Interview Evaluation Form: 6 Free Templates
Free interview evaluation form templates for small businesses without HR: 6 versions with a 1-to-5 scale and scoring guidance. Download as DOCX.
Interview Evaluation Form: 6 Free Templates
6 free interview evaluation and feedback form templates for small businesses without HR: general, small business, phone screen, structured, panel, and technical, with a 1-to-5 scale and the scoring and recordkeeping guidance generic forms skip. Download as DOCX.
An interview evaluation form is a structured sheet an interviewer uses to score a candidate against job-related criteria and record why they would hire or pass. You will also see it called an interview feedback form, an interview assessment form, or a candidate evaluation form, which are the same document. It exists to make hiring consistent and comparable across candidates, instead of relying on memory and whoever made the best impression in the room.
At FirstHR, we build for small businesses that hire without an HR team or an applicant tracking system, where the owner or office manager runs the interviews and the form is the only scoring system there is. The six templates below cover the common situations: a general universal form, a plain-language small business version, a phone screen, a structured competency scorecard, a panel form, and a technical role-specific form. Each is ready to use, with the scoring and recordkeeping guidance generic forms skip.
What an Interview Evaluation Form Is
An interview evaluation form is a structured document that rates a candidate's interview performance against a fixed set of job-related criteria, with a score and a note for each, and an overall recommendation at the end. It turns a conversation into a record you can compare against other candidates and defend later.
The same document goes by several names. Interview evaluation form, interview feedback form, interview assessment form, and candidate evaluation form are interchangeable. An interview scorecard is a closely related term for a version with defined competencies and rating anchors. The form is filled out by the interviewer right after the interview, and it is the practical core of a structured interview, where every candidate is scored the same way.
What to Include
A complete evaluation form has four parts: header fields, job-related rating criteria, an evidence note under each, and a decision section. Getting all four right is what makes the form useful for comparing candidates and defensible as a hiring record.
The most common mistake is skipping the evidence line and recording only a number, which makes the form impossible to compare or defend later. A score plus one specific observation is worth far more than a score alone.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by the stage and the role. The structure is similar across all of them, but each one fits a different point in the process or a different kind of interview. Use this guide to choose the closest fit, then adjust the criteria to your job.
6 Free Interview Evaluation Form Templates
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual forms. Each follows the same structure: header fields, job-related criteria on a 1-to-5 scale, evidence notes, and a decision section. Fill in the brackets and use the same form for every candidate.
Template 1: General Interview Evaluation Form (Universal)
The default form: experience, skills, communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and motivation on a 1-to-5 scale, with an overall recommendation. Start here for most roles.
Template 2: Small Business Interview Evaluation Form (No HR / No ATS)
A plain-language version for a founder or office manager interviewing without HR, with a built-in how-to-decide guide. The version generic templates skip.
Template 3: Phone Screen / Initial Screening Evaluation Form
A short form for the first call: basic qualifications, availability, compensation expectations, and a simple advance-or-not decision.
Template 4: Structured Competency Scoring Form (Behavioral Anchors)
A scoring form with defined 1-to-5 anchors per competency, built for STAR-based answers. Captures the interview scorecard use case.
Template 5: Panel Interview Evaluation Form (Multi-Interviewer)
One sheet per interviewer plus a consensus block, with independent scoring before discussion so no single voice anchors the group.
Template 6: Technical / Role-Specific Interview Evaluation Form
Customizable skill rows for any role, from a developer to a retail or service hire, alongside the general criteria.
Fair, Consistent, and Compliant Scoring
This is the part the generic forms skip, and it is what makes an evaluation form an asset rather than a liability: keep the criteria job-related, score every candidate the same way, write evidence instead of opinions, and keep the completed forms. None of it is complicated, and all of it produces better hires.
Keeping the criteria job-related also keeps you within the rules: the EEOC prohibits basing hiring decisions on protected characteristics, so a form that scores only role-related criteria protects the business as well as the candidate. For the broader process, the structured interview guide and the guide to giving interview feedback go deeper. This is general information, not legal advice.
How to Use the Form
Using the form well is mostly about timing and consistency. Set the criteria first, score right after the interview, write evidence, then compare on the numbers. The steps below work for a single interviewer or a panel.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1. Set criteria | Decide the job-related criteria before the first interview |
| 2. Score promptly | Fill out the form right after each interview, 1 to 5 per criterion |
| 3. Add evidence | Write a specific note under each score, not an adjective |
| 4. Total and recommend | Add the scores and record a clear hire or no-hire recommendation |
| 5. Compare candidates | Lay the forms side by side; score independently first on a panel |
| 6. Store the form | Keep the completed form on file to meet the retention rule |
Score immediately while the interview is fresh, and on a panel have each person score before the group discusses, so a single strong opinion does not anchor everyone else. For more on turning interview notes into useful feedback, the interview feedback guide helps.
Evaluating Candidates Without HR
At a large company, an applicant tracking system collects structured scorecards automatically. At a small business there is no ATS, so the evaluation form is the entire scoring system, and a single gut-feel hire at a small company is costly. Here is how to make it work without the software.
From Evaluation to Hire
The form is the decision tool; the hire is what comes next. Once the completed forms point to a candidate, the process shifts to making the offer, running the paperwork, and onboarding, the part a small business most needs to get right and the part FirstHR is built for.
Once your evaluations point to a hire, the offer letter template handles the next step, and an onboarding template gives the new hire a structured start. FirstHR connects the offer, paperwork, e-signatures, and onboarding workflow in one place, and stores the completed evaluation on the new employee's record, which also helps meet the recordkeeping rule, so a small business can run the full hiring-to-onboarding process from one system. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not an applicant tracking system, so the evaluation form lives here and the hire flows into onboarding. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an interview evaluation form?
An interview evaluation form is a structured document an interviewer uses to score and record how a candidate performed against a set of job-related criteria. It is also called an interview feedback form, an interview assessment form, or a candidate evaluation form, and the terms refer to the same artifact. A typical form captures the candidate name, position, date, and interviewer, then rates criteria such as relevant experience, skills, communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and motivation, usually on a 1-to-5 scale, with a note for evidence under each and an overall recommendation at the end. Its purpose is to make hiring decisions consistent and comparable across candidates rather than based on memory or impression, and to create a written record of why a candidate was hired or passed over.
What is the difference between an interview evaluation form and a scorecard?
They are largely the same tool, with a difference in emphasis. An interview evaluation form, also called a feedback or assessment form, is the broad term for any structured sheet used to rate a candidate after an interview. An interview scorecard usually refers to a more tightly defined version that scores specific competencies on a rating scale, often with behavioral anchors that describe what each score looks like. In practice the words are used interchangeably, and a good evaluation form is a scorecard: it defines the criteria, applies a consistent scale, and asks for evidence. The structured competency version on this page is the scorecard-style form, while the general version is the broader evaluation form. Pick whichever framing fits how your team talks about hiring.
What should be included in an interview evaluation form?
A complete interview evaluation form has four parts. First, header fields: candidate name, position, interview date, interviewer, and interview type. Second, rating criteria tied to the job, such as relevant experience, technical or job skills, communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and motivation, each scored on a consistent scale. Third, a note or evidence line under each criterion so the score is backed by something specific the candidate said or did. Fourth, a summary: a total or overall score, a clear recommendation such as strong hire, hire, maybe, or no hire, key strengths and concerns, next steps, and a signature. Keeping every criterion job-related and asking for evidence is what makes the form both useful for comparing candidates and defensible as a hiring record.
What rating scale should an interview evaluation form use?
A 1-to-5 scale is the most common and works well for most teams. It is granular enough to separate candidates but simple enough to apply consistently, typically running from 1 (poor or unsatisfactory) to 5 (excellent or exceptional), with 3 as meets expectations. Some teams prefer a 4-point scale such as poor, fair, good, and great, which removes the neutral middle and forces a clearer judgment, or a recommendation scale like strong no, no, yes, strong yes. The exact scale matters less than using the same one for every candidate and defining what each level means, ideally with a short anchor. The structured form on this page includes behavioral anchors for each score so different interviewers rate consistently. Whatever scale you choose, apply it the same way across all candidates.
How do you evaluate a candidate after an interview?
Fill out the evaluation form immediately after the interview, while the answers are fresh, and score from evidence rather than overall impression. Go criterion by criterion: for each one, recall what the candidate actually said or did, assign a score on your scale, and write a short note capturing the evidence. Resist the pull to let one strong or weak moment color every score, which is a common bias. Then total the scores, weigh the strengths against the concerns, and record a clear recommendation. If multiple people interviewed, have each score independently before comparing, so no single opinion anchors the group. Finally, keep the completed form on file. This evidence-based, consistent approach produces better hires than deciding from a general feeling about the candidate. This is general information, not legal advice.
Are interview evaluation forms legally required to keep?
Completed interview evaluation forms are hiring records, and federal rules require keeping them for a minimum period. Under the EEOC's recordkeeping regulation at 29 CFR Part 1602, employers must preserve personnel and employment records related to hiring, including application and evaluation forms whether or not the candidate was hired, for at least one year after the record was made or the personnel action was taken, whichever is later. That period extends to two years for educational institutions, state and local governments, and federal contractors with at least 150 employees and a contract of at least $150,000. If a candidate files a discrimination charge, the related records must be kept until the matter is finally resolved. Storing completed forms with the candidate or new-hire record keeps a small business compliant. This is general information, not legal advice.
How can a small business use an interview evaluation form without an ATS?
The form is the system when you do not have an applicant tracking system. Choose the version that fits the role, decide the criteria before the first interview, and score every candidate on the same form and scale, with a line of evidence for each. After the interviews, lay the completed forms side by side and compare on the scores and the evidence rather than on who you liked most. Keep the completed forms on file to meet the recordkeeping rule. This gives a small business the structure an ATS would provide, at no cost and with no software, and it directly reduces the chance of a biased or purely gut-feel hire. When you choose someone, move them into onboarding. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the difference between an interview evaluation form and an interview feedback form?
There is no meaningful difference; they are two names for the same document. Interview evaluation form, interview feedback form, interview assessment form, and candidate evaluation form all describe a structured sheet used to rate and record a candidate's interview performance against job-related criteria. The word feedback sometimes implies the notes will be shared, either with other interviewers to reach a decision or, less commonly, with the candidate, but the form itself is the same. Whichever term your team uses, the essentials are identical: consistent job-related criteria, a rating scale, evidence notes, and an overall recommendation. The templates on this page serve all of these names.