REASON: The best way to ensure everyone is evaluated the same way against the same criteria (i.e. fair, consistent, compliant) is to predefine the questions before interviewing the first candidate. Be specific, specifying the wording and the answers or type of answers the organization is looking for in a response. Without guidelines or with only general guidelines (like ‘ask about their sales techniques’), interviewers may change the phrasing of questions based on assumptions of the person they are talking to. The phrasing will affect the response which could put some applicants at a disadvantage. For example, imagine an interviewer using softer more empathetic language when interviewing a woman for a leadership role, then evaluating that woman as not being authoritative enough for the position. Standardizing the questions will reduce the challenges of accidentally influencing the responses.
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