderstood aspects of talent acquisition.
For most organisations, interviews function as a black box – conducted behind closed doors with little visibility into what questions are asked, how candidates are evaluated, or whether the process is fair.
After years of experience in talent assessment, I’ve seen first-hand how common myths about interviews persist – the most prevalent of which is that unstructured interviews are an effective way to identify the best people for roles.
The reality is that most interviews aren’t well planned or executed. Many interviewers have little to no training on how to conduct effective interviews, practices are outdated and riddled with bias, and inefficiencies undermine hiring success.
Let’s examine six pervasive myths, the real challenges they create, and what HR teams can do to deliver better results for the business.
Myth #1: Gut instinct is the best hiring tool
Many interviewers believe they have a natural ability to gauge a candidate’s potential within minutes of an interview. While intuition plays a role in decision-making, relying too heavily on “gut feel” introduces unconscious bias and inconsistency.
Research shows that unstructured interviews – where interviewers ask different questions and make subjective judgments – lead to poor hiring decisions. These interviews fail to measure actual skills or potential, increasing the risk of costly mistakes.
Reality: A structured approach, where every candidate is asked the same job-relevant questions and evaluated against consistent criteria, significantly improves hiring accuracy. It ensures fair assessments based on the skills that matter.
Myth #2: If someone interviews well, they’ll perform well in the role
Some candidates are naturally charismatic and can handle interviews with confidence and ease. Others, who may be equally or more qualified, might struggle with nerves or be less comfortable with self-promotion and selling themselves.
Unfortunately, traditional interviews tend to reward confidence and performance over job capability. Interviewers may also favour candidates who remind them of themselves, reinforcing unconscious biases and limiting diversity.
Reality: Organisations should prioritise skill-based, job-related questions that prompt candidates to demonstrate how they approach different situations and handle real-world scenarios. By asking structured questions, interviewers get a much clearer picture of how an individual is likely to perform in the role, and be able to accurately compare responses from other candidates.
Myth #3: Clever interview tricks reveal true character
Some interviewers believe that unconventional questions or surprise tests – like the now-infamous “water test,” where a candidate is judged on whether they return a glass after being offered a drink – reveal hidden traits about a person. These techniques are often gimmicks. Not only can they create unnecessary stress and confusion for candidates, they are also extremely unlikely to predict an individual’s performance or potential in the job.
Reality: Not all questions or scenarios are relevant to job requirements. Assessing skills and cultural fit is important, and using scientifically validated questions that are proven to predict job performance and align with evaluation metrics is simply a better use of interview time.
Myth #4: Candidates prefer relaxed conversations over structured interviews
Many interviewers assume candidates prefer casual, free-flowing conversations over structured interviews. While relaxed discussions might feel more natural, they lack consistency, making it difficult to fairly compare candidates or assess true job fit.
When done correctly, structured interviews don’t have to be rigid or robotic. They should feel purposeful and engaging, ensuring candidates have a fair opportunity to showcase their skills.
Reality: Research shows that candidates value professionalism, respect for their time, and a well-organised process over an informal chat. Setting clear expectations, optimising speaking time, and providing timely feedback create an experience that candidates appreciate.
Myth #5: Interviewing is an art, not a science; a good interviewer doesn’t need to prep
Some interviewers believe their experience and intuition are enough to guide an effective interview, preparing questions on the spot, listening to candidates’ responses, and being in the moment. But without preparation, interviews become unfocused, resulting in unclear questions, missed opportunities to evaluate critical skills, and a poor candidate experience.
Reality: Science is reliable, predictable, and repeatable, and it can be applied to interviewing to deliver better hiring results. As part of structured interviews, interviewers need to review the job requirements, use a structured question set, and establish clear evaluation criteria before the interview begins. This ensures that every candidate is assessed fairly and that hiring decisions are based on objective insights.
Myth #6: Interviewing doesn’t need data – it’s about human judgment
Without insights backed by objective data, interviews and hiring decisions are highly subjective – HR teams are unable to track patterns, measure effectiveness, demonstrate the ROI or ensure consistency of their hiring practices. This lack of transparency not only increases bias but also results in missed opportunities to measure what’s working, what’s not, and how to improve the interview process.
Reality: By implementing structured interviewing, companies can track key metrics such as interview-to-hire ratios, candidate progression rates, and interviewer performance. These insights enable organisations to refine their hiring strategies, reduce bias, and ensure their interviews are truly predictive of job success.
The future of interviewing: smarter, fairer, more effective
It’s time to move beyond outdated myths and ineffective practices. Forward-thinking companies are using SHL’s Smart Interview Professional solution to deliver structured interviews at scale, as part of a more reliable, fair, and insightful approach to hiring.
Organisations that embrace structured interviewing and a continuous improvement mindset grounded in interviewing intelligence will not only make better, faster and more accurate hiring decisions but help ensure a stronger workforce built for future success.
Originally published on HR Magazine, https://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/content/insights/the-biggest-hiring-myth-interviews-are-effective-without-structure
