Free interview agenda

About this document

An interview agenda plans one interview around topics you define — each with minutes and an owner — plus a notes column for facts. Structure without scores: every candidate gets the same conversation, and the record shows what was said, not how it was rated.

When to use it

• Before each interview, so the time covers what the job actually needs.
• Two interviewers splitting one conversation.
• Hiring rarely — exactly when interviews are easiest to improvise badly.

Getting it right

• Build topics from the job's real tasks ("the weekend rush at the register"), not abstractions ("culture fit").
• Time-box generously — four topics covered well beat eight skimmed.
• In the notes column, write what was said and shown. If a note wouldn't help a colleague understand what happened, it's an opinion, not a note.

It's not a scorecard — no points, no totals, no rankings. It documents a consistent conversation; the hiring decision happens off the page.

Part of Hire and onboard — the whole situation, connected.

Common questions

Same agenda for every candidate?

Yes — that's the fairness mechanism. Same topics, same time, comparable facts.

Is availability a fair topic?

Availability for the actual schedule is squarely job-related. What stays off the page is everything about the person that isn't the job.

Print or screen?

It prints with the notes column empty on purpose — many interviewers write better on paper, then keep the sheet with the role's file.