What candidates wish you’d ask in interviews
Tired of getting the same responses to interview questions? The solution may be found in looking at the questions you’re asking. While classics like ‘What are your strengths?’ still have their place in a job interview, candidates secretly wish they’d be asked more insightful questions to reveal more about who they really are.
Here’s why you should rethink your questions and what the top interview questions are that candidates wish you’d ask.
Why you should go beyond the traditional interview questions
The traditional interview questions such as, ‘What are your strength/weaknesses?’, ‘Why do you want to work here?’ and ‘Where do you see yourself in the next five years?’ have been used for decades.
Candidates who prepare for interviews expect to be asked these, says Jane Jackson, Career Coach and author of Navigating Career Crossroads. This means they may give robotic answers that don’t feel authentic.
This is especially true as more people use AI to prepare for job interviews. But more unexpected questions may reveal more about a person’s motivations and personality, helping you find the right cultural fit.
Questions candidates wish they were asked
While each person is different, candidates often want to be asked questions that allow them to share who they are as a person, rather than just their achievements, skills or work experience.
This is something Jackson frequently hears from clients. They say they’d love to be asked:
“What are you most proud of in your career and why?” This shows you what matters to them at work.
“What’s an important lesson you've learned in your career so far? Why was it important to you?” You’ll see if they grow from mistakes and what drives them.
“What type of work environment do you thrive in?” This question reveals whether the candidate will be a good fit for your work culture.
Sometimes, it's as simple as reframing a classic question in a new way. Rather than asking people where they see themselves in five years, Kristine Tuazon, Principal Consultant at Good People HR, asks “If I bumped into you on Collins Street in a few years, what do you think you’d be doing?”
It’s a more personal way of asking the standard question that she finds gets an interesting, open response. This gets them talking about their real-life goals, not just work plans.
How to weave these questions into an interview
Adding these types of questions to your interviews doesn’t mean you have to start from scratch. There’s room for both classic and more creative questions; a mix of typical and ‘engaging’' prompts is ideal, so candidates don’t feel caught off-guard by too many unexpected questions.
SEEK's Interview Builder is an easy-to-use resource to help you create a customised interview template, choosing from a range of motivation, behavioural, situational and skills-based questions, or adding your own.
What to look for in a response
The ‘best’ type of answer will depend on the role and company. For example, you might be looking for certain specific skills, or behavioural traits, or values. One business Tuazon hires for cares deeply about values, so she asks questions that check for these, such as if candidates do any volunteer work or give back. Whatever the questions, be consistent when interviewing for a role.
“I’ll have a plan of what I’m going to ask them and then I ask those same six questions to the three people I’m interviewing,” says Tuazon. “Sometimes I might add a personal question here or there to build rapport, but generally I’m always trying to look out for the client’s values.”
Interviewers should also look beyond what a candidate says and observe their body language and tone of voice. Make sure their words, body language and tone all match up, says Jackson, and that they show enthusiasm for the role.
If you find you’re getting the same predictable answers from candidates, it’s worth refreshing your interview questions. Think about what you can change to better connect with each person to find out if they’re right for the team. The right questions will help you get to know the person behind the resumé and make hiring decisions based on genuine answers rather than rehearsed responses.