After sourcing candidates and screening resumes for experience and skills, the interviewing phase of the hiring process is key to assessing a candidate’s overall fit with the role, company culture, and long term vision of the organization.

To interview effectively, it’s crucial that you use a range of interview questions that help to get a comprehensive view of the candidate’s character, past experiences, motivations and future goals.


The following interview techniques are common techniques employers use:

Basic interview questions

Straight forward questions that require defined, concise answers. Ideal for initial phone screens and first round interviews.

Examples:
1) What are your greatest strengths?
2) How do you learn best?
3) What kind of leadership style do you prefer?

Behavioral interview questions

Questions that ask candidates to speak of past experiences. The idea here is that future success can be predicted by performance in past experiences.

Examples:
1) We have all had to work with someone who is difficult to get along with. Give us an example of when this happened to you and how you handled it.
2) Discuss a time when you had to work closely with someone whose personality was very different from yours
3) Tell me about the first job you ever had – What did you do to learn the ropes?

Situational interview questions

“What if” scenarios that assess the candidate’s problem solving abilities in situations with competing priorities.

Examples:
1) If you found out a co-worker at your company was doing something fraudulent or against the law, what would you do?
2) If you knew your boss was 100% wrong about something – how would you handle it?

Brainteaser interview questions 

To test a candidate’s problem solving abilities under pressure, you can ask a few brain teaser questions to determine his or her thinking style.

Examples:
1) How many times does a clock's hands overlap in a day?
2) Explain the internet to someone coming out of a 30-year coma
3) How would you test a calculator?

Other questions to get the 'full picture'

Oftentimes it’s also important to consider whether or not a candidate will be a good culture fit as well. These are questions you can ask to learn more about them on a personal level.

Examples:
1) Why do you want to work here?
2) What are your career goals?
3) How do you spend your weekends?
4) How would you describe yourself?
5) Who in your life has influenced you the most? How?

Proper preparation for interviews will help employers gain insight into a candidate's fit for the role and organization, minimizing turnover and maximizing the effectiveness of bringing the best talent onto the team.

For a comprehensive list of sample interview questions, download our Interview Guidebook below for free! 

Recommended Read: Finding the Right Fit: How to Gage Applicant Fit in an Interview