Score every candidate on the same criteria
When each interviewer keeps their own notes, the debrief compares impressions that were never measured against the same list. A scorecard fixes the criteria and their weights before the first interview. Name four to six criteria for the role and give each a weight. You get a sheet to print for every interviewer, and a calculator that turns the ratings into one weighted score per candidate.
Criteria and weights: the weights should add up to 100
Ratings for up to three candidates
Candidate A
Candidate B
Candidate C
Private Names and ratings are added up inside your browser and are never sent anywhere. What you type is kept only in this browser so the page remembers it; “Clear” erases it.
How the weighted score is calculated
weighted score = sum of (rating × weight) ÷ sum of weights- With weights of 30, 25, 20, 15 and 10 and ratings of 4, 5, 3, 4 and 4, that is (120 + 125 + 60 + 60 + 40) ÷ 100 = 4.05 out of 5.
- Weights that do not add up to 100 still work: each counts as its share of the total. With no weights at all, every criterion counts the same.
- A candidate’s score is final once every weighted criterion has a rating; until then it is shown as “so far”. Ratings outside the scale are left out, and a note says how many.
The scale on the printed sheet reads: 1 is well below what the role needs, the middle value meets it, the top value is well above. The four-point scale has no middle on purpose, so the interviewer has to lean one way. A scorecard puts everyone’s ratings on the same footing; it does not replace the discussion. Agree what a 3 and a 5 look like for each criterion before the first interview, and have each interviewer fill in the sheet before the debrief.
Questions about the interview scorecard builder
What is an interview scorecard?
A one-page sheet that lists the criteria a role is judged on, each with a weight and a rating scale. Every interviewer rates every candidate on the same list, so the debrief compares like with like.
How many criteria should a scorecard have?
Four to six is what this builder is made for: enough to cover skills, the way of working and motivation, few enough that an interviewer can rate each one with evidence. If a criterion is not something you would turn a candidate down for, leave it out.
How do I choose the weights?
Give the most weight to what the person will do most of the time, and make the weights add up to 100 so each reads as a percent. Set them before you meet the first candidate; changing them afterwards to fit a favourite defeats the purpose.
How is the weighted score calculated?
Multiply each rating by the weight of its criterion, add the results and divide by the sum of the weights. Ratings of 4, 5, 3, 4 and 4 with weights of 30, 25, 20, 15 and 10 give 4.05 out of 5.
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