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
Technique and experimental design
35% weight
Test command of sensory test design: triangle, duo-trio and tetrad discrimination, QDA or Spectrum descriptive panels, ISO 8586 assessor screening, and threshold work on spike-in reference standards.
Evidence to listen for
Runs the assays and instruments themselves rather than describing what a team does
Designs experiments with controls, replicates, and a stated hypothesis
Knows what each technique can and cannot resolve
Understands the science, not only the protocol
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Protocol follower with no experimental design; cannot justify controls.
2
Needs Improvement
Runs standard assays; designs experiments poorly or not at all.
3
Satisfactory
Competent at the bench with sound routine design.
4
Very Good
Designs rigorous experiments and understands the limits of each technique.
5
Excellent
Names the discrimination test chosen for a given question, justifies panelist numbers and alpha/beta risk, and cites ISO or ASTM protocols.
02
Evaluation factor
Results that went somewhere
25% weight
Probe cases where their tasting data changed a decision: shelf-life cutoffs, taint investigations, supplier ingredient swaps, or reformulations validated against a gold standard control.
Evidence to listen for
Names projects where their results changed a decision, a process, or a product
States their own contribution rather than the group's
Has taken something from bench to a larger scale, a filing, or a publication
Knows what happened to the work after they handed it over
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
No results that went anywhere; work is entirely exploratory.
2
Needs Improvement
Contributed to projects but cannot say what their data changed.
3
Satisfactory
Real contributions; outcomes described loosely.
4
Very Good
Names results that changed a decision, with clear personal scope.
5
Excellent
Cites specific products where sensory findings blocked release, extended shelf life, or resolved an off-note traced to packaging or raw material.
03
Evaluation factor
Troubleshooting and reproducibility
25% weight
Assess how they handle drifting panels, poor panelist reproducibility, carryover between samples, and disagreement between sensory scores and instrumental data such as GC-MS or texture analyser results.
Evidence to listen for
Treats a failed run as information rather than bad luck
Isolates reagent, instrument, operator, and biological causes systematically
Knows why a result failed to reproduce and can say when their own data was wrong
Keeps records good enough to diagnose from months later
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Repeats failed runs unchanged; no diagnostic thinking.
2
Needs Improvement
Troubleshoots by substitution; cannot explain a reproducibility failure.
3
Satisfactory
Solid troubleshooting on familiar assays.
4
Very Good
Systematic isolation of causes, and honest about their own irreproducible results.
5
Excellent
Describes recalibrating panels with reference spikes, tracking individual performance stats, and reconciling panel scores against analytical or consumer data.
04
Evaluation factor
Documentation and collaboration
15% weight
Look for evidence of panel SOPs, booth and lighting controls, data capture in Compusense, FIZZ or EyeQuestion, plus HACCP or BRCGS documentation and specification sign-off with production.
Evidence to listen for
Keeps records to the standard the setting requires, whether that is GLP, GMP, or a defensible notebook
Writes up so someone else can repeat the work
Works with process, quality, or clinical colleagues rather than in a bench silo
Explains a result to a non-specialist without overclaiming
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Records would not survive audit; work is not repeatable from them.
2
Needs Improvement
Documentation is thin; write-ups need heavy editing.
3
Satisfactory
Adequate records and write-ups; collaboration is limited.
4
Very Good
Audit-standard records and clear communication across functions.
5
Excellent
Maintains versioned sensory SOPs and lexicons, logs panel performance for audits, and briefs QA, NPD and production in language each team acts on.
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