- Do you come to work just to work, or do you like to socialize along the way?
- What inspires you to work in this industry?
- Tell me about a time when you felt like a hero at work.
- Tell me about a time when a job or company felt like a bad fit for your personality and why.
Wouldn’t it be great if you knew exactly what questions a hiring manager would be asking you in your next job interview?
We can’t read minds, unfortunately, but we’ll give you the next best thing: a list of 50 of the most commonly asked interview questions, along with advice for answering them all.
While we don’t recommend having a canned response for every interview question (in fact, please don’t), we do recommend spending some time getting comfortable with what you might be asked, what hiring managers are really looking for in your responses, and what it takes to show that you’re the right person for the job.
Consider this list your interview question and answer study guide. (And don’t miss our bonus list at the end, with links out to resources on specific types of interview questions—about emotional intelligence or diversity and inclusion, for example—and interview questions by role, from accountant to project manager to teacher.)
9 Weird Interview Questions and How to answer them…
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Let’s face it, job interviews are an awkward experience for the people on both sides of the table. But it’s still a critical stage in the hiring process. As an interviewer, you have to use the time to find out if the candidate has what it takes to effectively do the job.
Instead of asking the same old job interview questions, try asking questions deserving of interesting answers. Candidates have been through the interview process multiple times and formed standard responses to typical questions. Questions that make them think bring out natural answers. That makes the conversation more insightful and less awkward.
In this guide, we’ve put together 25 great questions team members and hiring managers can bring into the interview room.
Motivational interview questions
Motivational questions give the candidate the opportunity to talk about their career goals and explain what they want in a job. Typical motivational interview questions include “Why do you want to work for our company” or “Where do you see yourself in five years.” Those questions are fine to ask but here are few more that can help you understand what drives a candidate:
Possible answer to “Tell me about yourself.”
“Well, I’m currently an account executive at Smith, where I handle our top-performing client. Before that, I worked at an agency where I was on three different major national healthcare brands. And while I really enjoyed the work that I did, I’d love the chance to dig in much deeper with one specific healthcare company, which is why I’m so excited about this opportunity with Metro Health Center.”
Questions to ask the applicant during an interview
FAQ
What are 10 good interview questions?
- How many basketballs can fit on a bus?
- What two things, aside from food and water, would you want on a deserted island?
- How many pizzas are ordered every night in the United States?
- What would you do if you won the lottery?
- Blue or green?
What are tricky interview questions?
- Tell Me About Yourself. …
- Why Are You the Best Person for the Job? …
- Why Do You Want This Job? …
- How Has Your Experience Prepared You for This Role? …
- Why Are You Leaving (or Have Left) Your Job? …
- What Is Your Greatest Strength? …
- What Is Your Greatest Weakness?
