March 25, 2023

The Ultimate Scoring Card: How to Devise an Effective Scoring System

Scoring Card

The hiring process in general depends a lot on decisions taken by individuals on gut feelings and hunches but if one stage is mostly gut feelings, it is the evaluation process stage. Having been involved in rigorous interviewing processes myself, our team usually struggled with making sure that the candidate's qualifications are up there with what s/he claims in the resume. Read what you can do to stay safe from fraudsters claiming big on their resumes and not having anything to show close to what they mentioned there.

It's quite a task to not be too impressed with what someone says on paper and stay true to what you find during the interviews, whether technical ones or behavioral. Devising a standardized method to assess candidates can be tricky and will take insights from someone who knows in and out of hiring.  

Why do you need a scoring sheet?

Scoring Sheet

A scoring sheet is a standardized scoring system used for evaluating and assessing candidates and then comparing the findings to shortlist the ones who excelled in the hiring process. Some of the major benefits of a standardized interview scoring sheet are discussed below.

Objectivity & Standardization

When conducting job interviews, it's important to ensure that all candidates are evaluated based on the same set of criteria to reduce the risk of subjective biases affecting the hiring decision (read more about the challenges faced by hiring teams while recruiting). A scoring sheet is a tool that can help with this process by providing a standardized framework for evaluating candidates based on specific job-related competencies and skills.

By using a scoring sheet, interviewers can ensure that all candidates are asked the same set of questions and evaluated based on the same criteria. This helps to eliminate potential biases that may arise if interviewers are left to evaluate candidates based on their own personal preferences or subjective opinions.

For example, an interviewer may be unconsciously influenced by a candidate's appearance, personal background, or communication style, which can affect their evaluation of the candidate's qualifications for the job. However, with a scoring sheet, the interviewer is prompted to focus on specific job-related criteria such as technical skills, work experience, and problem-solving ability, which helps to reduce the impact of personal biases on the hiring decision.

Consistency

When multiple interviews are conducted for the same job position, it's important to ensure that all candidates are evaluated through a standardized and  consistent rating system to avoid any potential biases or inconsistencies in the hiring process. A scoring sheet can help with this by providing a standardized evaluation framework that can be used consistently across multiple interviews and interviewers.
With a scoring sheet, each candidate is evaluated based on the same set of predetermined criteria, ensuring that they are all evaluated in a consistent and objective manner. This helps to eliminate any potential biases that may arise from interviewers evaluating candidates differently based on their personal preferences or experiences.

Streamlined Interviews

A scoring sheet can help interviewers save time by providing a clear and structured framework for evaluating candidates, which reduces the need for extensive note-taking during the interview. With a scoring sheet, interviewers can focus on asking the candidate relevant questions and evaluating their responses based on pre-determined criteria, rather than trying to take detailed notes on everything the candidate says. See how you can go prepared in the interviews setting and deciding upon criterium beforehand to avoid any trouble.

By reducing the need for extensive note-taking, a scoring sheet can help interviewers stay fully engaged with the candidate and ensure that they are asking relevant and insightful questions. This can help to create a more positive and engaging interview experience for both the interviewer and the candidate, while still ensuring that all relevant information is recorded for later evaluation.

Focused Findings

Focused Findings

A scoring sheet helps interviewers stay focused on the key job-related competencies and skills they are looking for in a candidate, rather than being distracted by irrelevant factors.

Accountability

One of the key benefits of using a scoring sheet during the interview process is that it provides a record of the evaluation process. This record can be used to increase transparency and accountability in the hiring process, which can be important for legal and ethical reasons.

The Rating Scale

Rating Scale

During the evaluation phase, there is a need to score candidates upon various attributes and skills. However, not everything on an interview scorecard sheet can be scored using a single scale and there may be situations where an interviewer may want to score a candidate using different scales. In my experience, I had to use these 2 scales and mostly never needed another one.

1 to 5 Scale

There are areas where we needed a scoring scale of 1 to 5, 1 being the worst score and 5 being the best. Mostly technical areas need to be scored using 1 to 5. For instance, we used this scale while evaluating a candidate for his technical abilities like Python, Databases, React, Problem Solving, etc.

Yes/No Scale

Not everything can be put in numbers and sometimes an interviewer just has a gut feeling if someone is up to the mark or not. In these situations, interviewers prefer a simple Yes or No to score a candidate. Soft skills are mostly judged using this scale. For instance, someone is a team player or s/he is not and there is not much in between that you might to document, so the 1 to 5 scale doesn't work well.

The Scoring Rubric

A scoring rubric for interviews is a tool used by hiring managers or interviewers to evaluate job candidates during an interview process. The rubric typically consists of a list of criteria or competencies that are important for success in the position. Each criterion is assigned a rating scale, typically ranging from low to high, with specific behaviors or qualities associated with each level of performance.

During the interview, the interviewer will use the rubric to assess the candidate's performance in each of the identified areas and assign a score based on the level of performance demonstrated. The rubric can help ensure that all candidates are evaluated consistently and fairly, and can also provide a clear and objective way to compare candidates against each other. It can also help interviewers identify specific areas where a candidate may need additional development or training. In any evaluation process, there are mainly two types of rubrics used during the interviewing process. Read how you can go prepared in the interviews by planning and discussing what to ask and what to leave.

Behavioral Interview Rubric

A behavioral interview is where the interviewer asks questions that focus on the candidate's past experiences and behaviors in specific situations. The idea is that past behavior can be a predictor of future behavior, so by understanding how a candidate has handled different situations in the past, an employer can better assess how they might perform in the position they are interviewing for.

Behavioral interview questions typically start with phrases like "Tell me about a time when..." or "Can you describe a situation where..." and require the candidate to provide a specific example of a past experience. The questions are designed to elicit information about the candidate's skills, abilities, and personal qualities, such as their communication skills, problem-solving abilities, decision-making skills, and teamwork and collaboration.

The main goal of the behavioral interview process is to check whether a candidate aligns with the company culture or not and to also rate a candidate's soft skills.

The behavioral interview rubric typically includes a set of scoring criteria or competencies that the interviewer is looking for in the candidate's responses, and a rating scale to assess the level of performance demonstrated in each area.

The following are some possible criteria that may be included in a behavioral interview rubric.

Situation/Task: Did the candidate provide a clear and specific description of the situation or task they encountered?

Action: Did the candidate describe the actions they took in response to the situation or task? Did they explain their decision-making process?

Result: Did the candidate describe the outcome of their actions? Was the result positive, and did it demonstrate the candidate's abilities and skills?

Communication: Did the candidate communicate clearly and effectively in their response? Did they actively listen to the interviewer's questions and respond appropriately?

Problem-solving: Did the candidate demonstrate effective problem-solving skills in their response? Did they identify the key issues and develop a plan of action to address them?

Leadership: Did the candidate demonstrate leadership qualities in their response? Did they take charge of the situation and guide others toward a positive outcome?

Some examples of behavioral interview rubrics are given below.

Individual Traits
Communal Traits
Red Flasg

Technical Interview Rubric

A technical interview is a job interview that assesses a candidate's technical knowledge and job-related skills related to the job they are applying for. Technical interviews are commonly used in fields such as software engineering, data analysis, and IT, where specific technical skills and knowledge are essential.

In a technical interview, the interviewer will typically ask questions related to the candidate's technical expertise and experience, such as coding exercises, problem-solving questions, or case studies. The interviewer may also ask questions related to the specific tools, languages, or technologies that the candidate will be working with if hired.

The goal of a technical interview is to assess the candidate's ability to apply their technical knowledge and skills to real-world scenarios and to determine if they have the expertise needed to succeed in the role.

The technical interview rubric typically includes a set of criteria or competencies that the interviewer is looking for in the candidate's responses to technical questions, and a rating scale to assess the level of performance demonstrated in each area.

The following are some possible criteria that may be included in a technical interview rubric.

Technical Skills: Does the candidate have a strong technical understanding of the specific tools, languages, or technologies required for the job?

Problem-Solving: Is the candidate able to identify the key issues and develop a plan of action to address them? Are they able to explain their thought process and methodology clearly?

Analytical Skills: Does the candidate demonstrate strong analytical skills in their approach to technical problems? Are they able to identify patterns and trends in data?

Adaptability: Is the candidate able to adapt to new technologies, tools, or methodologies? Are they able to learn quickly and apply their knowledge to new situations?

Some examples of technical interview rubrics are given below.

Basic Programmin Grip
Web Learning

Building a Fair and Objective Scoring Sheet: Key Considerations

The following things should be kept in mind while building a scoring sheet for an interview process.

Define the criteria

When evaluating candidates for a job, it is important to have a clear understanding of the criteria that you will use to evaluate their qualifications, experience, and suitability for the position. The scoring criteria should be based on the requirements of the job and could include factors such as technical skills, communication abilities, problem-solving skills, leadership abilities, cultural fit, and more.

Develop a rating scale

Developing a rating scale that aligns with the criteria you defined is essential to evaluate candidates effectively and fairly. A rating scale is a system that is used to rate a candidate's performance against the criteria defined. You might go with the 1 to 5 rating scale or a simple yes/no scale for your rating system.

Provide examples

Provide examples of what would constitute an excellent or poor performance in each criterion to help the interviewer understand the criteria and the rating scale.

Ensure objectivity

The scoring sheet should be designed to provide an objective evaluation of the candidate. Avoid using vague or subjective criteria, and focus on objective factors that can be assessed consistently across all candidates.

Include space for comments

Include space for comments, so that the interviewer can provide additional information or justification for their ratings. This can help to provide a more complete picture of the candidate's performance.

Test the scoring sheet

Test the scoring sheet to ensure that it is effective and easy to use by the hiring team. Make any necessary adjustments based on feedback from interviewers or other stakeholders.

What is Hirecinch and how does it solve the problem of scoring candidates?

Hirecinch is an Applicant Tracking System that offers all-in-one hiring software for businesses of all sizes generally and for small businesses especially. The platform is designed to help employers attract high-quality candidates, evaluate them collaboratively, and ultimately find the right fit for their team.

The platform offers a range of tools to help employers create and post job listings, as well as reach out to candidates directly through email campaigns and social media channels. This helps businesses to increase their candidate pool and find the best fit for their open positions.

Hirecinch has a thorough scoring system that lets the user create scorecards for each hiring phase containing multiple sections and subsections on which the candidate can be evaluated. It lets the user use very easy to understand scoring criteria (Yes/No and 1 to 5 score). Each team member can score the candidate and then the score will be calculated as a cumulative answer using all those scores.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

What is an interview scoring sheet?

An interview scoring sheet, also known as an interview evaluation form or assessment form, is a tool used by interviewers and hiring managers to evaluate and compare candidates based on specific criteria or requirements for a job.

What is the 90/10 rule in interviewing?

The 90/10 rule in interviews is a principle that suggests the interviewer should do 90% of the listening and only 10% of the talking during an interview. The idea behind this principle is to allow the candidate to do most of the talking, which gives the interviewer an opportunity to learn as much as possible about the candidate's qualifications, experience, and suitability for the position.

By asking open-ended questions and encouraging the candidate to talk about their experience and accomplishments, the interviewer can gain valuable insights into the candidate's skills, work style, and communication abilities. This approach also helps to build rapport with the candidate and creates a more positive and engaging interview experience.

What does Matrix mean in an interview?

In an interview context, a matrix is a tool used to assess and compare candidates against multiple criteria or requirements for a job. It is a table or spreadsheet that lists the various criteria for the position, with the candidates' names or identifiers listed along the top or side of the matrix.

Each cell in the matrix represents the intersection between a particular candidate and a specific criterion. The interviewer or hiring manager can use the matrix to score each candidate's performance against each criterion and compare their performance across all criteria. The matrix allows the interviewer to identify strengths and weaknesses in each candidate's performance, and to make informed hiring decisions based on objective criteria.

What is a 1 to 5 rating scale?

A 1 to 5 rating scale is a commonly used scoring system for evaluating performance or assessing skills in various contexts, including interviews, job evaluations, and surveys.

In a 1 to 5 rating scale, the individual being evaluated is given a score ranging from 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest score and 5 being the highest score. The rating scale typically includes descriptive terms or phrases that correspond to each score, such as:

  • 1: Poor or unsatisfactory performance
  • 2: Below average or needs improvement
  • 3: Average or meets expectations
  • 4: Above average or exceeds expectations
  • 5: Excellent or outstanding performance

What is a Yes/No rating scale?

A Yes/No rating scale is a simple rating system that consists of only two possible response options: "yes" or "no". This scale is commonly used to evaluate basic yes or no questions or to make binary decisions in a variety of contexts, including job interviews, surveys, and performance evaluations.

What is an interview rubric?

An interview rubric is a tool used to evaluate a candidate's performance during a job interview. It is a structured and objective way of assessing the candidate's responses and behaviors based on specific criteria or requirements for the job. The rubric typically includes a set of predetermined criteria, such as technical skills, communication abilities, problem-solving skills, and cultural fit, and provides a framework for evaluating the candidate's performance against each criterion.

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Hirecinch is one of the best applicant tracking system I have used ever, literally my my job easier

Hirecinch is one of the best applicant tracking system I have used ever, literally my my job easier

Hirecinch is one of the best applicant tracking system I have used ever, literally my my job easier

Hirecinch is one of the best applicant tracking system I have used ever, literally my my job easier

Hirecinch is one of the best applicant tracking system I have used ever, literally my my job easier

Hirecinch is one of the best applicant tracking system I have used ever, literally my my job easier

Hirecinch is one of the best applicant tracking system I have used ever, literally my my job easier