Unstructured Interview

What is an Unstructured Interview?

An unstructured interview refers to an interview type where the interviewer doesn’t have a fixed set of questions. 

Under this format of an interview, the interviewer forms and asks questions on the spot to the interviewee. The interviewer relies on the spontaneity of questions and asks whatever they find relevant to gather more information about the candidate accordingly.

Types of Interviews

There are a lot of different ways to conduct interviews such as group interviews, video interviews, and individual interviews. However, all these can be categorized down into three different types of interviews which are-

Structured Interview- Structured interview refers to an interview where the interviewer has a set of standardized questions with themselves. The interviews assess the candidate on the basis of those pre-determined questions.

Unstructured Interview- Unstructured interview refers to an interview where the interviewer doesn’t have a set of questions with them. They focus on forming and asking questions according to how the candidate responds to them.

Semi-structured Interview- As the name suggests, it can be said to be a mix of an unstructured and structured interview. Under this format, the interviewer has some guide that helps them move forward with the interview process. However, they also like to introduce different conversations in the interview according to how the candidate responds to them.

How is an Unstructured Interview different from other interviews?

Here are some of the key differences between unstructured and structured interviews.

Unstructured Interview	Structured Interview
The questions asked in such interviews are not set in advance.	The interviewer has a pre-determined set of standards beforehand.
It focuses on the qualitative side of the candidate.	It focuses on the quantitative side of the candidate.
Such interviews have open-ended questions and can take any direction that the interviewer wants.	Such interviews have close-ended questions and stick to a particular topic for discussion.
It is used to get to know the candidate on a more personal level and see if they are a good fit for the job or not.	It is used when the job demands qualified people and the pool of candidates is large.

How does Unstructured Interview help in hiring?

Unstructured interviews can prove to be a great way of hiring if carried out properly. 

Unstructured interviews help in getting the qualitative things about the candidates and help in getting to know the candidates in a better way. 

Here are some of the advantages of unstructured interviews:

• It helps in learning about the strengths and weaknesses of the candidates on a deeper level.
• Since the questions are flexible, it leads to open communication and allows the interviewer to take the interview in any direction, they want. It allows the interviewer to get the information they want and see if the candidate is a good fit or not.
• It helps the interviewee to get relaxed and answer without any stress. It helps them in being more confident and answer all the questions related to them or their work more carefully and in a better way.
• It minimizes the possibility of miscommunication as the interviewer can ask about the topic in-depth and unfold different layers about that particular something.

We hope this blog helps you in getting a deeper understanding of unstructured interviews. For more such informative blogs,