What Are Criteria?
In Alva Interviews, criteria are the foundation of every interview template. Each criterion represents a specific skill, competency, or area of knowledge you want to evaluate during the interview.
A criterion consists of:
A title and description explaining what is being assessed
One or more interview questions
A scoring scale (1–5) or the option for no rating (for factual questions, like notice period or salary expectations)
You can manage all your criteria in the Interview Content view - found under the Assessment tab. Think of it as your organization’s interview library, where all the reusable content for interviews lives.
Note: If you don’t see the option to create a new interview criterion, reach out to an admin in your organization. They can adjust permissions or help you get access to create and manage interview content.
How to Create a New Criterion
Navigate to the Interview Content view.
Click the Create new button and select Criterion.
Add a name and a short description explaining what this criterion measures.
Add one or more interview questions tied to the skill or behavior.
Select the scoring type (1–5 scale or No rating).
Click Create when you’re happy with the content.
💡Tip: Be as descriptive as possible - a clear definition helps interviewers understand exactly what the criterion means and how to evaluate it.
Criterion Details
Each criterion includes a few key parts that help interviewers stay aligned and consistent during evaluation:
Description:
Explain what the criterion measures and what good performance looks like. A clear definition ensures everyone assesses the same behaviour in the same way.
Tags:
Add tags to group and filter your criteria in the library. This helps you keep your content organized and easy to find.
Example: Communication, Collaboration, or Leadership.
Interview questions:
Use behavioural questions to capture concrete examples from candidates.
We recommend following the SBR (Situation–Behaviour–Result) format:
“Tell me about a situation where you had to adapt your communication. What did you do, and what was the outcome?”
Scoring:
Define how answers should be rated to make the process structured and fair. For each question, write clear, specific scoring anchors that describe what a suitable answer looks like.
Include behavioural examples for each level of the scale so interviewers can distinguish between weaker and stronger responses.
Example: A strong answer for Collaboration might include taking initiative to resolve conflict and aligning the team toward a shared goal.
💡Gold standard for scoring consistency:
Write clear, concrete anchors for each level of performance
Provide at least one example per level
Calibrate interpretations across interviewers before starting candidate meetings
Managing Your Interview Content
Use consistent naming, tagging, and descriptions to keep your interview library organized as it grows.
If you already have an existing competency framework or question library, Alva’s Customer Success team can help you import it into your account - just reach out via the chat in the bottom-right corner of your Alva window.