The best interview questions to ask candidates are direct and job-specific, allowing you to learn more about the candidate’s skills and education. These also help show what the candidates can bring to the position and your company.
We’ve provided a downloadable template of our interview questions to ask candidates when interviewing for your open positions. Additionally, you can download interview questions that are specific to your open positions. You can customize the template to ask the questions most important to your business and write down candidate answers.
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Need help hiring? ZipRecruiter is a full-service job board and applicant tracking system that will post your open positions to over 100 job boards and track your candidates from start to finish.
Culture/Company Fit Questions
Any candidate you are considering hiring must be a good fit for your company and its established culture to ensure that they can work well with their peers. Ask the candidate why they want to work for your company and learn more about what motivates them.
1. Why do you want to work for our company in this role? What do you know about the company?
Asking the candidate what they know about your company and why they want to work for you helps you understand if the candidate did their research before the interview. Applicants who are serious about the jobs they apply for typically do some research about the company and find out what the culture is like.
2. What makes you uniquely qualified for this role?
You have probably already read their resumes which outline their education, skills, and qualifications for the role, which is why you decided to interview them. However, the candidate may have unique qualities that will make them an asset to the position. Asking them what unique qualities they possess can help you understand how they feel they will fit into the role and the company.
3. How do you envision your first thirty days on the job?
This question lets you see how much the candidate understands about the job requirements, how they envision working with current employees, and what their career goals are. This will also let you see where their priorities align, such as if they are interested in getting to know their coworkers or if they have aspirations of advancing quickly.
4. What is your ideal work schedule?
This question will tell you if the candidate is looking for a traditional 9-5 position, wants to work remotely, or is after a flexible schedule. Knowing their ideal work schedule will help you understand if the candidate will be happy working with your company during your peak business hours, or whether you need to consider a different schedule for the right employee.
Your company may only offer one schedule—and if so, that is ok. You can eliminate this question during your interview. Or, you can still ask, in case your business hours change in the future.
Adaptability/Behavioral Questions
Measuring adaptability can help you assess a candidate’s ability to adjust to new situations and handle change. This is especially crucial information for companies that tend to pivot frequently.
5. Describe a project where you exceeded expectations.
Knowing how the candidate went beyond expectations can show you how they put forth every effort to make their deliverables excellent. You can glean information from this question about how steadfast the candidate may be in fulfilling their responsibilities. Those who produce results beyond expectations usually care a great deal about their work—and these are the candidates you want working with you.
6. What motivates you to do your best work?
Every individual is motivated to do their best work through different methods—praise, constructive criticism, feedback, and more. Knowing what method helps the candidate to work at their highest capacity can help you understand if they will fit well with your company culture. Be sure to not only ask what motivates them but have them explain why.
Personal Growth Questions
Understanding a candidate’s strengths and career goals can help you determine if they are right for your open position. Stick to questions that allow the candidate to provide a deeper thought-out answer.
7. What are your career goals in direct relation to this job position?
This is a better question than “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” because it allows the candidate to tell you where they would like their professional development to go with your company. This question can also let you know if the candidate has leadership qualities; however, if they answer they want to own the company, then they may have an overarching goal that doesn’t align with your needs.
8. How do you envision growth in your position?
This is like the question you will ask during the second and third interviews, where you want to know their career goals. However, this takes it a step further to discuss how they envision growth in the position. This will clue you in on their leadership style and ability to see beyond just the job description.
9. What motivates you to continue to grow in your career?
Like how the candidate envisions their growth is knowing what motivates them to grow in their career. If they lack the motivation to strive for advancement, then their position with your company could become stagnant, leading to decreased effort and production. However, if they have a desire to grow, they can be a real asset to the company and potentially move into a leadership role.
Work Ethic/Process Approach Questions
These interview questions are designed to get a more in-depth understanding of how the candidate would succeed in their role. Consider holding panel interviews with decision-makers and team members who will work directly with the candidate. You will also want to ask job-specific questions during this stage.
10. How do you prioritize your daily tasks?
While this question does not give you insight into the skills the candidate may have to complete the job, it does let you know how the candidate thinks about their daily tasks. Ask them to elaborate on any area that they don’t provide enough information on. For instance, if the candidate says they perform important tasks first, ask them how they determine which tasks are the most important. This will allow you to see how well the candidate is at critical thinking.
11. What motivates you to be successful in your role?
This question will show you what specifically you can do to keep this candidate motivated. Don’t just let them answer with a canned list of motivators, such as money or reward. Ask them to elaborate on why those things motivate them. By elaborating on their answers, the candidate may give you insights into how they find innovative solutions to problems, how they work with others, and how they feel their contributions make an impact on the company’s bottom line.
12. Do you prefer to work independently or within a team? How does this look? Describe your style of working with a team or on a group project.
Some employees prefer to work individually, while others prefer to work in a team environment. There is no right or wrong answer—but this can help you understand how the candidate can best get projects completed. Even if the candidate prefers to work individually, they will inevitably work on a team project at some point, so it is a good idea to ask them how they would handle that situation.
Problem-solving and Critical Thinking Questions
These types of questions will help you see the process the candidate goes through to solve problems. This will show you how the candidate moves past obstacles to complete assignments.
13. Describe a project that you are proud of. How did you overcome any obstacles during this project? What was the outcome?
This allows a candidate to showcase their skills and abilities and to tell you about a project that excited them. With this question, the candidate can give you insight into how they work on projects, how they prioritize tasks within the project, and how they like to be rewarded for their efforts.
14. How do you organize a project to ensure you incorporate all needed information and ensure a timely delivery?
This question piggybacks on the question of having the candidate walk you through a project they are proud of. This goes a bit deeper to allow the candidate to explain how their skills are used to solve critical problems and ensure the project is completed on time. This can also allow you to see how the candidate works with others on a team.
If you decide to move forward with the candidate after the interview stage, I recommend asking the candidate to complete a sample project that’s directly related to the work they will be doing for your company. This will allow you to get a first-hand look at the type of skills they possess and if they can complete the assignment promptly. You may want to compensate for the project, as candidates may deliver better results when they know they will be paid.
Communication and Interpersonal Skills Questions
Communication and how your employees relate to each other is important for a successful company culture. The questions can help you learn more about the candidate’s communication style and if they would be a natural fit for your culture.
15. Tell me about a time you’ve had to discuss a project scope change with a client or superior and the outcome of this discussion.
At some point in their careers, most individuals have had to change the direction of a project. Asking the candidate to share how they went about telling the client or their boss about the change will show you how they deal with uncomfortable situations.
16. Name two of your top strengths and describe how you can use those strengths in this job role.
While we normally recommend steering clear of the strengths and weaknesses questions, asking the candidate how their strengths align with the job description can help you learn the soft skills the candidate has that will help them succeed in the job role. This can also point to where the potential employee may need additional training and development in the future.
Skills-assessment Questions
These questions will help you learn more about the candidate, what motivated them to apply for the open position, and if they have the skills and experience required to fill the role. If you feel they may be a good fit, you can move them to the next stage in the interview process.
17. Tell me about your skills in (insert crucial skill for the role).
Along with knowing the skills the candidate has that support the position they are applying for, you may also want to know how long they’ve been in practice with those skills. You may ask, “How many years of experience do you have, and how would you rate yourself on a 1-10 scale, with 10 being an expert?”
18. Tell me why your past experience, skills, and/or educational background make you the perfect candidate for this position.
Give the candidate another opportunity to explain the skills and educational background they have for the position they are applying for. This can reiterate anything they’ve said before and give you a clearer picture of what they will be capable of accomplishing in the role.
Steer clear of asking “Why should I hire you?” because this question will not provide the details you need.
19. Can you walk me through your resume and explain your employment background and how it relates to this position?
When a candidate goes through their resume and explains their past employment history, they will likely not just read from the resume but go into further detail about their experience. This will help you understand how they are qualified for the position and allow them to explain what certain titles or responsibilities mean.
20. What was it about the job description that caught your eye?
This question will allow the candidate to explain the skills and experience they may possess for the job you are trying to fill. It will also let you know if the candidate has done their research and has knowledge of the job description of the position.
More often than not, candidates apply to so many jobs that they may not even know what they are applying for. You are more likely to find a dedicated employee in a candidate who has done their research and is aware of the position they are applying for.
Leadership Potential Questions
These questions can help you understand if the candidate is capable of becoming a leader in your company. Get to know how the candidate motivates others to succeed and their style of leadership.
21. How would you describe your leadership style?
Not every candidate will be a leader in your business. However, this question is good for any potential employee to give some insight into their management style. This will help you understand if the candidate has empathy or leads with a direct and decisive style.
22. How do you motivate others?
Part of managing a team is being able to motivate them to complete their tasks. This question will help you identify how the candidate communicates and their delegation style. You can also use this question to determine if the candidate will be a good cultural fit with your current team.
23. How do you monitor the performance of your direct reports?
This question helps you understand the candidate’s performance management style and the methods used to gauge performance. A good leader will use a combination of ways to monitor performance, such as one-on-one conversations, team meetings, and performance metrics to monitor progress.
Candidate Expectation Questions
Once your candidate has gone through a series of interviews, and you are close to making a hiring decision, it is a good idea to ask direct questions about the candidate’s expectations.
24. What are your salary requirements or expectations?
Knowing if the candidate’s salary requirements align with what you are willing to pay is crucial. It is also important information to know upfront. It would be a waste of both your time and the candidate’s time to go through several rounds of interviews just to find out that you are not on the same page when it comes to salary.
Be sure not to ask the candidate what their salary is at their current job. This could violate laws associated with salary history bans in several states.
Expert Tip: Some states require you to include a salary range in your job posting. Although the candidate may have transparency into the expected pay of the position, it’s still a good idea to ask them what they want or expect as pay.
25. When will you be available to start?
Unless you have a specific day you want the candidate to begin work, always allow them the opportunity to tell you when they are available to begin. Some candidates may be ready to start immediately, some may need to provide a 2-week notice, and others, especially those in top executive positions, may need to give a month to 2-month notice to their current employer.
26. Do you have any questions?
Always allow candidates to ask questions after interviews. This not only shows you care about what they have to say, but it will also give you some insight into what type of environment and culture the candidates are interested in.
Job-specific Interview Questions
As stated, the best interview questions are specific to the industry or position the candidate is applying for. This will help you gauge whether the candidate can complete the tasks of the position. We’ve broken down these job-specific interview questions into categories according to common roles you might hire for.
Being an administrative assistant is a multitasking-heavy job. There are certain skills that an administrative assistant must possess to succeed in their role. Here are some solid questions that you should ask every administrative assistant candidate:
- Tell me about a time you had to complete multiple projects at one time for a deadline. How did you prioritize your tasks to complete them by the deadline?
- Why do you think you’d be the right administrative assistant for me/for this office?
- Walk me through a typical day in the role of an administrative assistant.
- What do you enjoy most about administrative work?
- What software and office equipment knowledge do you have that will help you succeed in this role?
- Describe a situation where discretion was required of you and how you handled the situation.
Information technology (IT) roles are highly skilled and technical. Candidates in the IT field typically possess skills and knowledge in data analysis, problem-solving, computer security, analytics, and technology. Ask your candidates the following top interview questions:
- Describe a time when you worked in a group on a technical project. What was the outcome?
- What programming languages do you know?
- How would you handle a client situation where the deliverable deadline is approaching and your team members may not be available to help?
- If you had to design a program from scratch, what steps would you take? How would you ensure the data being entered has zero or minimal errors?
If you are interviewing candidates who will manage a team, you will want to be thorough in the questions you ask relating to their management experience and style.
- What is your management style?
- Tell me about a time you had to give someone difficult feedback. How did you handle it?
- As a manager in this role, you will lead a team of (insert #) people. What specifically will you do during year one to help ensure they each become more valuable to the company and stronger performers overall?
- Tell me about a time you had someone on your team who was a challenge. What did you do to manage them and how did the situation turn out?
- What is your experience with hiring and terminating employees?
- Why do you like to manage people?
Whether you are hiring a Social Media Manager or a Head of Marketing, hone in on your candidate’s ability to turn marketing ideas and thoughts into new business for your company. Here are the best interview questions that can give you insight into whether a marketing candidate can thrive at your company.
- What is the ROI (return on investment) on marketing campaign(s) that you’ve led, designed, or otherwise participated in? What lessons did you learn from them?
- What blogs and resources do you follow online to keep up with the industry?
- Walk me through your process of a marketing campaign from start to finish. What steps do you take to get results?
- Do you have experience building social media channels and an online presence? What do you think works or does not work?
- How do you deal with a project that’s gone over budget or pushed past the deadline?
Real estate agents must possess certain skills to succeed, such as project management, leadership, active listening, negotiation, and more. For the candidate to be successful in this role, they must possess these skills and have experience to back them up.
Start by asking the following questions:
- Why do you want to work as a real estate agent?
- How many transactions did you close in the past year?
- From which lead generation source did you see the best ROI?
- How will you help grow your business (through our agency)?
- How would you use the internet, video tours, and social media to sell a property?
- Tell me about a time you struggled to build a relationship with a client. What would you have done differently?
- What do you find most challenging when you accompany prospective clients on showings? Why?
Recruiting a good salesperson (or business development manager, depending on your industry) is key to growing your business, as they directly impact your business’s bottom line. This includes increased customer satisfaction, streamlining of products and services, and offering a unique value proposition. Ask potential sales employees the following questions:
- How do you divide your time between cultivating current clients and searching for new ones?
- What approach do you take when you are having difficulty closing the deal?
- In your opinion, what can our company do to improve sales?
- What is the difference between a short and long sales cycle?
- At what point do you stop pursuing a potential client?
- Explain your sales process from start to finish.
Importance of Asking the Right Interview Questions
Asking your candidates the right interview questions allows you to understand their abilities and skills as they align with your open roles. Instead of asking generic questions, you should ask questions that bring out the candidate’s true character and values, and allow them to give authentic answers.
I recommend asking questions using the STAR method:
- Situation: Ask the candidate to describe a difficult situation or project they were involved in.
- Task: Have the candidate explain what tasks were required, who was involved, and what each individual’s roles and responsibilities were.
- Action: Follow up with the steps the candidate took to complete the project or handle the situation.
- Results: What was the outcome of the situation or project and how did it affect the company?
The STAR method allows you to view the critical thinking process the candidate goes through from start to finish when handling tough situations or projects.
Tips for Conducting Interviews
Effective interviews require preparation. To ensure you have all the tools and information needed to conduct a thorough interview, follow the tips below.
- Ask your candidates strategic interview questions. This can make the interviewing and hiring process easier by focusing on the position and skills needed rather than asking the same questions for every position.
- Conduct different types of interviews to get the best results. These include panel interviews, phone interviews, and video interviews.
- Structure your interview questions depending on the job title and requirements of the position. These may include a structured interview or behavioral interview.
- Do not ask the candidate any illegal interview questions. Also, keep in mind the worst interview questions to ask a candidate, as these can be just as damaging for your company’s reputation.
- Consider keeping an interview evaluation scorecard on each candidate. That way, you have a document you can refer back to when making a hiring decision.
- Once the interview is completed, let the candidate know what the next steps are and follow through. A good candidate experience moves beyond just interviewing with a company, it means notifying the candidate of future interviews or composing a job rejection letter.
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