Interviewing 101 for manager’s in 2025.

Hey Talent Trackers,

Firstly, apologies for no newsletter last week. I’ve been busy recording the first-ever episode of The Talent Track podcast! (Super excited to share more on that soon.)

For now, let’s dive into our main topic for this week: Interviewing 101 from a Manager’s Perspective. Sure, we talk a lot about how candidates should prepare, but as a hiring manager, you also need a solid strategy. The goal? Find the right fit and make a great impression.

Interviewing is a skill and one you should constantly improve.

A solid interview process isn’t just really a checklist; it’s a chance to see if the candidate’s values, skills, and personality actually matches with your team’s. Always remember: interviews are a two-way street. A messy approach can scare off top talent, no matter how great your team or company is.

So, even if you have been interviewing people for 20 years, it is imperative that we continuously improve here. At the end of the day, technologies change, generations are different and what worked 20 years ago, won't get you success today (ask any recruiter, they will do this constantly).

Ok, you want to improve, where do you start?

Some of the big picture is here and little by little we will dive into the different topics:

1. Create a structured outline
2. Ask realistic questions
3. Include a skills demonstration
4. Showcase culture
5. Gather feedback quickly and move through the stages

1. Structured frameworks.

Structured interviews can help you reduce unconscious bias and ensure you’re evaluating all candidates on the same criteria. Also, it will reduce your time to prep for interviews and make sure the feedback you get and that you provide is always on point. How do you do it?

• Identify the main competencies: List the top 3–5 skills/traits the role demands (e.g., problem-solving, leadership, collaboration).
• Create consistent questions: For each competency, come up with at least two scenario or behavioural questions.
• Create an interview scorecard: Define what a “1, 3, or 5” looks like for each competency so you and any co-interviewers can compare notes objectively.

2. Incorporate realistic scenario questions.

Traditional “Tell me about yourself” questions don't really cut it. Don't get me wrong, they are good to break the ice a bit but, they won't tell you much. Scenario-based questions will help you see how a candidate thinks and behaves in situations they’re likely to encounter on the job but, please be realistic, they likely will not have all the knowledge around how to solve all your teams' current issues so, good to keep the right expectations. Some ways to go about it:

• Focus on real challenges: List out typical scenarios in your workplace (e.g., last-minute client changes, tight deadlines, cross-team tensions).
• Frame the question: Ask the candidate to walk you through how they’d respond in that scenario step-by-step, including the rationale behind their approach. Use the STAR method but prepare candidates for this ahead of the interview: STAR method
• Look for problem solving and adaptability: Good answers focus on clear, methodical thinking and collaborative solutions.

3. Use tests or skill demonstrations (if relevant)

CVs and talk are cheap so, sometimes seeing someone solve a real problem (or close to it) gives you tangible proof of their abilities.

• Design small realistic tasks: If you’re hiring a marketer, have them draft a mini-campaign. For an engineer, a short coding challenge that mimics real code review. There are different options but, whatever you do, please keep in mind candidate's time.
• Time it right: Keep it short, something they can complete in under an hour for an initial round.
• Review with the team: Get feedback from teammates who can assess the candidate’s approach, style, and solution quality.

Some ideas:

• Codility / CodeSignal for Tech Roles
• MarketerHire’s Example Briefs for Marketing roles

4. Assess how you can add to the culture of your team and showcase it

If you are hiring only for “culture fit”, you will end up with a team of colleagues that all think the same and with no real diversity of thought. You want people who respect your core values and introduce fresh perspectives.

• Define values: Ensure you and your team know what your top values actually look like in action.
• Ask questions that can show values alignment: Pose questions like “Tell me about a time you had to question a manager’s decision, how did you handle it?”
• Check new angles: Notice if the candidate’s ideas, experiences, or approaches could fill a gap or bring a new viewpoint rather than simply mirroring your existing team.

5. Gather and compare feedback quickly

Delayed feedback leads to memory gaps and fosters bias as people tend to “fill in the blanks.” Quick, structured debriefs will help you finalise decisions while insights are fresh.

• Score immediately and log feedback: Right after the interview, each interviewer logs their impressions and scores in your ATS or form.
• Group debrief: Schedule a quick meeting (or Slack huddle) within 24 hours.
• Decision criteria: Align feedback with the interview scorecards and decide next steps. If you need a second interview, schedule it quickly to keep top candidates engaged.

That was a long one so something different here: Podcast Update!

I just wrapped up recording our very first Talent Track podcast episode, featuring a special guest who’s overseen hiring for global brands and has done it all. In the episode, we dig into real-world examples of successful interviews, cringe-worthy misses, and how to refine your candidate experience in general.

I’ll be sharing some shorts soon, so stay tuned if you want deeper insights on all things candidate experience.

Next week...

Next, we’ll flip the script and talk about Interviewing 101 from a Candidate’s Perspective.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you:

• What’s been your biggest interviewing challenge as a manager?
• Any tips or lessons you’ve learned the hard way?

Drop a comment or hit reply! Who doesn't love the gossip!

Thanks,

Jose Lazaro, Founder & Host, The Talent Track