Good Interview Questions for Employers to Determine Candidates' Skills and Motivations

Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on

Great interview questions mean great hires. Strong questions assess fit, showcase critical thinking, and create a positive interview experience. Learn to create the optimum questions to gauge a candidate's qualifications and workplace skills.

[Featured image] A hiring manager conducts a video interview with a potential employee.

The whole goal of the interview process is to gather as much information as possible about the job applicant. You'll inquire about a person’s experience, skills, and education and assess a candidate’s fit within your corporate culture. To do so, you need to ask the right interview questions from the outset.

Most in-person job interviews last 45 minutes to an hour and a half, depending on the complexity of the role itself [1]. With that in mind, you’ll need a well-planned list of good interview questions to identify a candidate’s skills and motivations. In this article, you will learn some valuable questions you can ask to identify quality candidates.

Preparing interview questions

Before setting up interviews, consider compiling a comprehensive list of questions and the order in which you plan to ask them. Be sure to identify an interview scorecard that you’ll use to rank responses during each interview.  

Introduction

During the interview, introduce yourself and explain how the interview will work. Review the job description, discuss the criteria for the position, and go over the company culture and mission. The applicant will have a turn to ask questions at the end too. The process might conclude with an office tour and introductions to executives. If things go well, a subsequent second interview could be set up, which sometimes can take the form of a casual lunch. In this instance, you can survey the prospective client’s interpersonal skills. 

Job description 

During an interview, you'll review the job description to ensure the candidate knows the position’s duties and responsibilities. The job description forms the foundation of suitable interview questions, so it’s helpful for both parties to review it.

Essential competency criteria

During your meeting, you should list the job criteria. You might reference the applicant’s CV, noting qualifications that meet the necessary skills and competency-based responsibilities, and ask the candidate to expand on those qualifications. 

Company culture and mission

Provide a brief overview of the company's mission, purpose, and corporate culture. Skills and education are important, but you also want a candidate whose personality fits within the organisation. 

Questions to discover candidate motivation

As an employer, you should know what motivates the candidate. It’s best to understand what drew the candidate to this job, why they are a good fit for the role, and what kind of work ethic they’ll bring to the company. To assess motivation, try these questions: 

Tell me a bit about yourself and why you applied for this job.

This common first question gives you a brief overview of the candidate’s background and skills. It gives interviewees a chance to highlight the qualities they believe are the most important, which should coincide with the job description.  

Tell me about your current or previous position.

As applicants review their previous positions, you can judge their experience and passion for the job. The responsibilities they mention should overlap with the job they’re applying for so you can assess their experience level. The applicant should provide a broad overview of duties and key achievements, framed as a positive experience.  

What are your greatest achievements?

This question requires applicants to audit their careers and highlight their biggest achievements. Ideally, candidates should provide a specific achievement; one with statistics is even better. For instance, a candidate might say their biggest achievement is lifting blog traffic by 150 percent in the last six months. If they do not add specifics, ask for them. 

What do you consider to be your weakness?

This is a good interview question because it tests a candidate’s ability to learn and grow. Applicants might discuss a workplace skill they struggle with or have worked to improve.

Questions that showcase essential competency criteria

Good interview questions require candidates to discuss the essential criteria for taking on a new role. It’s a good idea to ask competency-based questions at the beginning of the interview to ensure the candidate qualifies for the position. You can end the interview sooner if you notice gaps in the candidate’s knowledge. 

In what knowledge areas are you strongest? 

This question immediately reviews a candidate’s strongest skill. The ideal candidate will mention the skills listed in the job description and support it with an example from a previous job. 

How did you acquire your skills and knowledge?

Candidates must review their most recent job experience or education to respond to this question properly. It’s a good way to check the validity of the candidate’s qualifications listed on their resume, too. 

What’s your strongest workplace skill?

Your job opening likely needs a candidate with solid workplace skills, like communication and collaboration. Asking this question requires the candidate to exemplify their best skill, which should show that they are adaptable and willing to work in a team environment.

Questions to identify key skills

Workplace skills are often just as important as experience and education. These skills contribute to a productive, positive workplace, so asking questions that reveal a candidate’s workplace skills can be very advantageous. Below are a few questions you should ask to assess their workplace attributes.  

Teamwork 

“Tell me about a time when you worked well as a team.”

This question typically leads to a specific example of consistent teamwork with a positive result. The candidate’s answer may help you gauge their willingness to collaborate with others. 

Communication 

“How would you explain a complex issue to a colleague?”

This question helps evaluate the candidate’s communication style. By asking how they explain something complex, the candidate must consider the steps necessary to break down an idea and communicate it comprehensively.  

Leadership

“Tell me about a time when you demonstrated leadership skills.” 

The answer to this question should be a specific situation. Look for the candidate to discuss delegating responsibility, leading by example, or empowering coworkers to do their best.

Problem-solving

“Describe a time you identified and solved a problem before it became urgent.”

You could tailor this question to a specific situation within your organisation. When answered, the response should identify a problem and a solution, but ideally, the solution was innovative or out-of-the-norm. Addressing an issue without involving upper management is also a positive sign. 

Ability to achieve deadlines

“How do you work under the pressure of tight deadlines?”

Candidates should show their ability to work effectively under pressure. To answer this question, potential employees should discuss a high-pressure event in which they could meet or exceed expectations. 

How to evaluate answers

During interviews, you can rank a candidate's responses during the Q&A session with an interview scorecard. The scorecard helps you achieve clear grading parameters and ensures that each candidate is fairly evaluated. You can download an interview evaluation template online and customise it to suit your company's needs. 

If you don’t want to use a scorecard, you can evaluate an applicant’s responses by:

Considering education and skills.

You’ll discuss skills and education with a candidate's CV during the interview. Make sure these qualifications meet or exceed what’s needed for the job. 

Reviewing previous experience.

A candidate whose previous work experience aligns with the duties of your job opening will likely be able to jump right into the position without much training. Immediate productivity is good for your company. 

Listening to each response.

Listen to each response and take notes as you work through each question. If any particular skills stand out, for example, write them down. If you have any concerns, jot those down too. 

Enhance your recruiting skills with Coursera 

Now that you understand the key questions you should ask a prospective candidate. While interview preparation and taking your time to generate the optimum questions may help you feel prepared to find the right fit for your role, you might also think about taking a class to elevate your hiring skills. 

Consider one of the many globally available courses on Coursera, like Recruiting, Hiring, and Onboarding Employees offered by the University of Minnesota or Hiring Practices offered by the University of California Irvine.

Article sources

  1. Indeed. "How Long Do Interviews Last? (FAQ and Tips to Prepare), https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/how-long-do-interviews last#:~:text=How%20long%20does,meetings%20with%20candidates%3A." Accessed 13 July 2024. 

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