Quality of Hire
Quality hires start with the interview
Structured interviews are the #1 way to predict job performance - more than twice as predictive as unstructured conversations.
Sackett, Zhang, Berry and Lievens (2022), Journal of Applied Psychology: structured interviews r = .42, unstructured r = .19. The figures describe the method, not Ratio. Read the research page.
Interview for the skills the job needs
Degrees and years in a title are weak proxies for the work. Ratio reads the job description and the hiring manager's notes and picks the skills that predict success in this role at this level, tagged must-have or preferred and ranked by priority.
- Hard skills, domain knowledge and core competencies, each identified and weighted
- A weak must-have caps the overall score, so a strong talker cannot make up for a missing skill
- Proficiency expectations calibrated to seniority
Every answer scored the same way
Prediction comes from consistent scoring as much as consistent questions. Under every question, four RATE prompts ask whether the candidate gave specifics, explained their approach, weighed the trade-off and showed the outcome. The Trade-offs prompt is where polished, rehearsed answers come apart.
- Relevance, Approach, Trade-offs, Evidence under every question, every round
- Four-star rating with no midpoint, anchored to the level of the role
- Prepared follow-ups for when an answer runs thin
A decision you can explain
Human ratings roll up by skill across every round. Finalists are compared on the same criteria, with the human ratings and notes behind each score, so the offer is based on real capabilities, not gut feel.
- Overall and per-round scores across every interviewer
- Supporting notes, captured during or after each round
- Confidence bars that show how far a score could still move while rounds remain
What the research supports
The research is about structured interviews, not about any one product. Here is what it supports, and where Ratio fits.
Ranked first
In the largest recent review of hiring research, structured interviews were the best single predictor of job performance.
Twice as predictive
They predict performance more than twice as well as unstructured interviews. Results vary from team to team.
Smaller gaps between groups
Of the methods that predict best, structured interviews show some of the smallest score gaps between groups.
People decide
Ratio adds up the ratings your interviewers give. It does not score candidates, and it cannot promise a great hire.
Run a more predictive interview on your next role
Bring the job description. We build the structured interview kit live in a 30-minute working session, and you keep it.