We Share 16 Interview Scorecard Templates to Evaluate Candidates

Between 85% and 97% of hiring managers still rely on gut instinct when deciding which candidates to advance. But relying on gut instinct has significant drawbacks. Not only can unconscious bias influence decisions, but it can lead to legal risks and damage your employer brand. 

Scorecards are a great way to bring objectivity into the mix. They let you evaluate all candidates using the same criteria, ensuring the best fit makes it to the next stage.

In this Willo article, we’ll walk you through different scorecard templates to help you assess candidates fairly (and even show you how to create your own).

What Is an Interview Scorecard?

An interview scorecard is a structured evaluation tool that measures candidates against specific job criteria. It defines the essential skills, qualifications, and traits for a role and then provides a framework to score each candidate consistently. This transforms subjective impressions into measurable assessments.

They typically look something like a grading rubric.

Willo Scorecard example

 On the left, you have the criteria being evaluated—key skills, competencies, and qualifications essential for the role. Think "project management experience," "client communication skills," or anything else that’s relevant to the role.

On the right, there's space for the interviewer's rating. During the interview (or review session if you opt for async interviews), the interviewer assesses how well the candidate demonstrates each criterion and assigns a rating based on a predefined scale.

Speaking of scales and scoring…

What makes a good scoring system?

The effectiveness of a scorecard often comes down to its scoring methodology. 

Many suggest the classic Likert scale (ratings on a scale of 1 to 5). However, this leaves a lot of room for interpretation. For example, what does a perfect 5 out of 5 score for B2B sales experience actually look like? It’s very hard to standardize this kind of system.

At Willo, we’ve come up with a solution. Our Scorecards ask interview reviewers to rate candidates on a clearly defined scale for each attribute:

• Strong Yes: Absolutely endorse this hire
• Yes: Good fit, worth considering
• Maybe: Need more information
• No: Likely not a fit
• Strong No: Oppose this hire

Rather than thinking in abstract terms (“Is this candidate’s CRM knowledge a 3 or a 4?”), you’re thinking in concrete terms (“Would I advocate hiring this person based on their CRM knowledge?”). 

Why Are Interview Scorecards Important?

Maintains consistency across evaluations

Using the same criteria to rate every candidate keeps your hiring process fair and focused. Rather than relying on gut reactions, interviewers have a focused, structured evaluation process to follow that leads to more fair (and often better) decisions. 

This is especially helpful for multi-interviewer setups. If you have a hiring panel or multiple interview rounds, scorecards keep everything consistent.

Enhances compliance and reduces legal risks  

Scorecards create a clear paper trail showing that every candidate was evaluated on job-specific criteria, not personal judgment. This documentation protects your company if hiring decisions are questioned, demonstrating a fair, structured process that reduces legal risk and protects your reputation.

Drives better candidate feedback

The detailed notes from scorecards are invaluable when giving candidates feedback after interviews. 

Since 94% of candidates want post-interview feedback, having structured documentation helps you provide specific, meaningful responses about their performance. This level of detail creates a better candidate experience, even for those who don't get the job.

16 Interview Scorecards Templates For Objective Hiring 

1. Skills-based hiring scorecard 

We’re big fans of skills-based hiring here at Willo. 

Switching to a skills-based hiring approach leads to better hiring outcomes, reduces bias, and increases your talent pool by 10X on average. To get it right, you need to be objective when reviewing candidates—and skills-based hiring scorecards help make that possible.

This foundational scorecard evaluates candidates on the exact skills they need to excel in the role. While you can create specialized scorecards for specific skills (which we'll cover later in this post), this template provides a comprehensive assessment of all essential competencies.

2. Cultural fit scorecard

Building teams that work well together starts with finding people who align with your company's values. This scorecard measures how candidates' working styles, behaviors, and values match your company culture, helping you identify those who will both contribute to and thrive in your environment.

3. Leadership potential scorecard

Identifying future leaders requires looking beyond current skills to spot longer-term potential. 

This scorecard evaluates candidates' decision-making abilities, strategic thinking, and people management capabilities. It helps you assess whether they have the right mix of vision, experience, and interpersonal skills to step into leadership roles and grow with your organization.

4. Adaptability scorecard 

Adaptability is crucial for roles in fast-moving environments like tech startups or high-growth industries. 

This scorecard assesses a candidate’s ability to handle change, quickly learn new skills, and thrive in dynamic situations. It’s ideal for roles that demand flexibility and resilience, helping you find candidates who excel in unpredictable or high-paced settings.

5. Remote work suitability scorecard

This is one you may not have seen before—but we promise it can save you a lot of headaches. 

As we learned while conducting research for our Embracing Flexibility Report, even high-performers in traditional offices may struggle to stay productive and engaged in remote environments. Getting remote hiring wrong impacts productivity and team dynamics, and it can lead to costly turnover. 

This scorecard evaluates the key traits needed for remote success, like self-discipline, virtual communication skills, and independent problem-solving ability. It helps you identify candidates who will thrive in remote roles while flagging potential challenges before they impact your team.

6. Client-facing skills scorecard

Strong client relationships can make or break your business—evaluating these skills early is crucial. 

This scorecard assesses candidates' ability to build rapport, communicate effectively, and maintain professionalism under pressure. It's particularly valuable for roles in sales, account management, or customer service where employees directly represent your company to clients.

7. Innovation and creativity scorecard

You'll love this template if you’re hiring for creative or R&D roles. It’s designed to assess a candidate’s ability to think outside the box and solve problems creatively—essential skills for positions where developing new ideas is a big part of the job.

8. Technical proficiency scorecard

The technical proficiency scorecard zeroes in on the candidate’s specific technical skills and expertise, making it perfect for specialized roles like software engineering, IT support, or technical consulting. Put simply, it’s to help you verify the practical knowledge and hands-on abilities required in these fields.

9. Cross-functional collaboration scorecard

The majority (72%) of employees perform better in a collaborative environment. Plus, business leaders often see a 30%+ boost in productivity when they prioritize collaboration. It’s a nice skill to test for all roles, but it’s particularly non-debatable for roles like project managers, coordinators, and leadership positions where collaboration is essential. 

10. Emotional intelligence scorecard

Emotional intelligence is responsible for 58% of job success. In fact, 71% of business leaders value it more than technical skills when evaluating candidates.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is particularly crucial for roles that involve team management, navigating tricky interpersonal situations, or handling high-pressure environments.

This scorecard assesses a candidate’s ability to manage emotions and understand and influence others. It’s ideal for management, client-facing, and leadership roles where communication and empathy are essential.

11. Problem-solving skills scorecard

Everyone says they’re a great problem solver, but how do you know for sure? This scorecard template gives you a clear, structured way to really assess each candidate’s problem-solving skills. It breaks down this big skill into specific, measurable areas—like quick decision-making, thinking on their feet, and more—so you can spot who’s truly up for the challenge.

12. Time management scorecard 

Time is the one thing we can’t get back, so every employee needs to know how to make the most of it. This is especially important for roles where juggling tasks, meeting deadlines, or managing projects is the norm—like admin roles, project managers, and similar positions.

Use this scorecard to evaluate a candidate’s ability to manage time, prioritize tasks, and stay organized.

13. Initiative scorecard 

Initiative is a key trait for candidates in roles that need independence or leadership potential, so it deserves its own scorecard. This one evaluates a candidate’s ability to take proactive actions, suggest improvements, and drive projects forward without needing constant supervision.

14. Presentation and communication skills scorecard

Some roles require more public speaking, pitching, and presenting than others—think sales positions. If you’re hiring for one of these, you need to ensure candidates have strong communication (both verbal and nonverbal) and presentation skills. This scorecard helps you gauge if they’ve got what it takes.

15. Project management skills scorecard 

We’ve talked a lot about project management as a skill, but it’s actually made up of several key parts—that’s where this scorecard comes in. The criteria in this template will help you assess skills like planning, execution, and resource management. It’s perfect for hiring project managers or team leads who’ll be taking on complex projects.

16. Diversity and inclusion advocacy scorecard

This scorecard assesses candidates’ understanding and commitment to these values, especially for leadership or D&I-focused roles. It evaluates their experience with D&I initiatives and how they plan to promote and integrate these values within a team.

Streamline Your Recruitment Process with Scorecards

Interview scorecards transform subjective hiring into data-driven decisions. They help you evaluate candidates consistently and fairly while protecting your company from bias and legal risks. While these templates offer a strong foundation, the best scorecard is one you create for your specific needs. 

That's where Willo comes in.

Our platform goes beyond custom scorecards. With Willo, you can conduct async video interviews that scale your hiring process while delivering an outstanding candidate experience. Ready to make your hiring process more efficient, objective, and candidate-friendly? 

Start your free trial today.