25 Interview Questions To Ask A Job Candidate

Anyone who has ever interviewed a job candidate understands that it can be a daunting task.

Knowing the right questions to ask is critical to identifying the right fit for your organization.

Interviewing is a skill that is developed with practice and being prepared for the interview is an important first step.

The goal of interview questions is to get the candidate talking, sharing and expressing themselves.

It is important to get to know the candidate so asking probing questions to get them to open up and share is crucial.

Matching the right questions with the job candidate can help facilitate a conversation that can clarify if a candidate is a good fit for the job you are interviewing for.

The interviewer should speak minimally until all questions are answered and probing is complete.

Asking for examples and drilling down on answers can help provide the best possible information about the candidate.

25 Sample Interview Questions

1. Please tell me what makes you interested in working for XYZ Business?

2. What makes you interested in this particular job?

3. What is your understanding of the mission and vision of XYZ Business?

4. Tell me what you do in your current position?

5. Tell me about a time you identified an improvement opportunity for your employer.

6. Describe the best boss you’ve ever had.

7. Describe the most difficult boss you’ve ever had.

8. If I called your boss today, tell me how he would describe you as an employee.

9. What would your former boss say your strengths are?

10. What would your former boss say your weaknesses are?

11. What did your former boss say at your last performance appraisal?

12. Tell me how you scored on prior performance appraisals.

13. Tell me about a time when your supervisor coached you on performance.

14. Describe the performance management process with your former employer?

15. What are your strengths?

16. What are your personal growth opportunities?

17. Tell me about some employee goals you’ve had to accomplish?

18. Have you worked in a team environment in any prior job? If yes, please describe how that team functioned.

19. What is your personal approach to conflict resolution?

20. Tell me about a time you had conflict with a co-worker and how you resolved it.

21. Have you had customer service training in the past?

22. Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult customer and how you resolved the issue.

23. Do you have any personal goals?

24. Where would you like to be professionally in five years?

25. What are your professional goals?

This is a standard list of interview questions. Some may be more applicable for some candidates than others and some may be industry specific.

Prepare for the interview by determining which questions are the most appropriate for the job you are interviewing for.

Get prepared by reviewing the candidate’s application, resume and the above interview questions and you will be well on your way to facilitating an effective interview conversation.

What other questions do you like to ask job candidates?