--- title: What are the 4 Structured Interviews in Who - the A Method for Hiring? description: Who Interviews, 4 Structured Interviews for Hiring A Players --- [Skip to content](https://go.whoai.com/what-are-the-4-structured-interviews-in-who-the-a-method-for-hiring#main-content) English Show submenu for translations ![WhoAi Logo](https://go.whoai.com/hs-fs/hubfs/WhoAi%20Logo.png?width=338&height=100&name=WhoAi%20Logo.png) Open main navigation Close main navigation - English Show submenu for translations - Contact us Contact us How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Knowledge Base Core](https://go.whoai.com/?hsLang=en) 2. [The Who Method](https://go.whoai.com/the-who-method?hsLang=en) November 11, 2025 # What are the 4 Structured Interviews in Who - the A Method for Hiring? ## Killing Voodoo with the Four Structured Interviews ### **The End of Random Prediction** After dedicating time to sourcing a flow of A Players, the next critical challenge is **selection**. Traditional interviews are "almost a random predictor" of job performance. This is the third major failure point: managers "do not trust their ability to pick out the right candidate". The **Select** step of the A Method is designed to eliminate this guesswork, replacing Voodoo Hiring with a structured, rigorous, and highly predictive process. The goal is simple: to gather **facts** about a candidate's performance track record that spans decades, not just a few minutes in a conference room. The A Method provides four interviews that build on each other to collect this data. ### **1. The Screening Interview: The High-Leverage Filter** The **Screening Interview** is your crucial first filter, designed to **cull the B and C Players** from your list as quickly and efficiently as possible. This is a short, phone-based, structured interview, typically lasting no more than **thirty minutes**. **Four Essential Screening Questions**: 1. **What are your career goals?** (Assesses passion and alignment *before* tainting the discussion with your own pitch). 2. **What are you really good at professionally?** (Prompts a list of strengths that should align with your Scorecard). 3. **What are you not good at or not interested in doing professionally?** (Aids in uncovering real weaknesses, avoiding cookie-cutter answers). 4. **Who were your last five bosses, and how *will* they each rate your performance on a 1-10 scale when we talk to them?** (The word "will" compels immediate honesty by signaling future reference checks). **The "What? How? Tell me more" Framework:** After every answer, probe deeper. These open-ended questions ensure you get specific details, not generalizations. Only advance candidates whose profile makes you "thrilled" about the possibility of a match. ### **2. The Topgrading Interview: Uncovering Behavioral Patterns** The **Topgrading Interview** is the engine of the entire Select phase. It is a chronological walk-through of a person’s career, typically lasting one and a half to three hours. The genius of this interview is that it uncovers the **patterns of somebody's career history**. It delivers an immense amount of decision data. **Five Core Questions Per Job**: 1. What were you hired to do? (Uncovers their mental Scorecard) . 2. What accomplishments are you most proud of? (The stories behind the resume) . 3. What were some low points during that job? (Persistence is key to getting an honest answer) . 4. Who were the people you worked with? (Focuses on bosses and team development) . 5. Why did you leave that job? (Determines if they were **pulled** to a better opportunity or **pushed** out due to performance) . ### **3. The Focused Interview: Laser-Sharp Vetting** The **Focused Interview** is leg three, allowing you to gather additional, specific information where the Topgrading Interview may have left gaps. Crucially, this interview is **laser-focused on the Outcomes and Competencies** of the Scorecard, not generalized behavioral questions. It is also the perfect opportunity to involve other team members, ensuring they stick to the script. This process provides a final, robust check on both the candidate’s **hard skills** and their **cultural fit**, ensuring they are capable of getting the job done and able to thrive in your environment. ### **4. The Reference Interview** The Reference Interview involves conducting thorough, structured interviews with a pre-determined list of references )ideally three bosses, two peers, and two subordinates) provided by the candidate. This step is a crucial for verifying the information gathered in the previous interviews and ensuring the candidate is an "A player".  --- **Key Takeaways** - **End Voodoo:** The A Method replaces subjective guessing with four structured interviews designed to collect objective data about a candidate's decades-long track record. - **Filter Fast:** Use the 30-minute **Screening Interview** and the "What? How? Tell me more" framework to quickly cull B/C Players. - **Uncover Patterns:** The 1.5- to 3-hour **Topgrading Interview** is the core data-gathering tool, using five simple questions per job to establish reliable behavioral patterns. - **Verify Alignment:** Use **Focused Interviews** to drill down on the specific Outcomes and Cultural Competencies from the Scorecard, providing the final layer of granular vetting. - [The Who Method](https://go.whoai.com/the-who-method?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Focus on Scorecards](https://go.whoai.com/the-who-method?hsLang=en#focus-on-scorecards) - [Who Overview](https://go.whoai.com/the-who-method?hsLang=en#who-overview) - [Troubleshooting](https://go.whoai.com/troubleshooting?hsLang=en) - [Getting started](https://go.whoai.com/getting-started?hsLang=en) - [General](https://go.whoai.com/general?hsLang=en) - [Support](https://go.whoai.com/support?hsLang=en) [![Screenshot 2025-05-24 at 1.01.02 PM](https://go.whoai.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202025-05-24%20at%201.01.02%20PM.png?width=338&height=100&name=Screenshot%202025-05-24%20at%201.01.02%20PM.png "Screenshot 2025-05-24 at 1.01.02 PM")](http://whoai.com?hsLang=en) Copyright © 2025, WhoAi Solutions LLC