Interview Questions
For Candidate & Employer

Version 1 - March 2024 DEEP INTERVIEW QUESTION IDEAS FOR THE EMPLOYER AND THE CANDIDATE! Be prepared to answer the same question you are asking… What sets you apart from your competition/other candidates? Tell me something about you that I don’t know. What is the average length of time an employee stays? Why do they stay? Why do they leave? Is there turnover/people leaving? Why do you think that is? Do you have any references? How long have you been trying to fill the position? How long have you been looking for a new career? How can I succeed in this role? What does success look like? What are the most important skills for this job? I can do this, this and that and here’s an example. What programs or software will I use in this role? What are the daily responsibilities for this job? Here is what my top responsibilities are/have been… Do you expect this role to evolve in the near future? I’ve moved up the ladder during this time and how I did it… Who will be my manager in this role? Who would I be working with in this role? It’s important me because… What are some challenges I might experience in this position? I have experienced this, this and that challenge and learned this, this and that from it… What are some projects I would be working on? I grew through these projects with my previous employer… What kind of training will I need for this job? I had training through my previous employer in these specific areas… What are some challenges this position might face? My biggest challenge that I had to overcome was this… and I grew from it by learning this… What goals would you like to see accomplished during the first three months in this position? My goals are… Besides those listed in the job description, are there any other tasks you require this position to do? Besides my resume I can do this, this and that… How does this position contribute to the company's overall goals? My 3 and 5 year plan is this… What is currently your biggest concern for the team? What do you like best about your job? I loved this, this and this about my career as a whole… Do you feel supported by the company? I feel supported by a company when… What does success look like for this company? Success looks like this to me… What is the company culture like here? The best cultures I worked in were… and this is why… Does anyone in the company attend industry conferences? I had on site and off site training in… Are there promotion opportunities within the company? How would that look? I’ve never had the opportunity to move up the company ladder because of… How often are employees promoted? I think being promoted means… Who are the company's top three competitors? The reason I think that is important is because… How often are performance reviews completed? The reason I ask is because… What is the company's overall leadership style? I do my best work and feel the most empowered when I’m around this kind of person… or I would like to learn more about what it means to be a leader. What do you feel is the company's greatest competitive advantage? I feel mine is… Where do you see the company headed in the next 10 years? My 10 year goal is… How transparent is the company's leadership? This is what transparency means to me… What is the most immediate job that needs to be filled within your company? Anyone else applying or being considered? Can you show me examples of projects I’d be working on? Can I shadow someone for a couple of hours or get a tour? What are the skills and experiences you’re looking for in an ideal candidate? These are the top notable skills I can offer hitting the ground running… What attributes does someone need to have in order to be really successful in this position? How do you think it compares to my experience? What am I missing? Is this a new role or will I be taking over for an employee who’s leaving? Do you expect the main responsibilities for this position to change in the next six months to a year? The reason I’m exploring a new position is because things changed and/or there was over promising and under delivering in my last/current role… What does your onboarding process look like? This is what I can do hitting the ground running but I will need training in this, this and that… Will there be opportunities for stretch assignments where I can learn and use new skills? I love being challenged and learning new things… I want to feel like I’m part of the bigger picture. What are the performance expectations of this position over the first 12 months? I’m hoping to offer this, this and that… What is the performance review process like here? How often would I be formally reviewed? Are you open to feedback from employees? How long have you been with the company? Has your role changed since you’ve been here? Why did you come to this company? What’s your favorite part about working here? What’s one challenge you occasionally or regularly face in your job? What part of your job are you most excited about over the next few months? I’ve read about the company’s founding, but can you tell me more about the company? What isn’t on the website that may be significant to know? What can you tell me about your new products or plans for growth? Here are my visions for myself… What are the company’s most important values? (Note: Make sure this isn’t easily Google-able!) These are my top 5 values… How does the company ensure its upholding its values? This is how I challenge my values and intellectual consistency every day… Can you tell me about the team I’ll be working with? Can I meet them and ask them questions? I have references and/or Letters of Recommendations for you… Who will I work with most closely? How would you describe the work environment here—is the work typically more collaborative or more independent? I work well within an environment that consists of…. How does the team form and maintain strong bonds? Can you tell me about the last company event you did together? What’s different about working here than anywhere else you’ve worked? How has the company changed since you joined? Is there something I should have asked but didn’t?