# Interview Guidelines

A strong interview process is your best tool for building a team that will thrive. These guidelines give you a competency framework to evaluate candidates consistently, a scoring rubric to keep decisions objective, and an anti-bias checklist to ensure fairness. Whether you are interviewing for general membership or a specific functional role, this page is your reference.

{% hint style="info" %}
Interviews should feel like conversations, not interrogations. Your goal is to learn about the candidate's motivations, values, and potential — not to test their knowledge of AIESEC jargon.
{% endhint %}

## Competency Framework

AIESEC in Denmark evaluates recruitment candidates against four core competencies. These align with AIESEC's global Youth Leadership Development Model and reflect what makes someone successful in a volunteer-driven, cross-cultural organization.

### 1. Solution Orientation

The ability to identify problems and take initiative to solve them.

**What to look for:**

* Describes situations where they took action without being asked
* Shows curiosity and a willingness to figure things out
* Does not wait for perfect information before moving forward

**Sample questions:**

* "Tell me about a time you faced a challenge you had never encountered before. What did you do?"
* "Describe a project or task where things did not go as planned. How did you adapt?"

### 2. World Citizenship

Openness to other cultures, perspectives, and global issues.

**What to look for:**

* Interest in international topics, travel, or cross-cultural experiences
* Empathy and respect when discussing people different from themselves
* Awareness of global challenges (does not need to be an expert — curiosity counts)

**Sample questions:**

* "What does it mean to you to be a global citizen?"
* "Have you ever worked or studied with people from a very different background? What did you learn?"

### 3. Self-Awareness

Understanding of one's own strengths, weaknesses, and motivations.

**What to look for:**

* Can articulate why they want to join AIESEC (beyond "it looks good on a CV")
* Honest about areas where they want to grow
* Reflective rather than performative

**Sample questions:**

* "What are you hoping to develop in yourself by joining AIESEC?"
* "What is something you are not very good at, and how do you handle that?"

### 4. Empowering Others

Willingness to support, encourage, and lift up the people around them.

**What to look for:**

* Examples of helping teammates, mentoring, or volunteering
* Collaborative language ("we" more than "I")
* Genuine interest in other people's success

**Sample questions:**

* "Tell me about a time you helped someone else succeed."
* "How do you react when a teammate is struggling?"

## Scoring Rubric

Use the following 1–5 scale for each competency. Both interviewers score independently before discussing.

| Score | Label       | Description                                                                                          |
| ----- | ----------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 1     | No Evidence | Candidate could not provide any relevant example or showed behaviour contrary to the competency.     |
| 2     | Limited     | Candidate gave a vague or surface-level example. Little depth or reflection.                         |
| 3     | Adequate    | Candidate provided a clear example that demonstrates the competency at a basic level.                |
| 4     | Strong      | Candidate gave a detailed, reflective example showing consistent behaviour in this area.             |
| 5     | Exceptional | Candidate demonstrated outstanding depth, multiple examples, and clear alignment with AIESEC values. |

**Scoring process:**

1. Each interviewer scores all four competencies independently immediately after the interview.
2. Calculate the average score per competency across both interviewers.
3. Calculate the total average across all four competencies.
4. A candidate with a total average of **3.0 or above** is recommended for acceptance.
5. Candidates scoring below 3.0 but above 2.5 may be discussed as borderline cases in the decision meeting.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Scores are a guide, not an absolute rule. The decision meeting exists so your team can discuss context, gut feelings, and team needs alongside the numbers.
{% endhint %}

## Interview Scorecard Template

| Competency           | Interviewer 1 | Interviewer 2 | Average |
| -------------------- | ------------- | ------------- | ------- |
| Solution Orientation | /5            | /5            |         |
| World Citizenship    | /5            | /5            |         |
| Self-Awareness       | /5            | /5            |         |
| Empowering Others    | /5            | /5            |         |
| **Total Average**    |               |               | **/5**  |

**Notes / Observations:**

> *Use this space to capture anything that does not fit neatly into the four competencies — energy, communication style, specific skills, red flags, or anything else relevant.*

{% hint style="info" %}
A printable version of this scorecard is available on the MC Google Drive under `07 — Recruitment/`. You can also duplicate it as a Google Sheet for digital scoring.
{% endhint %}

## Anti-Bias Checklist

Review this checklist before every interview round. Bias is unconscious — the point of a checklist is to make the unconscious conscious.

* [ ] **Structured questions:** I am using the same core questions for every candidate, in the same order.
* [ ] **Independent scoring:** I will score the candidate before discussing with my co-interviewer.
* [ ] **No halo effect:** I will not let one impressive answer inflate scores for other competencies.
* [ ] **No horn effect:** I will not let one weak answer drag down scores for other competencies.
* [ ] **Appearance bias:** I am evaluating what the candidate says and does, not how they look or dress.
* [ ] **Affinity bias:** I am not favouring candidates who remind me of myself or my friends.
* [ ] **Name and background:** I am not making assumptions based on the candidate's name, nationality, or university programme.
* [ ] **Recency bias:** If I am interviewing multiple candidates in a row, I am scoring each one immediately, not waiting until the end when I only remember the last few.
* [ ] **Confirmation bias:** I am open to being surprised. I have not already decided the outcome before the interview starts.

{% hint style="danger" %}
AIESEC's Safe Space Policy applies to every interaction, including recruitment interviews. Discriminatory questions about religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation, disability, or any protected characteristic are strictly prohibited. If you witness or experience a violation, report it to your Local Committee President (LCP) or the Entity Control Board (ECB).
{% endhint %}

## Interview Structure (Recommended 25 Minutes)

| Time      | Section              | Details                                                                                                                   |
| --------- | -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 0–3 min   | Welcome & Icebreaker | Introduce yourselves, explain the format, ask a light question ("What is the best thing that happened to you this week?") |
| 3–8 min   | Motivation & Fit     | Why AIESEC? What are you looking for? What can you contribute?                                                            |
| 8–18 min  | Competency Questions | Two questions per competency (pick from the samples above or create your own using the STAR method)                       |
| 18–22 min | Candidate Questions  | Let the candidate ask you anything about AIESEC, the LC, or the role                                                      |
| 22–25 min | Wrap-Up              | Explain next steps and timeline. Thank the candidate.                                                                     |

## Tips for Interviewers

1. **Start warm.** The candidate is probably nervous. A genuine smile and a relaxed tone go a long way.
2. **Listen more than you talk.** The interview is about them, not about how great AIESEC is (save that for the awareness phase).
3. **Follow up.** If a candidate gives a vague answer, ask "Can you tell me more about that?" or "What specifically did you do in that situation?"
4. **Take notes.** You will forget details if you interview more than three people in a day.
5. **Respect time.** Start on time, end on time. It signals professionalism and respect.
6. **Debrief immediately.** Score and discuss each candidate right after their interview while the details are fresh.

*Last updated: April 2026 · Maintained by: MC Talent Management Manager*


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