50+ Best Questions to Ask When Interviewing Candidates 2025

Now, I want to help you avoid those painful moments. I’ve gathered over 50 proven questions that will help you look beyond the resume, get real insight into a candidate’s abilities, and find the right fit for your team. Whether you’re hiring for a frontline position or your next VP, you can mix and match these questions to build a powerful interview guide that keeps the conversation productive and engaging.

Feel free to pick a few that suit your company’s culture, goals, and the specific job you’re hiring for. And, of course, always be ready to ask follow-up questions. The magic happens when you create a two-way dialogue that reveals the person behind the experience. Ready to dive in? Let’s go!

Here’s a lesson I learned the hard way: a bank of rock-solid interview questions is every bit as vital as the job specs. You can save yourself years of guesswork and a mountain of cash if you use the questions I’ve developed over the years to spot superstars and dodge the costly mistakes.

Table of Contents

1. Why Getting Your Interview Questions Right Actually Matters
2. The Prep Work Nobody Talks About
3. 50+ Questions to Ask When Interviewing Candidates
4. Behavioral Questions That Reveal Everything
5. Technical Skills Without the Intimidation
6. Finding Your Culture Match
7. Leadership Potential Assessment
8. Career Goals and Motivation
9. Warning Signs I’ve Learned to Spot
10. My Interview Best Practices
11. Frequently Asked Questions

Why Getting Your Interview Questions Right Actually Matters

Let’s skip the fluff. A bad hire will bleed you dry. The last time I botched a choice, the mess cost my firm nearly £35,000 when you tally agency fees, wasted training, and the hours we burned racing to replace that person.

But losing money isn’t the worst part of a bad hire. It’s watching your whole team take a hit. The vibe sinks. The people you value start wondering if they should look elsewhere. I’ve lived that mess, and trust me, it’s heavy.

Here’s the bright side: the bulk of hiring train wrecks comes from weak questions. Ask the right questions and the game totally shifts. You stop getting the slick, polished lines and start meeting the actual human.

The numbers agree. Organizations that stick to a structured interview plan—where every question is clear and intentional—boost their hiring success by 70%. Those are way better than flipping a coin.

The Prep Work Nobody Talks About

Before we roll out the killer questions, we have to tackle the prep that people skip. I used to think I could just show up and vibe with the candidate. I learned the hard way that’s a quick path to more headaches.

Actually Read Their Application

This seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be shocked at how many panelists skim a candidate’s résumé five minutes before the meeting. I set a timer for 15 focused minutes to digest their history, underline triggers, and write down must-ask follow-ups. It respects the candidate’s effort and lets me drill down on what really matters.

Map Your Questions to Real Job Needs

This is where folks miss the mark. They recycle stock questions that have nothing to do with the daily grind. I flip it: I list the five toughest hurdles the new hire will run into in the first half-year. Every question I write ties back to how they might tackle those hurdles on repeat.

Create Your Interview Flow

I’ve shifted to a friendly interview dance rather than a police lineup. I kick things off with a couple of straightforward warm-ups so candidates chill, slide into tougher stuff gradually, and wrap with a big section for their questions. It feels like a chat, and the answers are way richer.

50+ Questions to Ask When Interviewing Candidates

Here’s the good stuff—the questions that never let me down. I’ve grouped them by what I want to unlock, so you can jump to the section that fits your search.

Getting Started and Breaking the Ice

1. “What’s your story? How did you end up on the path you’re on now?”
2. “What first made you think, ‘Yes, I want this role’?”
3. “What do you know about our company and why does it excite you?”
4. “Describe a regular day in your current job.”
5. “What part of your current role makes you happiest?”

These simple first questions help candidates relax and let you see how they talk and how much they really care.

Digging Into Their Experience

6. “What’s the achievement you smile about the most?”
7. “Tell me about a project that pushed you way outside your comfort zone.”
8. “When did you have to pick up a brand-new skill for a job?”
9. “What’s the best piece of feedback you’ve ever been given?”
10. “When you face a new task, how do you start?”

Behavioral Questions That Reveal Everything

These questions are the secret sauce. Behavioral questions ask people to share real stories, so you see what they’ve actually done, not what they think they might do.

Problem-Solving Under Pressure

1. “Tell me about a time you had to solve an urgent problem with almost no information.” In my last job, our website crashed during a sale day. I noticed the error log filled with requests in a queue. I quickly decided to boost the server, warn the payment team about delays, and mark products as “sold out” to prevent new transactions until we sorted it. The site was back in under an hour, and the team appreciated the fast hold I gave the payment side. It kept us from a messy refund flood.
2. “Describe a situation when your first plan failed.” In a project to change our email platform, I made the mistake of racing through setup without a backup plan. Day one of rollout, the new tool wouldn’t verify accounts. Instead of panicking, I asked the vendor for a live fix and went to the old tool with a small team, hammering out urgent emails. The vendor solved it and we got the backup emails out. I learned to never skip a backup and always have a tight rollback.
3. “Give me an example of when you had to decide fast.” Once, during a road trip, our rental car broke down in a storm. The insurance list had slow options. I quickly called local towing, compared the busy rental map to my phone signal, and chose a station a mile away. I kept us warm in the diner for an hour and the new car arrived before we missed our hotel. It was the quickest “game time” decision I had to make without a plan, and it taught me to think about the smallest, closest step.
4. “Tell me about a time you had to think outside the box with limited supplies.” Our team ran a street fair booth when our supply of buttons ran out fast. I grabbed a stack of index cards and the printer. Within an hour, we had mini cards with fun designs linked to our cause and a bold “swipe to donate” QR code. The team joked and used the cards instead of buttons for the day. We actually raised more because people liked the chance to make a small, personal choice.
5. “Walk me through your first thoughts when you hit a challenge you’ve never seen.” The first time I tested a new kind of robot for a school project, it wouldn’t follow the line. My first thoughts: – check for power, then the sensor – see if the code was readable in parts, leave out parts, and test it in the hallway. – draw a new track on tape, test the sensor one by one, and compare. In an hour, I found a bad sensor and a better tape width. The robot ran perfectly by lunch. It taught me my “first thoughts” always start with unplug, then isolate, then create a new mini test.

Working With Others

1. “Describe working with someone who had a totally different style.” In a group project, my partner was detail-oriented and built flowcharts for every bubble. I prefer sketching out loud and tweaking live. We hit a snag on presentation day; I skipped some details, and the flowcharts seemed flat. We co-created a middle style: he ran a mini flow chart live on-screen while I talked and sketched details. The back-and-forth kept the audience with us, and I learned to love a good flow chart when it moves.
2. “Tell me a conflict with a coworker and how you solved it.” I once doubted my teammate’s “all-email” plan to announce a change. I thought the chat tool was better, and we went back and forth in the group chat. Finally, I asked to meet and we wrote a mini test together–three emails and three mini chat test headers. The test hit better than I thought, so we went with the emails and I saw the benefit. I learned to test instead of argue.
3. “How did you give hard feedback to a teammate?” I once had to tell a coworker her slides were a bit too busy for our pitch. I asked to grab coffee and walked her through a slide example I had flagged, praised her eye for detail, then said, “I think a white slide gives your great detail the spotlight.” We made three new slides together and her part wowed the client. I learned that hard feedback feels softer when I lead with an example and show a backup plan together.
4. “Describe a time you had to trust others to finish a big task.” The day we moved to the new office, I stocked the first coffee station while the relocation team handled crates. I focused on my small piece and trusted the pack team’s list. I kept my phone the first hour in case of crates “missing” but it never buzzed. By coffee’s first brew, all crates were in and stickers were already on the desks. It taught me that trust and check-in help keep the small pieces steady while big crates roll.
5. “Tell me about a time you disagreed with your manager.” My manager wanted to plan the annual fair a month early. I worried about winter weather and vendor dates. I built a small chart of good and possible vendor calls and showed it in our skip-level monthly. The boss saw my chart and agreed to a first chat in two weeks about a spring fair. I learned that painting a small, clear picture helps in a disagreement–sometimes the small picture is all you need to clear the spring fair.

Growth and Learning

1. “Share a big mistake you made” Once, I uploaded the training presentation to the public drop instead of the staff one and the link went out. I owned it as soon as I noticed, sent a clear “oops, oops, oops” in the staff chat, and took down the public link. My boss made me lead a small lunch corrective “live safe now” the next day. I learned that fast “oops” in the chat and a clear fix fast can calm the mess I create.
2. “Tell me when you had to say on record you were wrong.” In a monthly test, I said the new tool was “fully set by lunch” but a small bug re-ran that night. The next day, I sent a calm “I was wrong about its state” in the test channel and added a better state list. The team then pulled the better test command in 30 more tests. I learned that calm is louder than loud when I have to say I was wrong.

Situational Questions That Open Up Conversation

“Tell me about a time you tried something you’d never done before.” “Share a piece of tough feedback you once got that actually helped you grow.” “Tell me about a moment you learned something new that made you change your entire plan.”

Technical Skills Without the Intimidation

The best technical questions feel less like tests and more like whiteboard chats. Instead of a sudden quiz on a library you never opened, use a real-world scenario. Then let the candidate walk you through their thinking. They’ll get to show you how they think, and you’ll see their style and depth.

Real-World Application

26. “How would you explain [key technical idea] to someone who doesn’t use technology every day?”
27. “Picture a day on the job: how would you begin solving [specific challenge]?”
28. “What habits, tools, or people help you keep your skills fresh?”
29. “Share a recent time you fixed a complicated issue when the clock was running out.”
30. “What technical project are you proudest of, and what was your role?”

Innovation and Growth

31. “What new trend in the industry excites you the most right now?”
32. “Talk about a time you created a new process or tool that made work better.”
33. “How do you know when to polish a detail and when to ship a product?”
34. “Describe a project where you used a tool you had never tried before.”
35. “What has been the biggest project you’ve led, and how did you guide it from start to finish?”

Finding Your Culture Match

Culture fit is subtle, but these questions help me spot candidates who will do well here.

Work Style and Preferences

36. What setting makes you feel you can really excel? 37. How do you want to get feedback and praise? 38. What would be your perfect working relationship with your direct boss? 39. What drives you to give your best effort? 40. What do you do to unwind after a tough stretch at work?

Values and Approach

41. Share an example when you had to give up something you valued. 42. Tell me about a time you went the extra mile to help a colleague. 43. How do you decide what to tackle first when everything feels urgent? 44. What does growing your skills and talents mean to you? 45. Describe a time you had to adjust to a big change at work.

Leadership Potential Assessment

Even if the job isn’t a management one, these questions show how ready the person is to grow and take on more responsibility.

Leadership in Action

46. “Share a time you led a project when you didn’t have a title or direct power over the team.”
47. “Describe how you helped team member who was having a tough time perform better.”
48. “Talk about a decision you made that people didn’t like but was the right thing for the team.”
49. “Give a story about how you influenced your boss or a senior leader to take your idea seriously.”
50. “Explain how you identify and grow the strengths of the people around you.”

Strategic Thinking

51. “What changes do you expect to see in our industry over the next few years?”
52. “If you started with us, what information would you dive into first?”
53. “What would it mean for you to feel like you succeeded in your first year in this role?”
54. “Tell about a time you spotted a chance others passed over.”
55. “How do you prepare your recommendations for senior leaders?”

Career Goals and Motivation

Figuring out what keeps a person excited about their career can help you see if they will stay and make an impact here.

56. “What do you want to do in your next job that you can’t do in this one?”
57. “What does your career ladder look like to you over the next few years?”
58. “Which kinds of hard problems make you feel most alive?”
59. “Share an example when you taught yourself something new just because you wanted to.”
60. “What would make you leap out of bed and look forward to work every morning?”

The Red Flags I’ve Learned to Catch

After a few hiring mistakes that I’ve had to learn from, I now have a short list of warning signs I keep an eye out for during interviews. Here’s what I watch for when I’m deciding who to bring in:

Communication Red Flags

• They blame past bosses and teammates in every answer.
• When I ask for examples, the stories keep changing or feel too vague.
• They interrupt questions or answer something totally different.
• The timeline of their career doesn’t make sense or leaves out key details.

Attitude Issues

• They arrive late without warning and don’t explain or say sorry.
• Their first questions are always about salary, PTO, or free snacks.
• They don’t know what our company does or have even looked at our website.
• The body language looks checked out, like they’re waiting for the clock to strike.

Skills and Experience Concerns

• Standard answers when I ask for concrete wins
• Trouble breaking down their part in team success stories
• Pumping up their level of contribution
• Zero questions about the job, team, or company

My Interview Playbook

These small habits help me squeeze the most from every question I ask:

Start with Empathy

I kick off every interview by saying I know the interview chair can feel shaky and that I’m rooting for them to shine. That one extra beat helps turn stiff exchanges into real talks.

Zip It and Listen

In the past, I jumped to fill quiet spaces, but now I let the pause sit for a beat. When folks can breathe, they often unwrap answers that matter. A soft “tell me more” can crack the precious stuff.

Jot Down the Good Bits, Stay Present

I keep a simple pad handy to note wins and misses, but I make sure the pen doesn’t pull my eyes away from a raised eyebrow or a sudden shift. Those cues can spark the best follow-up.

Be Consistent, But Flexible

I stick to the same core questions each time I interview for a similar job, but I stay ready to probe further when I hear something surprising. I adjust the conversation based on what I learn, so each interview stays focused yet open.

Follow Legal Guidelines

Every question I ask ties back to what the job really needs. I avoid anything that might look discriminatory, and when a topic feels gray, I lean on competency questions that clearly connect to the role.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most effective questions to ask when interviewing candidates?

The most effective questions ask candidates to recall specific past actions. For example, “Tell me about a time you solved a complex problem with limited resources.” They reveal real behavior instead of a what-if answer.

How many questions should I prepare for a one-hour interview?

In a one-hour interview, I prepare 10 to 12 core questions. I know follow-ups will add time and depth, so that number gives me space to dive in without rushing the candidate.

What interview questions are not allowed in the UK?

When planning your interview questions in the UK, steer clear of topics like age, race, religion, marital status, pregnancy, and disabilities. You can ask about these issues only if they have a direct impact on how well the person can do the job. Instead, concentrate on the applicant’s skills and qualifications that relate to the position.

Should I ask different questions for different experience levels?

Definitely. Design your questions to match the experience level of the person you’re interviewing. For senior candidates, include questions that probe into strategic thinking and leadership. For entry-level candidates, concentrate on their willingness to learn, adaptability, and potential to grow.

How do I handle candidates who give very brief answers?

When a candidate’s new response is too short, follow up with questions that encourage them to expand. Phrases like “Can you explain that further?” or “What was your direct contribution in that scenario?” can usually get them talking. Sometimes a small nudge is all it takes.

What’s the best way to evaluate candidate responses?

Use the STAR method to assess answers to your behavioral questions. Ask them to break their stories into Situation, Task, Action, and Result. Pay attention to specific situations, how they explain their contribution, and any measurable results they mention. This approach helps you see the candidate’s problem-solving and decision-making skills in action.

How long should I wait for candidates to answer questions?

When you ask complex questions, give candidates a good 30 to 60 seconds to gather their thoughts before answering. For behavioral questions, they may need extra time to remember specific past examples. Giving them a moment to think usually leads to more complete, considered answers. If you rush them, you might get quick, surface-level answers instead.

Can I ask candidates about their salary expectations?

You can definitely ask about salary expectations, but timing matters. It’s usually best to wait until both you and the candidate feel there’s a solid mutual interest. Start the conversation by focusing on skills, culture fit, and the value they can bring to the role. After you’ve established that connection, you can turn to salary and benefits without it feeling abrupt.

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