3 free interview templates and questions to find top talent

A successful interview doesn’t just start with a great question, it starts with a solid plan. Without a clear framework, interviews can easily veer off track, leading to inconsistent assessments and overlooked red flags. That’s why more hiring teams are turning to structured interview templates.

An interview template acts as a roadmap, helping HR professionals and hiring managers stay focused, ask the right questions, and fairly evaluate every candidate. Whether you’re filling a single role or scaling up fast, using a consistent format across interviews leads to better decision-making, more equitable hiring, and ultimately, stronger teams.

In this guide, you’ll find expert-backed tips, downloadable templates, and sample questions to ask that are both efficient and effective.

What is an interview template?

An interview template is a structured document that outlines the key components of a job interview, including the questions to ask, criteria for evaluation, and space for interviewer notes. It serves as a standardized guide that helps ensure every candidate is assessed using the same criteria, no matter who is conducting the interview.

Instead of relying on memory or improvisation, interviewers use templates to stay organized and aligned with the specific requirements of the role. This not only improves consistency across the interview process but also supports fair and objective hiring.

Depending on the role and stage in the interview process, templates can include different question types (behavioral, situational, technical, etc.) as well as a scoring system or rubric. Some interview templates also include sections for candidate information, interviewer introductions, and next steps, helping to streamline the entire interview process for both the interviewer and the candidate.

Benefits of using an interview template

Interview templates do more than keep conversations on track. They create a more structured, fair, and repeatable hiring process. Here are some of the key advantages of using a template:

1. Enhanced efficiency

With a pre-built template, interviewers spend less time preparing and more time focusing on the candidate. Interview templates eliminate the guesswork, making it easier to stay on schedule and conduct more productive job interviews.

2. Improved consistency

Using the same set of questions and evaluation criteria for every candidate helps ensure a level playing field. Templates reduce variation between interviewers and promote a fairer, more reliable comparison of applicants.

3. Better candidate evaluation

Templates provide space for clear documentation and structured scoring, which makes it easier to reflect on interviews, revisit notes, and make informed hiring decisions based on evidence, not just gut instinct.

4. Reduced bias

Standardized formats help remove subjectivity by focusing evaluations on predefined job requirements. This minimizes the influence of unconscious bias and supports more equitable hiring practices.

5. Stronger collaboration

When multiple people are involved in hiring for the same job, templates create a shared framework that makes it easier to align on expectations, compare feedback, and reach consensus as a team.

What to include in an interview template

A strong interview template strikes a balance between structure and flexibility, helping interviewers stay focused while still adapting to candidate responses. While the exact format can vary based on the role, these key elements should be included in any effective template:

1. Job-specific questions

Tailor questions to the responsibilities and skill requirements of the position. This helps determine whether candidates have the practical knowledge and experience needed to succeed in the role.

2. Behavioral and situational prompts

Incorporate open-ended questions that explore how a candidate has handled past challenges or how they might respond in hypothetical scenarios. These questions reveal problem-solving abilities, teamwork skills, and alignment with your company culture.

3. Role expectations and context

Include a brief section outlining the position’s core duties, performance goals, and team structure. This ensures consistency in how the role is presented and allows candidates to respond with relevant examples.

4. Scoring or evaluation criteria

Define a clear rubric or rating scale to guide how responses are assessed. Whether it's a numeric score or qualitative rating, this helps standardize evaluations across interviewers.

5. Space for interview notes

Provide room for detailed notes on each response and overall impressions. This makes it easier to revisit candidate answers and provide informed feedback during hiring discussions.

How to create an interview template: 4 steps

Building an effective interview template takes more than copying a list of questions. It requires aligning the structure with your company’s goals, role expectations, and candidate experience. Here’s a step-by-step approach to creating an interview template that works across teams and hiring scenarios:

Step 1. Define the role requirements

Start by reviewing the job description and identifying the key responsibilities, technical skills, and soft skills required for the position. Be specific. This will serve as the foundation for your interview questions and evaluation criteria.

Step 2. Develop key question categories

Organize your interview questions into categories like technical expertise, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. Include a mix of behavioral, situational, and role-specific prompts to create a complete picture of each candidate.

Step 3. Align with organizational culture

Design questions that reflect your company’s values and ways of working. Ask how candidates approach collaboration, adapt to feedback, or navigate challenges. This helps assess whether they’ll thrive in your environment.

Step 4. Review and test the template

Before rolling it out company-wide, test the template with a few mock interviews or real hiring rounds. Gather input from interviewers, adjust any unclear sections, and ensure the format supports consistent and fair assessments.

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3 types of interview templates

Not all interviews follow the same format, and your templates shouldn’t either. Whether you're conducting an initial phone screen, final panel interview, or an employee exit conversation, having the right structure can make all the difference. Below are three types of interview templates, each suited to different stages and purposes in the hiring lifecycle.

Interview guide template

An interview guide template is a comprehensive guide through an entire interview. It serves as a step-by-step playbook for interviewers, especially useful for structured interviews or panel discussions.

Interview notes template

An interview notes template is a more general form that helps interviewers capture key takeaways during and after a conversation. This format is ideal for maintaining consistency across hiring panels and simplifying post-interview evaluations.

Exit interview template

Exit interviews, like all employee engagement surveys, offer valuable insights into employee experience, team dynamics, and potential areas for improvement. A good template ensures these conversations are constructive and consistent.

4 tips to use interview templates

Having an interview template is just the start. How you use it makes all the difference. The following tips can help your hiring team make the most of each template, ensuring a smoother process and more accurate candidate evaluations.

1. Ensure familiarity with the template

Before conducting interviews, make sure all participants have reviewed the template and understand how to use it. A quick walkthrough can help align expectations, clarify scoring methods, and prevent confusion during the interview itself.

2. Adapt questions to candidate responses

While structure is important, don’t treat the template as a script. Use it as a foundation, but stay flexible. Ask thoughtful follow-ups when a candidate gives an interesting or unexpected answer to dig deeper into their experience.

3. Maintain consistency in evaluation

Templates are most effective when everyone uses them in the same way. Stick to the same core questions and rating criteria across interviews for a given role. This ensures fairness and makes it easier to compare candidates side by side.

4. Gather feedback after interviews

Encourage interviewers to provide feedback while the conversation is still fresh. Use the notes and scoring sections in the template to document insights clearly. Afterward, review how well the template worked and adjust if certain questions felt redundant or unclear.

5 interview questions for better hiring

The right interview questions help reveal more than what’s on a resume. They offer insight into how candidates think, solve problems, and approach their work. While every role requires its own set of tailored prompts, these core questions can be adapted across industries and functions to help you make more informed hiring decisions.

1. What strategies do you use to prioritize your tasks?

This question highlights how a candidate manages their workload, organizes competing deadlines, and balances short- and long-term responsibilities. Look for answers that demonstrate planning, adaptability, and a clear method for staying focused under pressure.

2. What’s the biggest contribution you made in your last position?

This allows candidates to showcase a meaningful achievement while giving you insight into what they consider impactful. It also reveals how they measure success and whether their strengths align with your team’s goals.

3. How do you manage stress at work?

No role is without pressure. This question explores how candidates respond to challenges, maintain productivity, and handle high-stress situations.

4. How do you envision a typical day in this position?

A useful way to gauge how well candidates understand the role, this question also helps surface expectations or assumptions that may need clarification. It can reveal whether their vision aligns with your workflow and team structure.

5. How has your education prepared you for this role?

This question is especially helpful for early-career candidates. It encourages them to draw connections between their academic background and real-world job requirements, showcasing relevant knowledge, research, or training experiences.

Streamline hiring processes with Rippling

Interview templates are only effective if your team can access, use, and adapt them with ease. That’s where Rippling comes in.

Rippling’s all-in-one workforce management platform empowers HR teams to create and manage structured interview forms, interview guide templates, and interview notes templates—all in one place. Whether you're hiring your first employee or fine-tuning your hiring process, Rippling gives you complete control over how interviews are run across departments and roles.

With Rippling Recruiting, you can:

• Automatically assign interview templates to hiring workflows

• Share role-specific interview questions and scoring rubrics with your team

• Collect and centralize interview feedback instantly using customizable interview forms

• Keep interview notes organized and accessible for faster decision-making

• Streamline your onboarding with onboarding checklists and benefits administration

Ready to bring structure, speed, and intelligence to your hiring process? Explore Rippling's recruitment management software to see how you can put interview templates and the entire hiring lifecycle on autopilot.

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Interview template FAQs

What are the main advantages of using an interview template?

Interview templates help standardize your hiring process, ensuring every candidate is evaluated fairly and consistently. Whether you're using a comprehensive interview guide template, a simple interview notes template, or an exit interview template, these tools streamline preparation, reduce bias, and support better hiring decisions.

How can templates enhance interviewer consistency?

Templates ensure that each interviewer follows the same structure, asks the same core questions, and evaluates candidates using the same criteria. This is especially helpful when multiple team members are involved in hiring.

What factors should be considered when customizing a template?

When tailoring a template, whether for a first-round interview or an exit interview template, consider the role’s specific requirements, your company’s core values, and the skills or behaviors you're trying to assess. The format should be flexible enough to allow for natural conversation while still guiding the evaluation process.

What is the STAR method when interviewing?

The STAR method stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. It's commonly used in interview question templates to help candidates provide clear, structured responses that demonstrate how they’ve handled past experiences, making it easier to assess both competencies and outcomes.