100+ good interview questions to ask a candidate 

You should gather relevant information during the interview to determine whether a candidate is suitable. One way to do this is to arrange a list of questions regarding their personality and main skills. Since interviews are usually short, it’s essential to use this time wisely when getting to know your candidates. 

You can also use skills tests before the interview to help you make an informed decision. The best way to do this is to combine specific skills tests in one assessment, choosing some that are role-related, and some that cover a broader area, such as a Problem Solving test, or one of our personality tests, such as the Big 5 (OCEAN) Personality test.

Before you start your hiring process, prepare some appropriate interview questions.. Here, you will discover 100+ good interview questions to ask a candidate and sample answers to help you compare their responses and identify top talent.

30 general good interview questions to ask your candidates

Check out these 30 general interview questions to better understand your candidates’ knowledge, dominant skills, personality traits, and career goals. Asking general questions can also make you and the job applicant feel more comfortable at the beginning of the meeting. 

1. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

2. Where do you see yourself in five years?

3. How would your past coworkers describe your work ethic? 

4. What do you like about our company? 

5. How long will it take for you to make a significant contribution?

6. What were the responsibilities of your last position?

7. Tell me about a time you disagreed with a team member’s decision at work. 

8. What do you think is the most crucial development in this field today?

9. Why was there a gap in your employment?

10. What are you hoping to achieve in this position? 

11. How did you choose your field of study?

12. What are you looking for in terms of career development?

13. How would you describe your work style?

14. What kind of personality do you work best with and why?

15. How would you improve our products/services? 

16. What are you most proud of?

17. If you were interviewing someone for this position, what traits would you look for?

18. What techniques and tools do you use to keep yourself organized?

19. What aspects of your previous job did you like the least?

20. Do you think leaders should be liked or feared?

21. What is the most valuable thing that you learned in school?

22. Tell me about your biggest regret in life.

23. What are three positive qualities that you don’t possess?

24. Is there someone that changed or altered your career path?

25. Do you prefer an entrepreneurial or structured company culture?

26. What is the most helpful criticism you have received? Who was it from?

27. What type of positions are you interviewing for?

28. How do you handle disappointment?

29. What qualities do you look for in a supervisor? 

30. Tell me about a time when you showed initiative or your abilities as a self-starter.

8 sample answers to general good interview questions 

Use these sample answers to general interview questions when choosing a candidate to fill the open position in your company. 

1. What do you like about our company?

This question will determine whether candidates researched your company. Those who are more committed can discuss your projects or services with ease. Others may struggle to respond accurately because they know little about what you offer. 

It’s not the end of the world if they lack this knowledge, but choosing candidates who understand your company’s values and goals is better. 

2. If you were interviewing someone for this position, what traits would you look for?

Candidates with specific personality traits are more likely to succeed. These include conscientiousness, because this prominent trait helps candidates remain goal-oriented and focused on results. Creative candidates are also likely to yield good results because they can use their imagination to explore unique ideas. 

When answering this question, the ideal candidate should mention the same (or similar) personality traits. For example, openness shows strong adaptability to new working practices and ideas, and extroversion is all about confidence. 

Integrate our Big 5 Ocean skills test to evaluate your candidates’ traits and learn how they will work in your organization. 

3. What do you think is the most crucial development in this field today?

Staying on top of recent trends is essential because they can change your company’s processes. Candidates should provide examples of inspiring developments that have encouraged them to apply for your open position. 

For example, since artificial intelligence is a popular feature in customer experiences, you may consider adding personalized shopping to a website. A knowledgeable candidate may discuss their favorite trends and how they could apply to your company’s goals. 

4. What kind of personality do you work best with and why?

This general question focuses more on the candidate’s job preferences. They should be honest about their expectations in a team-based environment. Not everyone will get along, so it’s better to prevent conflict by hiring a candidate with the right mindset, goals, and behaviors in the workplace. 

Use a 16 Types personality test to determine a candidate’s likes and dislikes, aspirations and fears, or capabilities and personal challenges. 

5. What is the most helpful criticism you have received? Who was it from?

Research suggests that 84% of employees feel more engaged when they receive feedback, as they know how to improve. Constructive criticism may not be nice to hear initially, but candidates should be motivated to continuously develop their skills and knowledge. 

Therefore, you should look for candidates who can give an example of useful feedback that helped them be productive. For instance, the candidate may miss deadlines because of poor time management, so they set weekly priorities using project management software to solve this problem.

6. Tell me about a time when you showed initiative or your abilities as a self-starter.

Self-starters are candidates who can take the initiative and work independently. They don’t need to ask questions or rely on other team members for training. These types of professionals will complete work using their own expertise. 

Although not every candidate is a self-starter, it is essential to determine whether they can manage a heavy workload and show exceptional resourcefulness. One example of being resourceful includes using time management software to get ahead of deadlines.

7. What is the most valuable thing that you learned in school?

Candidates can share some interesting facts about their education. Those personal insights should tell you more about their personality and long-term goals. For example, they may know how to respond to failure because of past exams. 

Recovering from disappointment is necessary when navigating a demanding job because candidates need to grow. Other examples include using available resources and stepping outside of your comfort zone in challenging tasks. 

8. Do you prefer an entrepreneurial or structured company culture?

A company’s culture is essential because it sets expectations for how employees collaborate and behave. If a candidate doesn’t respect your values or work environment, they won’t succeed or match the job’s requirements. Therefore, take the time to learn about their preferred company culture and why it helps them to improve and complete specific tasks alongside team members.

The following are some definitions for these culture types: 

• Entrepreneurial: This culture encourages employees to take risks and brainstorm unique ideas. The team fosters consistent motivation when striving to achieve innovative goals. 

• Structured: Those who prefer an organizational culture want to complete every task and process in the same order. Managers that create well-documented and scheduled projects usually mesh well with level-headed employees. 

20 good interview questions about personality to learn more about job applicants

Below are 20 personality interview questions to help you become acquainted with your candidates. Choose questions that focus on their personalities and main beliefs about work. 

1. What are your hobbies outside of work?

2. Tell me what you are most passionate about. 

3. What is your favorite book and why?

4. How do you maintain good working relationships with team members?

5. Name one professional achievement and one personal achievement. 

6. What one trait makes you a unique candidate?

7. Do you prefer working collaboratively or independently?

8. What does success mean to you?

9. Describe a time when you bounced back after a failed project. 

10. What was the toughest decision you had to make in the last year?

11. Do you often take work home? Why?

12. What part of your work have you found to be the most challenging?

13. How do you find inspiration to produce a piece of work?

14. Name some of your short- and long-term career goals. 

15. If you had to choose one, would you consider yourself a big-picture or a detail-oriented person?

16. Was there a person in your career who made a difference?

17. What would you do if you were at a business lunch and ordered a rare steak but they brought it to you well done?

18. Sell me this pen. 

19. What would you do if you won the lottery?

20. Tell me the difference between good and exceptional.

5 sample answers to good interview questions about personality

When reviewing your candidates’ responses, use these sample answers to personality interview questions to help you hire the right person.

1. How do you maintain good working relationships with team members?

Candidates must be friendly and polite when building relationships with team members. Strong friendships can encourage employees to collaborate more and request support. Positive behaviors contribute to your company’s overall culture. 

Some ways of maintaining good working relationships include to:

• Arrange social events 

• Offer assistance when necessary 

• Be present in the workplace 

• Show appreciation 

• Build open communication

• Participate in team-building activities

2. What would you do if you were at a business lunch and ordered a rare steak, but they brought it to you well done?

This is a unique question that might throw candidates off. However, their answer will tell you more about their personality and behavior. Do they get frustrated? Say nothing? Or do they prefer to solve problems calmly? Hiring candidates who maintain professional etiquette ensures your teams remain strong and collaborative. 

Send candidates a DISC personality test to discover more about their dominance,  influence, steadiness, and conscientiousness in workplace relationships and conversations.

3. Tell me the difference between good and exceptional.

Good and exceptional are positive words, but they mean different things. Candidates should always strive to be exceptional when completing tasks in your company. Only focusing on “good” shows a lack of determination to succeed and improve their interpersonal skills. 

4. Describe a time when you bounced back after a failed project.

Failed projects shouldn’t consume a candidate. Disappointment can feel like the end of the world, but candidates must accept failure and learn from it. Approaching work with happiness will increase morale among other team members. An ideal candidate will process their errors, note them down, and find ways to prevent them from happening again. 

Use a Motivation test to determine whether candidates have the right mindset to overcome challenges and learn from mistakes. 

5. What was the toughest decision you had to make in the last year?

Many jobs require employees to make tough decisions. These decisions may relate to project ideas, resource management, or client needs. Learning more about how the candidate makes decisions and why they made it can determine their business judgment skills. 

For more insight into candidates’ innovation, send them a Business Judgment test containing questions related to competitor markets and business proposals. 

28 behavioral, good interview questions for hiring the best candidates

Here is a list of 28 behavioral interview questions to ask job applicants. Use these questions to learn more about your candidates’ personal beliefs and expectations for the role in your company. 

1. Have you ever missed a deadline? What would you do differently next time?

2. What would you do if you saw your colleague doing something unethical?

3. How do you feel when someone interrupts you during a task?

4. What would you do if a team member refused to listen to your ideas? 

5. Talk me through the steps of resolving conflict in the workplace. 

6. How do you listen and accept feedback? 

7. What would you do to get their attention if you’re presenting ideas during a meeting and your team seems disengaged?

8. Give me an example of a time you did something wrong. How did you handle it?

9. How do you manage stress?

10. What is your task prioritization process?

11. What’s the most difficult decision you’ve made? How did you come to that decision?

12. How do you ensure you’re constantly improving your skills?

13. Have you ever implemented an innovative or unique strategy to solve a complex problem?

14. Tell me about a project that required absolute attention to detail.

15. Have you ever mentored or supported an employee?

16. Share a time when you didn’t feel like you “belong” in a company. What about that situation felt wrong?

17. How do you deal with unreasonable requests from a customer?

18. Describe an unpopular decision you made and what the result was.

19. How do you present critical new information to your team members?

20. Describe a time when a project you developed did not play out how you wanted it to. 

21. Share two improvements you have made in the last six months. 

22. How do you get team members to take your ideas seriously? 

23. What do you do to verify that your work is accurate?

24. What is the most difficult part of being a leader for you?

25. What do you do when there is a sudden influx of tasks to complete?

26. Tell me about a time you had to use leadership skills to delegate tasks.

27. Has a manager ever asked you to do something that you felt was dishonest or unethical? What was your response?

28. Tell me about a time you didn’t have enough resources to complete a project. What did you do?

5 sample answers to behavioral interview questions

Refer to these sample answers to behavioral interview questions when choosing a skilled candidate. 

1. Have you ever missed a deadline? What would you do differently next time?

Missed deadlines can be frustrating for everyone on the team. However, candidates should learn from these errors to improve their skills. 

A common reason for missing a deadline could be poor time management or the inability to prioritize tasks. To learn from this, the ideal candidate will schedule their tasks at the beginning of the week to ensure all projects are on time. 

Send candidates a Time Management test to see how they manage tight deadlines and coordinate with others to meet client requirements.

2. Talk me through the steps of resolving conflict in the workplace.

Studies show that over 36% of employees deal with conflict often. Most conflict in the office derives from poor communication and problem-solving skills. Thus, you should hire a candidate who can resolve tension without ruining professional relationships. Everyone handles disagreements differently, but candidates should talk you through their personal steps. 

Some common steps for resolving conflict include to: 

1. Talk with the other person in a meeting

2. Listen to their thoughts 

3. Identify points of agreement and disagreement 

4. Develop a plan that benefits both parties

5. Maintain open communication 

Although there are many antidotes to workplace conflict, candidates may tailor their strategy to each situation. For example, if two parties disagree about the best way to complete a task, candidates might encourage open communication and find out if there are any strategies the team members agree on to resolve the issue. 

3. Tell me about a time you didn’t have enough resources to complete a project. What did you do?

Candidates should use their initiative when solving a problem. One issue could involve poor resource management among team members, which prevents the company from finishing a project. 

An ideal candidate will talk with a manager about gaining additional resources and fairly distributing them to other employees in the department. To prevent this problem from happening again, candidates may plan what resources they need beforehand. 

4. Share a time when you didn’t feel like you “belong” in a company. What about that situation felt wrong?

It’s not nice for candidates to feel left out or uncomfortable in a role. This feeling may stem from insufficient training or knowledge, meaning they can’t keep up with other team members. Another reason could be that they don’t share the same core values as your company. 

Therefore, hiring a candidate who matches the job’s requirements and accepts your beliefs is essential. Hiring with culture add is important in this case, as you’ll learn how your candidates will add to your team dynamic and integrate into your team, so use our Culture Add test to learn more.  

5. Tell me about a time you had to use leadership skills to delegate tasks.

Finding potential leaders is an advantage for your company. A leader is someone who can help others develop their skills and complete challenging tasks. They are usually the support system in a team. Therefore, candidates who want to lead should know how to delegate tasks. 

One way to do this is to note down employees’ strengths and assign them duties that match their skills. Candidates might also provide team members with valuable resources that can encourage them to produce the best results. 

Use a Leadership & People Management test to determine whether candidates can support other team members and delegate authority during extensive projects. 

25 technical and skill-based interview questions to hire professionals

Before arranging your interviews, view these 25 technical and skill-based interview questions to help you identify top talent. You can choose questions based on the open position and whether candidates require computer knowledge. 

1. How do you prefer to communicate with your team members? 

2. Do you have any technical certifications that qualify you for this role?

3. Tell me about a time you had to lead the team on a new project. 

4. What do you do to stay on track with multiple projects? 

5. How would you explain a complicated process to someone who recently joined the team?

6. What skills do you enjoy using most and why?

7. What job-related publications do you typically read?

8. Do you use any online resources for support? 

9. Name some software programs that help you to complete specific tasks. 

10. How do you navigate change in the workplace?

11. Do you know how to use Microsoft Excel or similar spreadsheet software?

12. Which Google-based business tools have you used in your previous jobs?

13. Are you comfortable using a computer all day?

14. What social media websites have you used for work?

15. How many words can you type per minute?

16. Tell me about a time you had to figure out a computer-related issue. 

17. Have you ever given instructions to someone? Did they understand?

18. How proficient are you in using photo and video design software?

19. What strategies have you found to work best when convincing someone to accept your point of view?

20. How do you plan the week’s activities? 

21. What approach would you take to explain the features of a product or service to a customer who doesn’t understand?

22. What are some of the most important documents you have written?

23. Describe a time when you suggested ways to improve the work in the company.

24. What have you done to improve relations with customers?

25. Have you ever had trouble learning a new machine or procedure? How did you deal with it?

5 sample answers to technical and skill-based interview questions

Below are sample answers to technical and skill-based interview questions. Use them when deciding which candidate best suits your open position. 

1. How do you prefer to communicate with your team members?

Candidates should have a preference for communication, whether that’s through meetings or text messages. This question can help you determine their collaboration skills and ability to communicate issues in written and verbal form. 

Hiring a candidate who feels comfortable with direct communication is essential if your company relies on in-person conversations when starting new projects.

Send candidates a Communication Skills test to see how they use their active listening skills to communicate effectively with others. Some questions focus on professional etiquette in the workplace. 

2. Do you know how to use Microsoft Excel or similar spreadsheet software?

Employees use Microsoft Excel to store important information regarding upcoming projects in many jobs. Therefore, candidates should have a basic idea of how to use spreadsheet software when managing their tasks. 

You can make this a more practical question by giving them a computer. For example, ask the candidate to write the shortcut when adding a filter to a table. 

Use a Microsoft Excel test to learn more about candidates’ technical skills. They can show their ability to create graphs and visualizations, manipulate data in a table, and perform basic calculations on a spreadsheet. 

3. How do you navigate change in the workplace?

An ideal candidate can adapt to sudden changes in your company. Some of these changes may revolve around technological advancements or last-minute decisions from clients. Candidates who find this process challenging may fall behind your team. Therefore, gain insight into their adaptability skills and how they apply strategic thinking to their processes. 

4. What strategies have you found to work best when convincing someone to accept your point of view?

Not everyone will agree in the workplace, especially during brainstorming sessions. Candidates who feel strongly about their ideas should feel confident expressing their thoughts. Sometimes, they might have to convince others to experiment with the idea. Negotiation requires strong communication skills and a tough mindset, so look out for these qualities when interviewing your job applicants.

Consider using a Negotiation test to determine whether candidates can influence conversations and close successful business deals. 

5. Have you ever had trouble learning a new machine or procedure? How did you deal with it?

Candidates with technical skills must know how to navigate new machines or procedures in your company. These skills will benefit software engineering, data science, cloud computing, data analytics, and digital marketing jobs. However, every job needs candidates who can learn changing procedures and train others who don’t have much knowledge.

When should you use good interview questions in your hiring process?

Our team believes that skill tests work best before interview questions. This process allows you to identify top talent to interview for your open position. Research suggests that most companies know they have talent gaps or expect to in a few years, so it’s essential to find candidates with the right skills, work experience, and knowledge to enhance your team. 

Skill assessments also reduce unconscious bias and recruitment time. Therefore, you can navigate the screening process quicker and easier. All you need to do is send candidates relevant skill tests and compare their answers to determine who has the most expertise. 

Once you’ve chosen highly-skilled job applicants, the interviews will be useful. Use those interviews to question their responses to the skill assessments and how they can enhance your company. 

Use skill assessments and refer to our list of good interview questions to ask a candidate 

Are you ready to hire a top professional for your team but don’t know where to start? Don’t worry – our test library can help you find the best skill assessments that cover candidates’ personality traits, cognitive function, situational judgment,  programming experience, and more. 

You can also read our research report regarding skills-based hiring. We found that 92.5% of companies avoid mis-hires when using skill assessments before their interviews. If you want to join those companies in their success, sign up for your free demo and start creating skills assessments today.