What are interview questions?

Interviews often move quickly. Hiring teams need reliable ways to evaluate whether a candidate’s experience, work style and professional goals align with the role. Interview questions help employers learn more about a candidate’s history, communication style and approach to workplace situations. These questions encourage candidates to explain their background, discuss past responsibilities and describe how they would handle different scenarios.

Employers typically use a combination of question types to better understand a candidate’s qualifications. These may include questions about professional accomplishments, career goals, workplace challenges and personal strengths. Well-prepared interview questions can help employers:

• Confirm relevant experience and responsibilities.
• Understand how a candidate approaches challenges.
• Identify professional interests and career goals.
• Evaluate communication and reasoning skills.
• Assess alignment with workplace expectations.

Types of interview questions employers may use

Employers frequently include different types of questions during interviews to learn more about prospective employees. Common types of interview questions include:

Behavioural questions

Behavioural questions focus on past workplace situations. These questions often begin with prompts such as:

• Tell me about a time when…

• Describe a situation where…

This type of question invites applicants to describe past actions and outcomes, helping employers evaluate workplace habits.

Situational questions

Situational questions ask applicants to explain how they would respond to a hypothetical workplace scenario. Examples may include:

• managing competing deadlines
• addressing a disagreement between coworkers
• responding to a client concern

Role-specific questions

Role-specific questions explore the knowledge and skills required for the position. These questions often focus on tools, processes or tasks associated with the job. Including a range of question types can help employers understand an applicant’s abilities and working style.

How to choose interview questions for different roles

Employers often adjust interview questions based on the position. When preparing questions, consider the key responsibilities and skills listed in the job description.

Here are some example questions for different roles:

Customer-facing roles

Employers may focus on questions about communication, conflict resolution and client interaction. Example questions may include these topics:

• handling customer complaints
• explaining information clearly
• resolving misunderstandings

Technical or specialized roles

Employers may focus on questions that explore problem-solving methods, innovative thinking and technical knowledge. Example topics may include:

• troubleshooting processes
• explaining technical decisions
• managing complex tasks

Leadership roles

Interview questions for leadership positions often explore team management, decision making and accountability. Topics may include:

• guiding team members through workplace challenges
• supporting employee development
• managing competing priorities

Adapting questions to the role’s responsibilities can help employers gather more relevant information during interviews.

Top interview questions to ask candidates

The following interview questions can help you learn more about a candidate. Each question invites applicants to share examples from previous roles and explain how they approach workplace situations:

1. What career accomplishment makes you most proud?

This question encourages potential hires to reflect on a professional achievement that had the greatest impact on their career. Their response can uncover the type of work they value most and the contributions they prioritize in their role. Candidates who clearly describe the situation, their actions and the result can demonstrate strong communication skills and professional confidence, giving you insight into:

• projects or responsibilities the candidate values most
• outcomes the candidate considers successful
• how they achieved results

2. Tell me something about yourself that isn’t on your resume

Resumes provide a summary of professional experience. Interviews encourage prospective employees to discuss additional aspects of their backgrounds. This open-ended question invites candidates to share experiences that may not appear in their application materials, such as:

• volunteer involvement
• personal projects
• professional interests
• community participation
• unique career experiences

3. Why do you want to work here?

This question helps employers understand how familiar a candidate is with the organization and what interests them about the workplace. Prepared candidates often reference details such as:

• the company’s mission or services
• industry position or growth
• workplace culture
• opportunities for professional development

4. What made you want to apply for this position?

While the previous question focuses on the organization, this one focuses on the role itself and whether the candidate has a clear understanding of the position. A prospective employee’s answer may show:

• how carefully they reviewed the job description
• which responsibilities interest them most
• how their experience relates to the position
• areas where they hope to continue developing skills

5. What are your greatest weaknesses?

This question can provide insight into a job seeker’s level of self-awareness and commitment to professional growth. Candidates who explain how they work to improve their abilities often demonstrate accountability and motivation to succeed. Employers may listen for responses that demonstrate:

• recognition of areas for improvement
• reflection on past experiences
• steps taken to develop new skills

6. What are your greatest strengths?

Discussing strengths can help employers understand how candidates describe their professional capabilities. Strong responses often show:

• awareness of key skills
• examples of those skills in practice
• connections between their abilities and the role’s responsibilities

Candidates may also share examples illustrating how their strengths contributed to successful outcomes in previous roles.

7. Tell me about a difficult work situation and how you handled it

This question invites candidates to describe how they approach complex situations. Examples from previous roles can show how candidates analyze problems and work toward practical outcomes. Employers may learn about the candidate’s:

• problem-solving process
• communication during challenges
• collaboration with colleagues
• ability to manage pressure

8. Why are you leaving your current employer?

Asking why an applicant is pursuing a new opportunity can provide context about their career direction. Candidates may discuss factors such as:

• interest in new responsibilities
• opportunities for advancement
• desire to develop additional skills
• interest in a different work environment

Employers often pay attention to how candidates describe past workplaces. Professional and respectful responses can demonstrate maturity and workplace awareness.

How to evaluate candidate responses during an interview

Interview discussions can show how applicants explain their actions, describe results and organize their thoughts. Consider whether potential hires:

• provide clear examples from previous roles
• explain outcomes connected to their actions
• organize their responses logically
• reflect on what they learned from their experiences