Free template
Structured interview plan
Most early-stage processes are a sequence of conversations with the same shape. This template forces each stage to test something the previous one did not, names an owner, and fixes what the candidate is told at every step.
Who fills it in
Hiring manager, with whoever schedules and whoever runs each stage.
How long it takes
About an hour once per role type, then reusable.
Reviewed
15 August 2026 by Joseph Edney, Managing Director, Humand Talent Solutions.
When to use it
Use it when
- You are about to open a role and the process is “we will chat and see”.
- Different candidates in the same search have had noticeably different processes.
- Interviewers keep covering the same ground and nobody tests the hard part.
What good looks like
- Every stage has one owner and one primary thing it tests, written down before the first candidate.
- No two stages test the same thing; the hardest question about the role is tested somewhere explicitly.
- Each stage states what the candidate is told beforehand, so the process is fair and repeatable.
- The number of stages matches the seniority of the role, not the number of people who want to be involved.
Common mistakes
- Adding a stage because someone wants to meet the candidate. Meeting the team is legitimate — label it as that, not as an assessment.
- Running a take-home exercise with no agreed time limit or feedback path.
- Leaving the scheduling owner unnamed, which is where most days are lost.
- Designing five stages you cannot service. A shorter process you can run this month beats a perfect one you cannot.
The template
Anything you type stays in this browser tab. It is not saved, sent to us or added to the link, so it is safe to put real salary numbers and colleagues’ names in. Closing the tab clears it — copy or print before you go.
Process basics
Set it as a commitment to the candidate, not an aspiration.
Whichever stage tests this is the one that matters most.
The stages
Fill a row per stage. If two rows test the same thing, merge them or change one.
| Row | Owner | What it uniquely tests | Format and length | Told in advance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | ||||
| Stage 2 | ||||
| Stage 3 | ||||
| Stage 4 (optional) | ||||
| Stage 5 (optional) |
Before the first candidate
The thinking behind it
- Interview scorecards small teams can actually runA lightweight structured interview framework for startups: four criteria, defined evidence, independent scoring and a decision rule agreed up front.
- Building an evidence-based technical interview scorecardA practical way for small teams to score technical interviews: four to six dimensions, each mapped to a stage and to the evidence that proves it.