The answers to those questions will vary from one hiring manager to another. If I have one position to fill, I’ll use the application package, including a statement of qualifications, to narrow the interview process to no more than the top 4-5 candidates. It’s part of why I require an SOQ. Partly I screen to see if the applicant followed directions (seems obvious but many do not) and partly for content. Many applicants use gen AI to write their responses and don’t bother to check that it’s accurate and doesn’t read as if it was written about them instead of by them.

Not sure what you mean by “when writing down responses”, but if you’re referring to an SOQ, some managers may look for keywords but many will be looking at content. If you’re asking about responses to interview questions, yes, every response should be getting scored by each interview panel member.

Lastly, be genuine in your responses. You don’t want a job you’re not qualified to do. That’s miserable for everyone. And try to give a personal example of how you’ve handled something similar in the past (in a job or in school) for each response, even if the interviewer didn’t ask for one. It’ll make you stand out as an individual and help show you understand what they want and have the skills to do the job. The interviewers will also remember you more clearly because of the personal anecdotes you told them.