Article Summary
🔍 Recruitment Requires Preparation: Plan ahead.
📝 Define Key Skills: Clearly outline the competencies you're looking for.
📊 Use a Recruitment Scorecard: Rank candidate selection criteria to streamline decision-making.
✅ Prepare Your Questions: Tailor questions from this curated list of 50 examples.
⭐ Leverage the STAR Method: Situation, Task, Action, and Result.
👂 Practice Active Listening: Candidate’s responses are essentials.
🤖 Use AI Tools: Try our interview questions generator and the Job Starter Kit.
7 Pre-Qualification or Phone Screening Interview Questions
The Screening Interview has a dual objective: it allows you to make an initial selection of candidates and, conversely, to motivate the best candidates to join you.
A 20-minute call or video chat should be enough to check the key criteria of your scorecard. You can pick from these interview questions. You’ll find even more questions in our comprehensive guide to the pre-qualification interview.
1 - Can you briefly introduce yourself and tell me what motivated you to apply?
This interview question gives you a concise overview of the candidate’s background and motivation. It’s also a great way to test their ability to summarize right from the start.
2 - When are you available to start this new position?
This is a crucial question to avoid unpleasant surprises regarding timing or commitment. If they are currently employed, their notice period can also be a good indicator of their current relationship with their employer.
3 - Why are you open to new opportunities ?
This helps you understand the candidate’s aspirations and reasons for seeking a new position. It also offers insight into the candidate’s professional vision and ambition.
4 - What are your salary expectations?
The goal here is to quickly determine whether the company and the candidate share a common negotiating range. You can also ask about their current salary to compare it with what other candidates have told you or with the company’s salary structure, if accessible.
5 - What types of contracts or working conditions do you prefer?
Permanent contract, fixed-term contract, remote work, etc. The idea is to verify whether the candidate’s expectations align with the position and the company’s internal policies.
6 - Do you have any geographical constraints or special requirements we should consider?
Often overlooked, this question helps prevent potential hiring roadblocks, such as commuting difficulties or the need to balance personal and professional life. Don’t hesitate to ask about their current job constraints to get a sense of the real situation. You don’t want a candidate to continue the hiring process if you know they clearly won’t be able to relocate, for instance.
7 - Are you currently in other hiring processes?
This interview question gives you an idea of the timeframe you have to continue the hiring process with this candidate. It also helps you sense whether they’re already in advanced discussions with other companies.
7 Interview Questions Related to the Candidate’s Experience
Rather than getting a standard, run-of-the-mill presentation of the candidate’s professional background, try steering the conversation using the STAR method. For each experience, ask questions that help you understand the Situation (context), the Task (goal to achieve), the Actions (steps taken to achieve it), and the Result (outcome). This way, you’ll get a tangible and comprehensive view of their actual experience.
8 – Can you describe your role and scope in your current job?
This interview question aims to understand what the candidate actually does at work, their scope of action, and their responsibilities. It’s also important to know how their company is organized for additional context. This is a good time to probe for skills and experience that may not have been visible prior to this call.
9 – How is your team organized?
If the candidate is in a management role, it’s important to know the size of the team and how the work is structured.
10 – Do you handle annual reviews, raises, and promotions for your team members?
Career management is a major managerial function. This question helps distinguish the candidate’s true level of responsibility. A candidate might claim to manage a team, but often the real answer to this question is “no.” In many cases, they may only have partial responsibility, acting more as a project lead or an operational manager for contractors.
11 – Who is your direct supervisor?
Getting the candidate to talk about their supervisor helps you understand their position within the organization. You can discern whether they hold a strategic role in the company or if they are more of an executor.
12 – What are your objectives in this position?
This question continues the detailed analysis of their actual responsibilities and scope. Moreover, it helps you gauge the candidate’s analytical mindset. If they use figures, ratios, or other clear, tangible elements, that’s a good sign.
13 – Do you consider that you have achieved your objectives?
Delve deeper here—don’t just accept superficial responses. If everything seems easy and successful, challenge the candidate to figure out whether the objectives are inherently easy to achieve or if the candidate has done something exceptionally well.
Try to connect the answers to this question with the reasons the candidate is open to new opportunities. A candidate might be leaving due to a lack of current results, or they might be seeking greater responsibilities—if so, can you realistically offer that? If a candidate says, “I’m bored; I’ve done all I can here,” it could signal that they were unable to be promoted internally because of insufficient skills.
14 – What is your greatest success, and what is your biggest failure?
It’s interesting to understand what the candidate considers a success or failure in their professional journey. Are they referring to technical matters or interpersonal relationships? Try to identify what they find challenging and compare it to the skills you’re looking for. Regarding their failure, dig deeper by asking how they overcame the difficulty.
5 Interview Questions to Evaluate Professional Goals
A candidate’s professional goals reveal their long-term vision and ambition. Now is the time to understand what they are looking for in the long term, allowing you to gauge how well their personal aspirations align with the role’s prospects.
15 – What are your short-, medium-, and long-term professional goals?
This question aims to determine the structure and clarity of the candidate’s career path. Evaluate whether their goals are realistic and relevant. It’s also a good time to understand if they prefer taking on more managerial responsibilities, specializing further, or developing new skills. Check if the position and its future potential align with these expectations.
16 – How would you assess your career progression so far?
This interview question encourages the candidate to take a step back and analyze their achievements and challenges. A clear-eyed view of one’s own path demonstrates good self-evaluation skills.
17 – Can you mention a goal you’ve achieved that made you particularly proud?
This is a chance to see if the candidate knows how to celebrate successes, learn from experiences, and build on victories to move forward.
18 – What motivates you the most in pursuing your professional goals?
Passion, thirst for learning, a sense of challenge, or desire for recognition: understanding a person’s intrinsic motivators is essential for maintaining long-term motivation. This question is particularly interesting if the interview is conducted directly by the candidate’s future manager.
19 – What impact do you hope to have on your team or your industry through your career goals?
A team member who can project beyond their individual interest demonstrates a collaborative spirit and even potential leadership.
7 Interview Questions to Evaluate Hard Skills (Technical Skills)
Now, you want to verify that the candidate has the knowledge and know-how required for the role. You should have previously listed these hard skills in your scorecard and prioritized them by importance for a solid candidate assessment.
To avoid giving you overly generic interview questions to ask candidates that might not fit your situation, we’ll provide examples for evaluating specific technical skills. Feel free to use these as inspiration to design your own questions to test other competencies.
20 – What are the steps involved in creating a product? Skill to evaluate: Product Management.
A solid answer would differentiate between discovery (defining the problem and solution with users) and delivery (developing the solution). The candidate should also mention collaboration with technical teams. This question lets you see if the candidate is hesitant on the theoretical aspects of the job. A case study can supplement this initial response.
21 – Describe the customers in one of your previous roles. What ideas could you propose to improve their satisfaction? Skill to evaluate: Customer Focus.
Candidates who can talk about their customers and put themselves in their customers’ shoes are often best at finding solutions or moving mountains to keep them happy. This question also shows whether the candidate stays informed about customer needs and feedback.
22 – Your first task is to review the pricing policy for our products or services. How would you develop your recommendations? Skill to test: Business Sense.
Some possible answers: comparing prices to competitors, analyzing profit margins, discussing with the sales teams, segmenting customers, and analyzing the added or perceived value for the client.
23 – A company notices a sudden drop in sales of a flagship product. How would you diagnose the cause? Skill to test: Analytical Thinking.
Observe how they structure their reasoning, formulate hypotheses, and identify the first indicators to investigate. Possible approaches include analyzing historical sales data to see when the decline began and considering whether it aligns with the emergence of a competitor, a product quality issue, or a shift in customer behavior. Potential hypotheses include: price too high vs. competitors, problems in the customer acquisition journey, logistics issues, etc.
24 – Are you comfortable working with numbers? Skill to test: Analytical Thinking.
A straightforward question works well here. People who aren’t comfortable with numbers are usually worried it will be obvious anyway. Honesty tends to prevail.
25 – Tell me about a complex task you’ve automated recently, ideally using generative AI. Skill to test: Operations, Automation & AI.
This is a very practical question that evaluates the candidate’s ability to identify areas for improvement and implement relevant technical solutions. Ideally, they should describe the initial problem, the productivity goal, the process, and the tools they used.
26 – Someone on your team is underperforming, and you’re starting to consider termination. How do you handle this situation? Skill to evaluate: Management.
This question helps distinguish more junior profiles from experienced managers. A common approach is to discuss the issue directly with the employee, keeping the feedback as factual as possible: explain clearly why objectives haven’t been met. Then listen to the employee to understand the obstacles and develop an action plan to reverse the trend.
7 Interview Questions to Evaluate Soft Skills (Behavioral Skills)
Behavioral skills, also known as soft skills, are often the differentiating factor when hiring a new team member. Beyond purely technical abilities, these skills directly influence team cohesion, decision-making, and the ability to manage complex situations. It’s crucial to assess the candidate’s personality throughout the interview in all their responses. Similar to hard skills, here are some targeted behavioral interview questions for specific soft skills, which you can use for inspiration.
27 – Do you have a mentor? Do you exchange ideas with people inside or outside your company to learn new methods? Skill to evaluate: Personal Development.
Direct questions are a great way to gauge personal development skills. Adaptation is key in any role. Candidates who actively pursue learning are an asset to your company. Additionally, being part of an expert network is a major differentiator.
28 – How do you keep yourself informed and educated? Podcasts, books, press, events? Skill to evaluate: Personal Development.
This question shares the same goal as the previous one. It also lets you gauge the candidate’s interest in innovation based on the types of media they mention.
29 – What has been the biggest challenge of your career, and how did you handle it? Skill to evaluate: Commitment.
How someone overcomes a tough situation and seeks solutions without giving up says a lot about their level of commitment.
30 – Tell me about a collective success you experienced with a team. Skill to evaluate: Team Spirit.
Teams are the backbone of a company’s success. This skill often appears as essential in scorecards. If the candidate can’t give you an example or speaks only in the first person, you should take note. Be sure to interpret how they describe the success and discuss their colleagues.
31 – How do you react if your manager suddenly asks you to change your priorities? Skill to evaluate: Adaptability.
A good answer might involve verifying the impact on other tasks, talking with the manager about urgency, and adapting according to the company’s priorities. If the candidate remains fixated on their original plan without considering what’s best for the project and the company, that’s not a good sign.
32 – How do you respond when a colleague questions your ideas or decisions? Skill to evaluate: Acceptance of Criticism.
How the candidate handles pushback or criticism speaks volumes about their professional maturity. An individual who is open to dialogue, constructive feedback, and who can change their mind if presented with strong evidence will adapt well in a team. The most important thing is not being “right” but doing what benefits the project.
33 – Have you ever challenged a directive because you thought it was wrong? How did you manage that situation? Skill to evaluate: Boldness.
A candidate who is proactive and able to stand up for their convictions can have a positive influence on a team. Make sure they use data or logic to support their arguments. They should also always aim to propose solutions rather than just highlight problems.
7 Interview Questions to Evaluate the Candidate’s Motivation
When an interview question focuses on determination and engagement, it aims to understand the deep reasons driving the candidate to join your company or to shift toward a particular sector. A truly motivated team member stands out because they will have done their homework on your company and will display genuine enthusiasm.
34 – Why are you interested in this position and our company?
The candidate should show they’ve done some research and are already invested. Pay attention to their knowledge of your corporate culture, values, or recent projects.
35 – What do you hope to accomplish during your first few months on the team?
This interview question reveals the candidate’s initial goals and priorities. You’ll see if they have a clear vision of their future tasks and if their ambitions align with the operational realities of your company.
36 – What are the decisive factors for you when choosing a new position?
Salary, growth opportunities, work environment, varied responsibilities: understanding what really motivates the candidate helps determine if they’ll thrive in your setting.
37 – What specific challenges are you looking for in this position?
A truly motivated candidate will have a clear idea of the issues and responsibilities they’re interested in. They’re not here by chance; they have a purpose.
38 – Why are you leaving your current job?
The answer here is critical to understand whether the candidate is running away from a situation or looking for a new opportunity. A constructive explanation that highlights a desire to take on new challenges is generally a good sign of motivation. However, watch out for candidates who weren’t offered anything new in their current job due to missing key skills.
39 – Can you tell us about a project or experience that really excited you?
Talking about something they’re passionate about reveals the candidate’s true motivational drivers: technological innovation, teamwork, handling complex projects, etc. You’ll see if their interests align with what your company offers.
40 – What are your primary satisfaction triggers at work?
Intrinsic motivators can vary widely: recognition, intellectual challenges, work-life balance, positive social impact, and more. Identifying these will help you assess how well the candidate will fit into your company culture.
3 Interview Questions About Values and Company Culture
When an interview question touches on values and company culture, it goes far beyond verifying technical competencies. These questions help determine whether the candidate shares your organization’s core beliefs and whether they can thrive in your ecosystem.
41 – Which core values do you look for in a team?
A candidate who values collaboration, transparency, or mutual respect is more likely to integrate well. Understanding their moral compass sheds light on how well their ethics align with your company’s. A natural alignment will ease integration and reduce friction in collective decision-making.
42 – What type of company culture makes you feel most comfortable?
Everyone has preferences: some people thrive in highly structured environments, while others prefer a more flexible approach to management. This interview question helps you gauge the compatibility between the environment you offer and the candidate’s expectations.
43 – What initiatives have you taken to improve workplace well-being in your previous roles?
This question shows the candidate’s commitment to fostering a positive work environment. Do they play an active role or remain passive when it comes to such improvements?
7 Original or Unexpected Interview Questions
Sometimes, asking an offbeat interview question can provide fresh insight into a candidate’s personality and creativity. Stepping out of the usual framework forces them to show spontaneity, adaptability, and even a sense of humor. It’s also an opportunity to build a good rapport with the candidate. Remember, you’re also trying to persuade them to join your company.
44 – If you could have dinner with three people (famous or not), who would you choose and why?
This question invites the candidate to reveal themselves through their passions, aspirations, or role models. You’ll learn more about their interests and vision of excellence.
45 – Which superpower would you like to have to excel in your work?
Behind the fantasy, you can identify the type of skills the candidate values. Wanting to read minds or be in two places at once speaks volumes about their work style and efficiency needs.
46 – Tell us about your biggest win that’s not related to your professional life.
They may be a passionate athlete, a dedicated volunteer, or a self-taught artist. This question helps you discover an aspect of the candidate’s life that might not come up otherwise, revealing traits like perseverance or creativity.
47 – If you could go back in time and change just one decision in your career, which would it be?
This helps you see the candidate’s ability to self-reflect and learn from past mistakes. It also highlights their resilience and their desire to improve.
48 – How would you react if you found out that our company suddenly decided to diversify into a completely different field?
This tests the candidate’s adaptability and curiosity. Openness to major changes can be a strength in an environment driven by innovation or market fluctuations.
49 – Which object on your desk best represents you, and why?
This question encourages the candidate to step back and potentially show self-awareness or humor. It also reveals more about their personal organization, motivation, and values.
50 – What’s the last thing you learned that has no direct link to your profession?
This explores the candidate’s curiosity, open-mindedness, and willingness to step outside their comfort zone. It can also reveal how they keep their mind active and continue learning overall.
Feel free to select one or more of these interview questions based on the skills and information you’d like to verify. Remember that for a successful recruitment, the most important element isn’t the question itself but actively listening to the answer—and using that insight to complete your scorecard.
🎁 To help you out, we’ve created a small Interview Questions Generator. The questions are personalized according to your job description and the candidate’s profile.
🧰 You can also try our Job Starter Kit product. It guides you through every stage of your hiring process.