Interview rubric templates by role: five-level definitions and example questions

Introduction

What this page covers

Interview evaluation criteria have two parts: the evaluation axes (what you look at) and the level definitions (which answers earn which level).

For six roles, this page gives example evaluation axes. Each comes with five levels, defined by behaviour, and example questions that draw out evidence for it.

The definitions are examples to start from. Rather than using them as they stand, rewrite them in your own company’s words. To turn them into an evaluation sheet, see How to build an interview evaluation sheet. The Excel versions of the sheet are currently available in Japanese only.

This page covers six roles:

• New-graduate generalist
• Mid-career sales
• Mid-career engineer
• Staffing agency registration interview
• Store staff
• Customer support

Before you start

How to read the templates

In each table, L5 is at the top and L1 at the bottom. The higher the level, the wider the scope the candidate took on and the more specific the behaviour.

L5 is not the bar for everyone, in any role. Set the hiring benchmark for each role and grade yourselves.

• The definitions describe behaviour that can be checked from what the candidate says in the interview
• L1 is where the candidate mentions an experience but does not say what they themselves did
• The example questions are designed to bring out evidence for that evaluation axis. For some axes, general questions such as “tell us about yourself” or “why do you want to join us” bring out little evidence

In Proomi, the AI reads the evaluation criteria, assigns a level for each evaluation axis from the interview transcript, and quotes the remarks it based that level on. Where nothing the candidate says supports an axis, it can record “no evidence”.

If an axis often ends up with “no evidence”, first check whether the interview includes a question that tests it. We simulated interviews with 30 new-graduate personas, using performance review criteria (the competency indicators used to rate junior staff in the Japanese civil service) as the evaluation axes. With only the ten questions companies commonly ask, four criteria such as “understanding instructions” and “accuracy” produced no evidence for roughly four to seven in ten personas (12 to 20 of 30). Adding three questions aimed at those criteria brought this down to about one in ten (0 to 4 of 30). The simulation setup is described in Use your performance review criteria in interviews, word for word.

Sources: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Fundamental Competencies for Working Persons in the age of the 100-year life (diagram) [in Japanese] (the names of the new-graduate evaluation axes, and Rule compliance in the staffing registration interview). https://www.meti.go.jp/policy/kisoryoku/pdf/kisoryoku_image.pdf / Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Structure of the Vocational Ability Evaluation Standards [in Japanese] (we followed its format of describing behaviour that leads to results, and its idea of separating levels by the scope of responsibility and role and by difficulty; the standards use four levels, which do not correspond to the five levels on this page). https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11800000/001018939.pdf / Describing each level by behaviour (BARS): Nagai, T. (2007). Competency as criteria of performance appraisal (meeting report) [in Japanese]. Japanese Association of Industrial/Organizational Psychology Journal, 21(1), 81–85. https://doi.org/10.32222/jaiop.21.1_81 / Schwab, D. P., Heneman, H. G., & DeCotiis, T. A. (1975). Behaviorally anchored rating scales: A review of the literature. Academy of Management Proceedings, 1975(1), 222–224. https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.1975.4982613

Note: The L1–L5 descriptions and example questions were written by us, following the formats above. They are not defined by any public body.

Examples by role

New-graduate generalist

In Japan, many companies hire students in an annual recruitment round before they graduate, often as generalists rather than into a specific job. Students have no work history to draw on, so the elements of METI’s Fundamental Competencies for Working Persons can serve directly as the names of the evaluation axes.

Initiative and Execution come from Taking initiative, Problem identification from Thinking it through, and Listening from Working in a team. The L1–L5 definitions are examples we wrote. How a new-graduate interview runs as an AI interview is set out on the graduate hiring page.

Initiative (Taking initiative)

Level	Behaviour
L5	Found a problem nobody had raised, brought others along and got the work started
L4	Volunteered for work outside their role and carried it through to the end
L3	Went beyond what was asked within their own role
L2	Did what was assigned, as it was assigned
L1	Talks about an activity but does not say what they did

Example questions

• Have you ever acted before anyone asked you to? What prompted it, and what did you do first?
• Did you ask anyone else to help along the way? Tell us about that.

Execution (Taking initiative)

Level	Behaviour
L5	Decided for themselves when to check progress, changed approach according to what they found, and finished by the deadline
L4	When things did not go to plan, checked the cause, changed approach once and finished the work
L3	Planned the steps towards a goal they had set and saw it through
L2	Saw it through, but kept the same approach even when they got stuck
L1	Talks about what they worked on but does not say what the goal was or how they went about it

Example questions

• Tell us about a goal you set yourself where things did not go as planned along the way. What did you change?

Problem identification (Thinking it through)

Level	Behaviour
L5	Questioned the premise of the question they were given and redefined the problem worth solving
L4	Separated several factors and judged which one drove the outcome
L3	Restated the problem in concrete terms and named possible causes
L2	Restated the problem, but did little to separate out the causes
L1	Describes what happened without framing it as a problem

Example questions

• Tell us about a time you noticed something was not working and thought about why. How did you check the cause?
• Did the problem you worked on ever change from the one you first had in mind? What prompted the change?

Listening (Working in a team)

Level	Behaviour
L5	Checked what the other person had left unsaid and cleared up mismatched assumptions before moving on
L4	Restated the other person’s intent in their own words and confirmed it before responding
L3	Heard the other person out and answered on the basis of what they said
L2	Listened, but the answer drifted back to what they had prepared
L1	Says what they want to say, with little connection to what the other person said

Example questions

• Tell us about a time you moved something forward by talking it through with someone who disagreed. How did you check what they were thinking?

Examples by role

Mid-career sales

For experienced sales hires, writing the behaviour that leads to results in the language of the role helps interviewers read the criteria the same way.

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) publishes the Vocational Ability Evaluation Standards, which break work down into jobs and abilities and set out the behaviour that leads to results. Following that approach, this example sets four evaluation axes for sales. Framing the problem, Getting it done and Repeatability use the same definitions as the mid-career hiring page; Working towards targets is our addition. We wrote all the L1–L5 definitions.

Framing the problem

Level	Behaviour
L5	Showed the customer a problem they had not yet named, and set the agenda
L4	Checked what lay behind the request and redefined the problem to be solved
L3	Made the request concrete and confirmed, in the customer’s words, why it mattered
L2	Captured the request accurately and turned it into a proposal as stated
L1	Can recount how the deal went, but not what they treated as the problem

Example questions

• Name one deal that stays with you. How did the customer’s initial request differ from what you finally proposed?
• Was there a deal where the customer’s view of their problem changed while you were preparing the proposal? What prompted it?

Getting it done

Level	Behaviour
L5	Where the usual approval route would not work, reworked the terms with the departments involved until they were approved
L4	Brought other departments in early and had agreement before the proposal went out
L3	Asked the right departments and had documents and quotes ready on time
L2	Followed a manager’s instruction and worked through the necessary steps
L1	On internal work, describes only the part they handled

Example questions

• Tell us about a time you got another department to act so that a proposal could go through. When did you approach them, who did you approach, and how?

Working towards targets

Level	Behaviour
L5	Worked back from the target to plan the deals and activity needed, changed tactics at the first sign of falling short, and hit it
L4	Tracked their own progress through the target period and took steps to make up the shortfall
L3	Put in the set amount of activity towards the target
L2	Knew the target, but acted on their progress only after a manager checked in
L1	Says whether the target was met but does not say what they did

Example questions

• When you realised you might miss a target, what did you change, and how?
• How did you work back from your target to decide what to do each day?

Repeatability

Level	Behaviour
L5	Put the reason it worked into words that can be tested, so others now use it
L4	Organised what worked into a hypothesis and tried it on the next deal
L3	Can explain, in their own words, why the result came about
L2	Can point to results, but attributes them to the client or the circumstances
L1	Reports the result without explaining why it happened

Example questions

• In a deal that went well, why do you think it worked? How did you use that on later deals?
• Have you ever passed an approach that worked on to colleagues? How did you share it?

Examples by role

Mid-career engineer

Before asking which technologies an engineer knows, listen for how they have dealt with problems.

We wrote this example following the approach of the Vocational Ability Evaluation Standards, where the level rises as the scope of responsibility and role widens.

Troubleshooting

Level	Behaviour
L5	On a problem with causes in several places, set hypotheses and the order to test them, pinned down the cause and put in measures to prevent a recurrence
L4	Narrowed down possible causes from logs and reproduction steps, confirmed the cause and fixed it
L3	Reproduced the bug, found where the cause lay and fixed it
L2	Fixed the bug, but relied on others’ direction or help to find the cause
L1	Talks about an incident they handled but does not say what they checked

Example questions

• Name a bug or outage whose cause was not obvious at first. Where did you start looking, and how did you confirm the cause?
• Did you change anything afterwards so that the same problem would not happen again?

Design decisions

Level	Behaviour
L5	Weighed the benefits and costs of several options, set the conditions for revisiting the choice if assumptions changed, and agreed it with those involved
L4	Explained the choice between options in terms such as performance, maintainability and deadlines, and named the weaknesses of the option chosen
L3	Explained the reasons for the design they adopted, linking them to the requirements
L2	Explained the design they adopted, without comparing it with other options
L1	Describes what they built but does not say what design decisions were made

Example questions

• Tell us about a time you were involved in a design or technology choice (it is fine if someone else made the final call). What other options were there, and why was that one chosen?
• Did you ever revisit that design later? What prompted it?

Attention to quality

Level	Behaviour
L5	Looked into where the team’s bugs tended to occur and changed how testing or review was done, reducing rework
L4	Identified what their change would affect and added tests before shipping it
L3	Followed the set testing and review steps and acted on review comments
L2	Tested their work, but kept getting the same kind of comment in reviews
L1	Talks about quality checks but does not say what they did

Example questions

• Before a release, what do you check about your own changes? Give us a recent example.
• Is there a review comment that changed how you have written code since?

Working with the team

Level	Behaviour
L5	Spotted a problem in how the team worked, put processes or documentation in place, and made it possible for others to work the same way
L4	Noticed a teammate was stuck and shared what they knew to move the work forward
L3	Shared their own progress and concerns with the team early
L2	Gave updates when asked, but did not share anything unprompted
L1	Talks about their own part but not how they worked with the team

Example questions

• Have you ever changed something about how your team develops software, on your own initiative?
• When a teammate was stuck, how did you get involved?

Examples by role

Staffing agency registration interview

This is an example for the interview a staffing agency holds with people who register with it to be placed at client companies.

It assumes the agency’s own registration interview, not an interview held by the client company. The registration interview checks the range of work the person can do and how they will work in a new workplace. Conditions such as the days and hours they can work are checked separately, outside the evaluation axes. We based Experience in detail and Adapting to a new workplace on the approach of the Vocational Ability Evaluation Standards, and Rule compliance on “discipline” in the Fundamental Competencies for Working Persons. How a registration interview runs as an AI interview is set out on the staffing registration page.

Experience in detail

Level	Behaviour
L5	Described past work down to the steps, tools and volumes handled, and could say for themselves how much of it would carry over to a different workplace
L4	Described past work down to the steps and tools used, making clear what they handled on their own
L3	Described what the work involved and what they handled on their own
L2	Named the work they did, but said little about what they handled or how far
L1	Talks about their job history but not what the work involved

Example questions

• Walk us through a typical day at your last workplace. Which tasks were you trusted to do on your own?
• If you used any machines or software at work, what did you use them for, and how?
• Of the tasks at your last workplace, which could you do straight away somewhere else, and which would take some getting used to?

Instructions and reporting

Level	Behaviour
L5	Checked the purpose behind instructions, and when something unexpected happened, sorted out what needed a decision and reported it early
L4	Checked unclear points on the spot before starting, and told the person in charge straight away on noticing a mistake or delay
L3	Worked as instructed and reported when finished
L2	Worked as instructed, but checked or reported only when asked
L1	Talks about the work but not how they took instructions or reported back

Example questions

• Tell us about a time you noticed a mistake or something unexpected partway through a task. Who did you tell, when and how?
• When instructions were hard to follow, how did you check what was meant?

Adapting to a new workplace

Level	Behaviour
L5	Organised what had to be learnt and made step-by-step notes or lists in a form others could use too
L4	Found ways of taking notes and grouping questions so as to learn quickly, and was soon working on their own
L3	Learnt the steps they were taught and was working on their own within the expected time
L2	Learnt the work as taught, without any particular effort of their own to learn it
L1	Talks about changing workplaces but not how they learnt the work

Example questions

• When you moved to a new workplace or task, how did you learn the work in the first week or two?

Rule compliance

Level	Behaviour
L5	As well as planning to meet deadlines and commitments, checked with the person in charge before acting in situations the rules did not cover, rather than deciding alone
L4	Planned ahead to meet deadlines and commitments, and raised it early once it was clear one could not be met
L3	Described specific occasions when they kept to workplace rules and commitments
L2	Says they kept to the rules, but gives no specific occasion
L1	Talks about work experience but not what they did to keep to rules and commitments

Example questions

• Tell us about a time you worked to a set procedure or rule. How did you make sure you followed it?
• Tell us how you organised your work to meet a deadline or an agreed time.
• What did you do when you came across a situation the procedures or rules did not cover?

Examples by role

Store staff (sales and customer service, including part-time)

In a store, ask not only about serving customers but also about how the candidate got other tasks done between customers.

We wrote this example using the same approach as the Vocational Ability Evaluation Standards. For applicants with no customer-facing experience, rephrase the questions to ask about times they responded to someone’s request at a part-time job or at school.

Understanding customer needs

Level	Behaviour
L5	Picked up from the conversation a need the customer had not stated, and suggested something other than the first request, which the customer was happy with
L4	Asked follow-up questions to confirm the use and conditions, then chose and explained a product or service to match
L3	Heard the customer’s request out and recommended a product or service in line with it
L2	Listened to the request, but stuck to a standard explanation
L1	Talks about serving customers but not how they found out what the customer wanted

Example questions

• When it was unclear what a customer was looking for, how did you find out?

Organising the work

Level	Behaviour
L5	Watched for crowds and changes in staffing, reordered their own and others’ tasks, and kept work across the store from stalling
L4	Planned the order of tasks such as restocking and tidying the shop floor around the busy times
L3	Finished assigned tasks within the set time
L2	Finished the tasks, but simply followed instructions or the manual on what order to do them in
L1	Talks about tasks they handled but not how they went about them

Example questions

• When doing tasks between customers, how did you decide what to do first?

Teamwork

Level	Behaviour
L5	Found where information was not getting through between staff, changed how handovers were done and improved how information was shared
L4	When they had time free or the team was short-handed, spoke to others and shared out the work
L3	Did handovers and reports as set out
L2	Reported when asked, but did not speak up on their own
L1	Talks about working alongside others but not how they themselves got involved

Example questions

• Tell us about a time you shared out work with, or handed over to, someone you worked with.

Handling problems

Level	Behaviour
L5	Found out what lay behind a complaint, dealt with it on the spot, and fed it into changing how the store works so it would not happen again
L4	Heard the customer out, checked the facts, dealt with what they could decide themselves and passed the rest to the person in charge
L3	Listened to the customer, then handed over to the person in charge following the set procedure
L2	Dealt with it on the spot, but did not report it or hand it over to the person in charge
L1	Talks about complaints or trouble but not how they handled it

Example questions

• Tell us about a time you handled a customer complaint. What did you decide yourself, and what did you leave to the person in charge?

Examples by role

Customer support

Customer support staff find out what the enquiry is about, explain, and pass it on where needed.

The evaluation axes follow that order. We wrote them using the same approach.

Understanding the enquiry

Level	Behaviour
L5	Even when the customer’s account was vague, asked follow-up questions to pin down what was really wrong and reframed the enquiry
L4	Asked clarifying questions to establish the situation and conditions, and agreed on the picture with the customer before responding
L3	Heard the enquiry out and restated the main points to confirm them
L2	Took in the enquiry, but decided on an answer without asking any clarifying questions
L1	Talks about the number or types of enquiries handled but not how they found out what was needed

Example questions

• Name an enquiry where the customer’s description alone did not tell you what was going on. What did you ask to find out?

Explaining clearly

Level	Behaviour
L5	Adapted the order and wording to the customer’s knowledge and situation, and guided them to the point where they could solve it themselves
L4	Rephrased technical terms, broke the steps down, and checked the customer’s understanding as they went
L3	Gave the set steps or answer accurately and checked once that the customer had understood
L2	Gave the answer, but did not check whether the customer had understood
L1	Talks about explaining things but not how they explained them

Example questions

• Tell us what you did to explain a process or how something works to a customer who was not familiar with it.

Handling complaints

Level	Behaviour
L5	Heard out a very dissatisfied customer without interrupting, checked the facts, set out how it would be resolved, and worked with other departments to see it through
L4	Acknowledged the customer’s feelings while checking the facts, and gathered the information before passing what they could not answer to the right department
L3	Followed the set procedure and escalated when needed
L2	Handled it, but kept it to themselves and was slow to pass it to the right department
L1	Talks about enquiries from dissatisfied customers but not how they handled them

Example questions

• How did you handle an enquiry from a very dissatisfied customer? If you dealt with part of it yourself and passed part on, tell us about each separately.

Records and improvement

Level	Behaviour
L5	Found recurring causes in the enquiry records and got other departments to change manuals or product information
L4	Organised common enquiries and compiled example answers the team could use
L3	Recorded what they did in a form another agent could read and follow
L2	Kept records, but another agent reading them could not follow what had happened
L1	Talks about handling enquiries but not what they did to record or share them

Example questions

• When the same enquiry kept coming in, did you ever do anything about it?

Make it yours

Rewriting the templates in your own words

To turn the template definitions into your own evaluation criteria:

What to check when using performance review criteria for hiring is covered in Use your performance review criteria in interviews, word for word.

In Proomi, companies write both the evaluation axes and the definition of each level freely.

You can start from a published framework such as METI’s Fundamental Competencies for Working Persons, or from a draft the AI builds from the experience level and position name. Either way, HR’s work begins with putting it into your own words.

How to review your criteria is covered in detail in Can AI evaluate candidates correctly? HR writes the criteria.

Q&A

Frequently asked questions

Can I use the templates as they are?

For a trial run, yes. For real selection, we recommend rewriting them in your own words first. When the definitions use the language of your own work, interviewers are less likely to read them differently, and you can give the AI the same definitions.

How many evaluation axes should we have?

There is no right number. Include only what you want to check in hiring. The more axes you add, the more will end up with no evidence in the interview time available. Rather than the number of axes, make sure each one has a question that tests it.

Can we use these if our internal evaluation sheet has three or four levels?

Proomi’s criteria use five levels. If your sheet has three, you could place your A, B and C at L4, L3 and L2 and add definitions for L5 and L1. With four levels, add one more level at the top or the bottom.

What should we watch for when adding our own questions?

Do not ask about matters the applicant is not responsible for, such as their permanent domicile (honseki, the domicile recorded in the Japanese family register) or their family members’ occupations, or about matters that should be left to personal freedom, such as religion or political party affiliation. They have nothing to do with the applicant’s aptitude or ability. MHLW’s Basics of fair recruitment and selection sets out the thinking.

Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Basics of fair recruitment and selection [in Japanese]. https://kouseisaiyou.mhlw.go.jp/basic.html

Can a draft be built from just the position name and experience level?

In Proomi, the AI builds a draft of the evaluation criteria from the experience level and position name. We also suggest comparing that draft with the templates on this page as you rewrite it in your own words.

Can we try it for free?

A free trial of about a month lets you use a real role to check whether the questions and evaluation axes fit your standards. During the trial, we hold sessions to revise the draft criteria with you, and we provide a template scoring sheet.

Related

Read next

For more on evaluation sheets and reviewing criteria, see these articles.