We know about all the common interview questions, like “tell me about your educational background and previous position?”. While these questions are useful, they don’t give hiring managers a great sense of the candidate’s abilities and personality.
Instead of sticking to the most common job interview questions, it’s important to ask unique personal and behavioral interview questions that get the candidate thinking.
Here are a few examples of interview questions and answers that provide greater insights into job candidates. And whether they will be a good fit for the new position.
1. What has been your biggest career accomplishment so far?
This is often considered one of the best interview questions to ask candidates at a job interview.
By asking candidates for an example of their most significant projects or tasks they’ve accomplished, you get a good sense of the candidate’s strengths and successes. This is also one of the best interview questions to understand the candidate’s sense of ownership.
Hiring managers should pay attention to what kind of personal accomplishment the candidate has had when they answer. At the same time, they should also think about what value the candidate has added to the company they worked for in this accomplishment.
2. Give us an example of when you made a mistake?
When it comes to job interview questions, this one often catches candidates off guard. This is one of the reasons why it’s such a great question to ask during the hiring process.
The candidate’s answer will offer two things. First, it should show that they take ownership of their mistakes and are able to admit when they were at fault. Hiring managers can see through answers like “I worked too hard.” Everyone makes mistakes, so it’s important that candidates can own up to them.
Second, the answer should show that the candidate learned something from their mistake. This is an essential bit of knowledge for any interview process.
It’s ok if they messed up, but it’s important that they learn from it and are able to show this in the interview questions.
3. Could you explain something complicated to me in five minutes?
Any hiring managers aiming to get a sense of the candidate’s intelligence and ability to think on their feet should ask this question.
The answer will give the hiring manager a sense of how passionate and knowledgeable the candidate is about a certain topic. Their answer should also show how well the candidate can condense information and communicate effectively. This is important for any job description.
A good answer to this doesn’t have to relate to the job description. The candidate could explain anything, as long as they articulate their answer clearly. It also gives the hiring manager a good sense of their ability to understand complex subjects.
4. Who is the smartest person you know and why?
Interview questions like this give you a good sense of what the candidate values. It also shows how the candidate can quickly answer questions in a potentially stressful situation.
There is no wrong answer to this question, but the answer forces the candidate to come up with their own definition of what is smart.
The answer could also reveal the candidate’s desire to learn, how they hope to grow, and the level of their decision-making abilities. As a hiring manager, you will find that candidates will have very different answers to this interview question.
5. Tell me about difficult goals you have set in a previous position?
Any hiring manager wants to find a candidate who is results-driven and goal-oriented. This is one of the best interview questions to help find the right person. It’s also not one of the most common interview questions, so it gives candidates an opportunity to think on their feet.
The best answers to job interview questions like this will reveal the standard and ambition of the job applicants. Also, what they think difficult goals are, and how they have been able to accomplish them. Even if the candidate did not manage to achieve their goal, it shows that they are self-aware.
The only wrong answers to job interview questions like this would be when a candidate has not set themselves any professional goals in their last position.
6. Is there something you do in your current job that you would not like to do again?
This type of job interview question reveals what the candidate is genuinely interested in doing, and where they want to grow. This gives the hiring manager a good sense of the career path they want to take.
The best answers to this question could be tasks that are menial, understandably difficult, or unrelated to the candidate’s current position and career goals.
This can be one of the most revealing interview questions about what interests the candidate. And whether the position they’re interviewing for is suitable.
7. Do you have any questions?
This is an essential interview question to end on. It’s one of the most common job interview questions, as it reveals if the candidate has done research. It also shows whether they are passionate about the role.
Perhaps they want to know about the company culture, salary expectations, or what a career path at your company could look like. It’s important that they have questions about the work environment, job duties, technical skills required, or anything else relevant to the job description or the organization.
Summary
When using the interview questions above, they will provide some of the best insights for any job interview.
Beyond professional experience, each interview question reveals important skills, goals, and personality traits in a job interview. These interview questions highlight candidates’ abilities to solve problems, think on their feet, and display their true character.
Regardless of what the job entails, consider these questions to help you optimize your recruitment process.
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