Interview Guidelines

Purpose

This skill equips hiring managers, HR professionals, and recruiters with actionable guidance for conducting structured, legally compliant, and role-relevant interviews. It covers question design, evaluation methodology, anti-bias rules, and permitted vs. prohibited inquiry areas — grounded in EU law (GDPR, Equal Treatment Directives) and German labor law (AGG — Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz).

Clarification — When to Ask

Ask before starting only when:

• No role or job title is specified → "Which role or function is this interview for? (e.g., Software Engineer, Sales Manager, Team Lead)"

• No interview format is given → "Is this a structured panel interview, a 1:1 screening call, or a technical assessment?" (only ask if the format meaningfully changes the output)

Never ask about:

• Company name or legal jurisdiction — assume German/EU law applies unless stated otherwise

• Candidate identity — guidance is always kept anonymous and role-focused

• Language preference — default to English for skill output; translate question banks to German only if explicitly requested

Process / Decision Flow

Step 1 — Establish Role Context

Identify the role level and function: Is it an individual contributor, a leadership position, a technical specialist, or a customer-facing role? This determines which competency clusters to emphasize.

Step 2 — Select Competency Clusters

Map the role to the relevant competency areas below and select 3–5 as the focus for the interview:

Step 3 — Build the Interview Structure

Structure every interview in four phases:

1. Opening (5–10 min) — Welcome, agenda, role of the interviewer, inform candidate that notes will be taken

2. Competency-based questioning (30–45 min) — STAR-format questions per cluster

3. Role-specific scenario or case (15–20 min, if applicable) — task simulation or hypothetical relevant to the job

4. Candidate Q&A + Closing (10 min) — allow candidate questions, explain next steps

Step 4 — Apply Permitted vs. Prohibited Question Rules

See the dedicated section below — apply these as a filter to every question before it enters an interview guide.

Step 5 — Define Evaluation Criteria

Create a scoring rubric before the interview, not after. Each competency should have 3–5 observable behavioral indicators rated on a consistent scale (e.g., 1–4: Does not meet / Partially meets / Meets / Exceeds expectations).

Permitted vs. Prohibited Questions

Why This Matters

Under the German AGG (§ 1) and EU Equal Treatment Directives (2000/43/EC, 2006/54/EC), candidates may not be disadvantaged based on protected characteristics. Questions that elicit protected information — even indirectly — expose the employer to discrimination claims and void the hiring decision in dispute cases. The guiding principle: ask only what is necessary to assess job-relevant competencies.

Permitted Question Areas

Questions are permitted when they are directly job-relevant and assess a candidate's ability to perform the specific role.

General suitability & motivation

• "What attracted you to this role and our organization?"

• "How does this position align with your career goals over the next 3–5 years?"

• "What do you know about our company, and what excites you about our direction?"

Work experience & competencies (use STAR format)

• "Tell me about a time you managed a project with competing deadlines. How did you prioritize?"

• "Describe a situation where you had to convince a skeptical stakeholder. What was your approach?"

• "Give me an example of a decision you made with incomplete information. What happened?"

Availability & contractual terms

• "Are you available to start on [date], or what notice period applies?"

• "This role requires occasional travel to [location]. Is that workable for you?" (only if travel is genuinely required)

• "Are you legally authorized to work in Germany / the EU?"

Role-specific skills & knowledge

• "Walk me through how you would approach [specific technical task relevant to the role]."

• "What tools or methodologies have you used for [domain-specific task]?"

• "How do you stay current with developments in [field]?"

Salary expectations (permitted, but handle carefully)

• "What are your salary expectations for this role?"

Prohibited or Legally Problematic Question Areas

These questions are either directly prohibited, inadmissible as a basis for hiring decisions, or carry significant legal risk. Do not include them in interview guides or evaluations.

Family status & plans

• "Are you married / in a relationship?"

• "Do you have children, or are you planning to have them?" (Violates AGG § 1, sex discrimination)

• "Who cares for your children when you travel?" (impermissible inference)

Pregnancy

• "Are you pregnant or planning to become pregnant?" (Directly prohibited — MuSchG, AGG)

• Exception: only permissible for roles where pregnancy poses a documented legal prohibition on deployment (specific hazardous work under MuSchG § 11 ff.) — and only after a conditional offer.

Religion & worldview

• "What religion do you practice?" / "Do you observe religious holidays?"

• "Are your values compatible with [religion-implied culture]?"

• Exception: permitted only for positions at denominational employers (kirchliche Arbeitgeber) where religious affiliation is a genuine occupational requirement (BAG ruling, 25.10.2018).

Political views & party affiliation

• "Which party did you vote for?" / "How do you feel about [political topic]?"

• Exception: public service roles where political neutrality or affiliation is a statutory requirement.

Health & disability

• "Do you have any health conditions or disabilities?"

• "How often were you sick last year?" (general health inquiry — not permitted)

• Permitted: "Are you able to perform the core physical requirements of this role?" (only if a specific, documented physical demand exists)

• Permitted: "Do you require any workplace accommodations?" (only after a conditional offer, and framed as support, not screening)

Nationality & ethnic origin

• "Where are you originally from?" / "What is your mother tongue?" (as a screening criterion)

• Permitted: "This role requires business-level proficiency in [language]. Can you confirm you meet that level?"

Age

• "How old are you?" / "When did you graduate from high school?" (as a proxy for age)

• Permitted: Asking for years of relevant experience, not year of birth

Financial situation & creditworthiness

• "Do you have any debts or personal financial difficulties?" (not permitted in general roles)

• Exception: Roles with fiduciary financial responsibility (e.g., CFO, treasury) — must be narrowly scoped and documented.

Criminal record

• General criminal record inquiry is not permitted

• Permitted: "Have you been convicted of [specific offense type] relevant to this role?" — only when the role involves working with minors, access to sensitive data, or financial controls, and only for directly relevant conviction types

Union membership & works council activity

• "Are you a member of a union or works council?" (Directly prohibited — BetrVG)

Fairness & Anti-Bias Guardrails

Apply these throughout the interview process — not just in question selection.

Structural consistency

• Use the same core question set for all candidates applying to the same role. Deviation creates inconsistency that is hard to defend legally and introduces interviewer bias.

• Agree on evaluation criteria and observable indicators before the interview begins, not after.

Panel diversity

• Where possible, include at least one interviewer of a different gender, background, or seniority level in multi-interviewer panels.

• Avoid having a single interviewer make the final decision alone.

Note-taking discipline

• Document behavioral evidence and observable statements only — not impressions, physical descriptions, or inferences.

• "Seemed nervous, maybe not a good fit" → "Struggled to give a concrete example for Q3; answer remained high-level"

Affinity bias check

• Before submitting an evaluation, ask: "Am I rating this candidate highly because of shared background, alma mater, or communication style — or because of demonstrated competency evidence?"

Structured debrief

• After the interview, collect individual ratings before the group debrief to prevent anchoring bias (where the first speaker's opinion dominates the room).

Output Format

When generating an interview guide for a specific role, deliver it in this structure:

[Role Title] — Interview Guide

Format: [Panel / 1:1 / Technical screen]
Duration: [Total time]
Interviewers: [Roles of interviewers, not names]

Phase 1 — Opening (X min)

• Welcome and introductions

• Explain structure and note-taking

• Confirm role understanding

Phase 2 — Competency Questions (X min)

[Competency Cluster 1]

1. [STAR-format question]

2. [Follow-up probe]

[Competency Cluster 2]

1. [STAR-format question]

2. [Follow-up probe]

(repeat per cluster)

Phase 3 — Role Scenario (X min)
[Brief case or situation prompt relevant to the role]

• What to observe: [2–3 behavioral indicators]

Phase 4 — Candidate Q&A + Close (X min)

• Invite questions from candidate

• Explain timeline and next steps

• Thank and close

Evaluation Rubric

Legal Reference Summary

When legal edge cases arise (e.g., religious employer exception, fiduciary role criminal checks), always recommend consulting internal legal counsel or an external employment law specialist before proceeding.