Interview Scorecard Template: Criteria, Rating Scale and How to Use It

An interview scorecard lists four to six criteria for the role, a rating scale with a description of what each rating means, and a place to record evidence for each score. Interviewers fill it in alone, straight after the interview and before any discussion, and the scores are compared in a debrief. The form works because it makes you decide in advance what good looks like and then record what you heard, so the decision rests on evidence instead of impression. Below is a template you can copy, with guidance on choosing criteria, writing anchors and combining scores.

A scorecard is the interview version of the screening scorecard, which does the same job for resumes.

Step 1: Choose four to six criteria

Take them from the job's real requirements, not from a generic list. For each, ask whether you can learn about it in an interview and whether it predicts success in this role.

Examples:

Check each criterion for overlap. If two are almost the same, merge them.

Step 2: Write rating anchors

A scale only works if each point is defined. Use five levels, or three if you want simplicity, and describe what each looks like in behaviour.

Write role-specific anchors for each criterion where you can. For example, for "handling escalations", a 3 might be "Resolved a serious complaint with a clear process", while a 5 might be "Redesigned the escalation process and reduced repeat cases".

Step 3: The template

Copy this structure.

Candidate: ____ Role: ____ Interviewer: ____ Date: ____

For each criterion:

• Criterion name
• Questions asked (list)
• Evidence (what the candidate said and did, in their own terms)
• Rating (1 to 5)

Overall:

• Strengths (two lines)
• Concerns (two lines)
• Recommendation: strong yes, yes, no, strong no
• One unanswered question to test in a later round

Add a note at the top: "Do not record age, family status, health, religion or other protected characteristics."

Step 4: Assign criteria to interviewers

Do not ask every interviewer about everything. Assign two or three criteria to each person, so that the whole set is covered and questions do not repeat. Share the assignments before the interviews, and give each interviewer the questions. See interview questions for hiring managers and structured interviews.

Step 5: Record evidence, not impressions

During the interview, take short notes of what the candidate said: actions, numbers, decisions. After it, write the rating with one or two sentences of evidence.

Good evidence: "Described rebuilding the refund process, reducing failed refunds from 2.1 to 0.6 percent; explained the trade-off with speed."

Poor evidence: "Seemed sharp and a good culture fit."

If you cannot cite evidence, the rating is a feeling. Pick a lower-confidence rating and flag it.

Step 6: Score before you talk

Each interviewer submits the scorecard before the debrief. This prevents anchoring on the first opinion. Then in the debrief, discuss criteria where scores differ and look at the evidence. See interview debrief meetings.

Combining scores

Keep it simple.

1. Average ratings per criterion across interviewers, and look at the spread.
2. Weight criteria if some matter more, and set the weights before the interviews.
3. Use the overall score to inform the decision, not to make it automatically.
4. Pay attention to any criterion rated 1, since a single serious gap may matter more than a high average.

Compare candidates on the same criteria, not on overall impressions.

Using it for fairness

A scorecard reduces the effect of bias by tying ratings to job-related criteria and requiring evidence. It does not remove bias, so check the outcomes. Over time, look at ratings and pass rates by group. See the four-fifths rule and AI bias in hiring.

Common mistakes

• Too many criteria.
• Anchors that are vague or undefined.
• Scoring after the discussion.
• Ratings with no evidence.
• Changing the criteria after meeting candidates.
• Using the form as a formality, with nobody reading it.

Where it fits

A scorecard follows resume screening and phone screens. See how to screen resumes and phone screen questions. In Resume World, team workspaces let reviewers record scores and notes against each candidate, and rubric calibration shows where reviewers differ. The practice matters more than the tool, though; a shared document works if everyone uses it.