Interview Guide
An interview guide is a prepared framework listing the topics, competencies and questions you'll cover with each candidate for a specific role. You create it before interviews begin to ensure fairness, consistency and defensibility. Swiss employment law (ArG) doesn't mandate one, but using a guide protects you if a rejected candidate challenges your decision.
An interview guide documents the competencies, experience and situational questions relevant to the role you're filling. It's a working tool that lets you evaluate every candidate against the same criteria, rather than improvising questions on the spot.
For SMEs without an HR department, a guide prevents the most costly hiring mistakes: unconscious bias, inconsistent standards and candidates claiming the interview process was unfair or discriminatory.
When you need an interview guide
You should prepare a guide whenever you're interviewing multiple candidates, whether for a full-time Pensum role or a part-time position. Even for a single hire, writing it down forces you to clarify what success looks like in the role.
The guide becomes essential if you're hiring across multiple cantons or expect candidates to challenge your hiring decision later. Swiss law doesn't require a formal process, but documenting your criteria gives you evidence that decisions were objective, not arbitrary or discriminatory.
- Create the guide after writing the job profile but before the first interview
- Use it for every candidate applying for the same role
- Include role-specific competencies (technical skills, languages, sector experience)
- Add behavioural questions tied to your company culture or team needs
- Keep notes during each interview to compare candidates fairly
- Review and refine the guide if interviews reveal gaps in your criteria
Your obligations as an employer
Swiss employment law (ArG, Arbeitsgesetz) doesn't prescribe interview formats. However, you must not discriminate on grounds of race, gender, age, origin, religion, disability or family status. An interview guide helps you stay compliant by keeping questions role-focused.
If a candidate makes a formal objection or involves the cantonal labour authority (RAV/ORP/URC), your guide shows that assessment was systematic and impartial. Without one, you're relying on memory and subjective impressions.
- Ask only questions relevant to the job requirements and competencies
- Avoid personal topics (family plans, health, marital status, ethnic background)
- Allow candidates equal time and the same core questions
- Document your assessment criteria before interviews begin
- Keep interview notes confidential and secure under revDSG (privacy law)
- Be prepared to explain why a candidate was not selected
The most common mistake
The biggest error is treating the guide as a rigid script instead of a framework. Many small employers either skip it entirely or create one so detailed it feels scripted. Neither extreme works well.
The sweet spot: prepare 6–10 core questions per role, note the competencies you're evaluating, and then have a natural conversation. You stay on track while letting candidates show personality. Without notes on what you heard, you can't compare candidates fairly later.
- Don't improvise questions on the day—you'll ask different things of different people
- Don't read questions robotically—let candidates explain their experience in their own words
- Don't skip the guide for 'junior' roles—bias creeps in fastest when you're hiring for routine posts
- Do take brief notes during each interview so you can remember who said what
- Do ask follow-up questions, but use the guide to return to core topics
- Do review candidates' answers against your criteria, not your gut feeling
Frequently asked questions
- Is an interview guide legally required in Switzerland?
- No. Swiss employment law (ArG) doesn't mandate a formal interview process. However, a guide protects you if a candidate claims discrimination or challenges your decision. It proves your assessment was objective and role-focused, not arbitrary.
- Can I use the same guide for different roles?
- No. Each role has different competency needs. A guide for a Buchhalterin is different from one for a Kundenberater. Tailor the core questions and evaluation criteria to the specific job profile and Pensum level.
- What should I do with interview notes after I hire someone?
- Keep them securely for 1–2 years (canton-dependent). Under revDSG (Swiss privacy law), candidates have the right to ask what data you hold about them. Store notes confidentially, don't share them with others, and delete them once the hiring decision is final and any appeal period has passed.
General information for Swiss employers, not legal advice. Have a lawyer confirm anything with legal consequences.