Interview scorecard template (2026): free and copyable
A structured interview scorecard you can copy, how to choose criteria that predict performance, and why scoring independently before discussing matters more than the form itself.
Last updated 29 August 2026. Competitor pricing and plan limits are re-verified against each vendor’s own pages.
Why use an interview scorecard?
Unstructured interviews reward candidates who interview well, which is a different skill from doing the job. A scorecard does not remove judgment; it makes the judgment comparable and forces it to be written down before it can be revised by someone else's opinion.
The order matters more than most teams expect. If interviewers discuss a candidate before scoring, the first strong opinion in the room tends to become the group's view. Independent scores first, discussion second.
How do you choose scorecard criteria?
Four to six criteria is the workable range. Fewer and it is not a scorecard; more and interviewers stop engaging with each one.
- Derive each criterion from something the role actually requires in its first six months, not from a generic competency list.
- Make each one observable in an interview. If you cannot think of a question that would produce evidence for it, drop it.
- Avoid criteria that measure similarity to the existing team — culture fit is where bias enters a scorecard most easily. Score for what the person will do, not who they resemble.
- Use the same criteria for every candidate for the same role, without exception.
Free interview scorecard template
INTERVIEW SCORECARD Role: [Job title] Candidate: [Candidate name] Interviewer: [Your name] Date: [Date] Stage: [Screening / Technical / Final] SCORING 1 — Well below the bar 2 — Below the bar 3 — Meets the bar 4 — Above the bar 5 — Well above the bar Score each criterion independently, BEFORE discussing the candidate with anyone else. Every score needs evidence: something the candidate actually said or did. ------------------------------------------------------------------ CRITERION 1: [e.g. Depth in (core skill)] Score: [1-5] Evidence: [What did they say or demonstrate?] CRITERION 2: [e.g. Problem-solving approach] Score: [1-5] Evidence: CRITERION 3: [e.g. Communication with non-specialists] Score: [1-5] Evidence: CRITERION 4: [e.g. Ownership and follow-through] Score: [1-5] Evidence: [CRITERION 5 / 6 — optional] ------------------------------------------------------------------ OVERALL RECOMMENDATION (circle one) Strong hire / Hire / No hire / Strong no hire This is a judgment, not an average of the scores above. Reason for the recommendation, in one or two sentences: [ ] What would change your mind? [ ] Areas the next interviewer should probe: [ ]
What do you do with the scores?
Collect every interviewer's independent scorecard before the debrief, then discuss the disagreements rather than the average. A candidate scored 5 and 2 on the same criterion is the most informative signal in the process, and averaging it to 3.5 throws that information away.
Being honest about ofper here: ofper does not have a scorecard feature. There are no structured feedback forms and no rating fields. Notes on a candidate are free text. If structured scorecards are central to how you hire, tools such as Greenhouse, JazzHR and Breezy HR have them built in and ofper does not.
Questions, answered straight
What is an interview scorecard?
An interview scorecard is a fixed set of criteria, agreed before interviewing, that every interviewer scores for every candidate for a given role, with evidence recorded for each score.
How many criteria should an interview scorecard have?
Four to six. Fewer stops being a scorecard, and more causes interviewers to stop engaging with each criterion seriously.
Should interviewers discuss the candidate before scoring?
No. Scores should be recorded independently before any discussion, because the first strong opinion voiced tends to become the group's view.
Does ofper have interview scorecards?
No. ofper has free-text notes on a candidate but no structured scorecards or rating fields. If scorecards are central to your process, an ATS that includes them is the better choice.