Interview scorecard template
A 1-4 scale, criteria lifted straight from the job description, and a sentence of evidence behind every score - written on the assumption the candidate might read it.
Score against criteria agreed before you met anyone, with a sentence of evidence per score. That is the whole method. It reduces the drift towards candidates who interview comfortably rather than work well, and it produces - as a by-product - the record you would want if a decision were ever challenged. Write the notes as though the candidate will read them, because they may be entitled to.
Download the scorecard PDF · 2 pages · edit the [bracketed] parts
The scorecard
One per candidate, per stage. Copy it straight from this page, or download the PDF above.
Candidate: [name]. Role: [title]. Stage: [1 / 2 / final]. Date: [date]. Interviewers: [names and roles]. Format: [in person / video / task].
4 - Strong evidence, exceeds what the role needs.
3 - Meets the requirement with clear evidence.
2 - Partial evidence, some gap.
1 - No evidence, or evidence against.
Use 1 and 4 when they are earned. A card of all 3s tells you nothing and usually means the questions were too general.
[Criterion 1: from the essential list] - Score: [ ] - Evidence: [what they actually said or did]
[Criterion 2] - Score: [ ] - Evidence: [ ]
[Criterion 3] - Score: [ ] - Evidence: [ ]
[Criterion 4] - Score: [ ] - Evidence: [ ]
[Desirable 1] - Score: [ ] - Evidence: [ ]
1. [Question] - covers [criterion]
2. [Question] - covers [criterion]
3. [Question] - covers [criterion]
Follow-ups may differ between candidates; the core questions do not.
[Note what they asked - it is often the most useful signal on the card. Record any adjustment they requested and whether it was made.]
[Progress / Do not progress / Hold], based on the scores above. Reason, in one or two sentences referring to the criteria: [reason]. Interviewer signature: ................ Date: ..........
Record what the candidate said, not how they made you feel. "Walked through a failed migration and what they changed afterwards" is evidence. "Great energy", "not quite our kind of person", and anything about appearance, accent, age, family or health are not evidence and should never appear on a scorecard - both because they are poor signals and because the card is a document that can be disclosed.
Running it well
- Agree criteria and weighting before shortlisting, not after you have met someone impressive.
- Score independently, then compare. If interviewers score together, the most senior person's view becomes everyone's.
- Do not add criteria mid-process. A requirement invented after meeting candidates is, in effect, a reason found for a decision already made.
- Keep the cards for your stated retention period - typically six to twelve months for unsuccessful candidates - then delete them on schedule.
- No health or disability questions before an offer (s.60 Equality Act 2010). Asking what adjustments someone needs for the interview is fine, and belongs in the row above rather than in the scoring.
This is a starting point for a general UK employer and is not legal advice.
More to download: All 30 templates · 66 guides explaining the rules · 24 calculators
Scores in one place, not four inboxes
CoDash keeps candidates, stages and interview scores against the role - so comparing five people is one screen, and the record survives the hiring manager's inbox.