Glossary
Interview scorecard
An interview scorecard is a form that lists the skills a role needs and gives interviewers a consistent way to rate each candidate against them, with space for evidence.
A scorecard turns “I liked her” into “she scored 3 of 4 on handling objections, and here’s what she said.” It’s the simplest tool for making interviews comparable, and it forces the hiring team to agree on what matters before they meet anyone.
What goes on a scorecard
- Skills or competencies. Three to six for a first round.
- Expected level. What you need from a junior hire differs from a senior one.
- Weight. How much each skill counts toward the overall picture.
- A rating per skill, using a consistent scale.
- Evidence. A note or quote supporting each rating.
- A recommendation. Move forward, hold, or not this time.
An example
A first-round scorecard for a customer service representative:
| Skill | Expected level | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Empathy under pressure | Intermediate | 30 |
| Clear explanation | Intermediate | 25 |
| Ownership | Intermediate | 25 |
| Judgment about rules | Intermediate | 20 |
With these weights, a candidate who is excellent at empathy but weak on judgment might still come out ahead of one who is middling on everything, which reflects what the team said it cares about.
Scorecard versus rubric
The scorecard says what to rate. An interview rubric says how, describing what an answer at each level sounds like. The best scorecards include a short rubric for each skill.
Mistakes that make scorecards useless
- Too many skills. Twelve criteria in a 20-minute interview means most are guesses.
- Vague labels. “Culture fit” and “communication” mean different things to different people. Name the behavior: “explains technical steps without jargon.”
- Ratings with no evidence. A 4 with no note behind it is an opinion.
- Filling it in after the debrief. By then, ratings follow the loudest voice in the room.
- Never checking it against outcomes. After a few hires, look at whether high scorers became strong performers, and adjust.
In AI screening
AI interview tools that score per skill are, in effect, filling in a scorecard for every candidate. The value depends on the same things: well-chosen skills, sensible weights, and evidence you can check. The screening scorecard guide walks through building one.