In my previous post, I talked about why it’s important to ask interviewees multiple types of questions. In this post, I’ll talk about some specific questions that are particularly effective.
One thing that you can do in interviews is to ask behavioral questions — that is, questions that ask the candidate to describe what they did in a particular situation in their past job. Behavioral questions are useful because they reveal a lot about a candidate’s soft skills (like communication and adaptability), which are often difficult to evaluate through other means.
Another type of question that’s very useful is situational questions — these are questions that present hypothetical scenarios to candidates and ask them how they would respond. Situational questions test on-the-spot thinking in hypothetical situations; they’re especially useful when you want to know whether someone will be able to make good decisions quickly without being able to rely on past experience.
A third type of question is skill-based questions — these are questions that assess someone’s personality, experience, or expertise directly. Skill-based questions can be used to gauge both hard skills (like technical competence) and soft skills (like work style).
Finally, there are motivation and self-awareness questions. These kinds of questions are useful for determining whether a candidate is a good fit for your company culture, and whether they have the potential to grow within the role.
When using these types of questions together, you get a more complete picture of the candidate than if you use only one format. For example, behavioral questions can help you understand a candidate’s problem-solving abilities and flexibility, but they might not give you much information about whether the candidate has the right attitude for the role. Motivation and self-awareness questions can tell you whether the candidate is genuinely interested in the role, and whether they think they’re capable of doing the job well. But those questions don’t tell you whether the candidate is actually capable of doing the job well.
By mixing different types of questions, you get a fuller picture of the candidate’s qualifications, motivations, and cultural fit.
Motivation
The first question I always ask interviewees is:
“What drew you to this role?”
This question helps me surface whether the candidate is genuinely interested in the role, or just searching for any job. It also tells me whether the opportunity fits with what the candidate actually wants to do.
Behavioral Obstacle
I also ask interviewees to describe a time when they encountered a major obstacle at work, and discuss how they managed it:
“Share a time when you encountered a major obstacle at work and discuss how you managed it.”
These types of questions are called “behavioral questions” because they dig into a candidate’s specific past professional situations. The idea behind behavioral questions is that people tend to act consistently over time, so looking at how they’ve handled similar situations in the past can give us a good idea of how they’ll handle them in the future. Behavioral questions are designed to reveal a candidate’s soft skills, like problem-solving, flexibility, and initiative. The key here is to ask thorough questions and get detailed responses from the candidate.
Self-Directed Learning
I also ask interviewees to describe something they had to teach themselves recently:
“Tell me about something you had to teach yourself recently. What was it? How did you go about it? What kind of resources did you use?”
This question is sourced from a manager on Reddit who says it’s one of the best questions he’s asked or been asked. This question exposes a candidate’s self-directed learning method and resourcefulness. While many employers ask candidates to describe things they learned at school or college, few ask about things they taught themselves. Teaching yourself requires more initiative, so this question gives you an idea of how proactive a candidate is.
Self-Awareness
I also ask interviewees about their strengths and areas for improvement:
“What would you say is your strongest attribute?”
“What are your areas for improvement?”
“How do you make the most of your skills in your job?”
These questions prompt genuine self-reflection and indicate the likelihood of growth within a role. Candidates who answer honestly and thoughtfully usually have a good sense of themselves and where they need to improve. They may also be more likely to take steps to improve themselves once hired.
Situational Questions
There are times when situational questions are the right choice. Situational questions place a candidate in a hypothetical scenario and ask how they’d respond. Situational questions are especially suited for roles requiring quick, independent decision-making. Sales, customer service, and management are examples of such roles.
While behavioral questions focus on reasoning, situational questions primarily test a candidate’s ability to reason under pressure. Situational questions are useful for testing a candidate’s ability to think quickly and independently.
Leadership and Initiative
I also ask interviewees whether they’ve ever led a team or taken on a leadership role:
“Have you ever led a team or taken on a leadership role?”
This is a behavioral probe for initiative and leadership soft skills. A candidate doesn’t necessarily need a formal title to demonstrate leadership ability. Leadership is demonstrated by actions, not titles.
Career Aspirations
I also ask interviewees about their aspirations for the future in their career:
“What are your aspirations for the future in your career?”
Career goals and motivation are treated as a distinct category. This question reveals whether the role realistically fits the candidate’s long-term trajectory. Understanding where the candidate wants to go shows whether the role is a good fit right now.
Company Knowledge
I also ask interviewees about the company’s long-term goals and how the position contributes to achieving them:
“What are the company's long-term goals and how does this position contribute to achieving them?”
“How does the company measure success for someone in this role, and what are the key metrics?”
These questions fall into a distinct category: questions to assess company knowledge and interest. These questions reveal whether the candidate has done meaningful research. If a candidate hasn’t done any research, they probably won’t ask these questions.
Skill-Based Questions
There are also skill-based questions that evaluate things that behavioral questions leave uncovered, particularly around technical competence and work style. Skill-based questions assess personality, experience, and expertise directly. They’re designed to gauge both hard and soft skills. They fill gaps that behavioral questions leave around technical competence.