Review the evidence signals before interviewing. Then use the anchored descriptions—not instinct alone—to choose the score that best matches each answer.
01
Evaluation factor
Portfolio
35% weight
Review named scent programmes: hotel lobbies, retail flagships, museum installations. Ask for brief, chosen accords, diffusion hardware, coverage volume, and any lift in dwell time or recall.
Evidence to listen for
Work exists and can be looked at, not just described
States what they made versus what the team or a template made
Shows range rather than one repeated style
Can walk through a piece from brief to final
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
No portfolio, or work that is unattributable or clearly templated.
2
Needs Improvement
Thin portfolio; unclear what they personally made.
3
Satisfactory
Real work with adequate range; contribution mostly clear.
4
Very Good
Strong varied portfolio with clear personal ownership.
5
Excellent
Walks through three or more delivered scent identities with the brand brief, accord choices, hardware specified, and measured customer or client response.
02
Evaluation factor
Craft and rationale
25% weight
Probe compositional vocabulary: top, heart and base structure, materials such as iso E super or ambroxan, headspace capture, and how they brief a perfumer at IFF or Givaudan.
Evidence to listen for
Explains why a layout, type choice, or colour decision serves the brief
Knows typography and hierarchy as craft, not decoration
Works to a brand system without either breaking it or hiding behind it
Names the tools they are genuinely fast in
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Cannot explain any decision; work is arbitrary.
2
Needs Improvement
Talks in taste terms only; no link between choice and brief.
3
Satisfactory
Sound craft with some ability to justify decisions.
4
Very Good
Articulate about why each choice serves the brief.
5
Excellent
Names specific materials and accords, explains structure and substantivity choices, and translates a brand attribute into a defensible olfactory rationale.
03
Evaluation factor
Feedback and iteration
25% weight
Test how they handle scent rejection: hedonic panel results, staff complaints about intensity, sensory fatigue, and reformulation rounds with the fragrance house before sign-off.
Evidence to listen for
Takes critique without treating it as an attack
Distinguishes a subjective preference from a real problem, and says so politely
Iterates fast rather than defending version one
Delivers files correctly and on time
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Defensive about critique; will not revise.
2
Needs Improvement
Accepts feedback passively; iterations do not improve the work.
3
Satisfactory
Revises willingly; struggles to push back on weak feedback.
4
Very Good
Iterates quickly and can argue for the work when the feedback is wrong.
5
Excellent
Describes structured evaluation panels, tracks intensity settings and modification requests, and shows a scent that improved measurably across iterations.
04
Evaluation factor
Working with the brief
15% weight
Assess constraint handling: IFRA standards and allergen declaration, HVAC versus standalone diffusers, air changes per hour, budget per cubic metre, and multi-site rollout logistics.
Evidence to listen for
Asks about audience and goal before opening the design tool
Works with marketing, product, or clients rather than in isolation
Flags an impossible brief early
Hands over files and assets others can actually use
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Designs in isolation; ignores the brief's purpose.
2
Needs Improvement
Starts designing before understanding the goal.
3
Satisfactory
Asks the right questions when prompted.
4
Very Good
Interrogates the brief up front and hands over cleanly.
5
Excellent
Converts vague brand language into a workable brief with compliance limits, hardware spec, coverage calculations, and per-site cost clearly stated.
Put this rubric to work
Score every candidate against the same standard
Add these weighted factors to Hirevire and let AI evaluate recorded answers against your rubric.
