Free Template

Engineering Hiring Scorecard

Eliminate gut-feel hiring. Evaluate every candidate the same way with structured rubrics, behavioral anchors, and a calibration framework.

6 core competencies5-point scaleBehavioral anchorsRed flag checklistCalibration guide

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The Problem

Why Most Interview Feedback Is Useless

Typical feedback sounds like:

“Seemed smart”

“Good culture fit”

“I’d want to work with them”

“Something felt off”

The problems this creates:

Different interviewers evaluate different things
No calibration on what “good” means
Recency bias — remember last answer best
Halo effect — one good answer colors everything
Confirmation bias — prove first impression right

15–25%

variance between interviewers evaluating the same candidate

correlation between “gut feel” and actual job performance

The Fix: Structured Scorecards

When every interviewer evaluates the same competencies, uses the same rating scale, has behavioral anchors for each level, and documents specific evidence, you get:

Consistent signal across interviewers

Defensible hiring decisions

Better prediction of job performance

Faster calibration meetings

Competency Framework

Six Core Competencies for Engineering Roles

#	Competency	What It Measures	Weight
1	Technical Ability	Demonstrates knowledge, skills, and judgment to perform the technical aspects of the role.	25%
2	Problem-Solving	Approaches ambiguous problems systematically, gathers information effectively, and reaches sound conclusions.	20%
3	Communication	Expresses ideas clearly, listens actively, and adapts communication style to audience.	15%
4	Ownership	Takes responsibility for outcomes, drives work to completion, and acts without waiting for direction.	15%
5	Growth Mindset	Seeks feedback, learns from mistakes, adapts to change, and continuously improves.	15%
6	Culture Alignment	Fits with company values, working style, and team dynamics.	10%

Adjust weights based on role

Senior/Staff: Increase Communication, Ownership
Junior: Increase Growth Mindset, reduce Ownership
IC vs. Manager: Adjust Technical vs. Communication

Rating Scale

5-Point Scale with Behavioral Anchors

Exceptional

Top 5% of candidates. Exceeds bar significantly. Would advocate strongly.

Strong

Clearly above bar. Confident they’d succeed. Minor gaps acceptable.

Meets Bar

Adequate evidence. Could succeed with support. Some uncertainty.

Below Bar

Significant gaps. Unlikely to succeed. Concerns outweigh positives.

Poor

Clear miss. Strong evidence of inability or misalignment.

Calibration Notes

Score 3 means “hire with reservations” not “average”
Most candidates should be 2–4
Score 5 should be rare (1 in 20)
Score 1 should end the process

The full scorecard includes:

Detailed behavioral anchors for all 6 competencies

Printable candidate evaluation form

Red flag checklist (5 categories)

Calibration guide for hiring debriefs

Common calibration failures to avoid

4-week implementation plan

Unlock the Full Scorecard

Get detailed behavioral anchors for all 6 competencies, the red flag checklist, calibration guide, and implementation plan.

About LayersRank

This scorecard is designed for manual interviews.
LayersRank automates the entire process.

Same structured questions

Delivered consistently to every candidate

AI-generated scores

With confidence intervals, not false precision

Detailed evidence

See exactly what the candidate said

Instant calibration

Same evaluator (the AI) for every candidate

76%

less panel disagreement

50%

faster time-to-offer

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