Interview 101: best interview questions to ask (and why)

The importance of getting the recruitment process right cannot be overstated for a startup venture or small business. Each staff member can have a major impact on the overall business performance.

Recruitment can be expensive and uses vital human resources to find, screen, assess and interview candidates. 

This makes identifying the best interview questions to ask during an interview  crucial which go beyond qualifications, experience and skills., and it’s key to draw examples out from candidates that illustrate their ability to communicate, perform the job well and fit in with the company.

Foundational and competency, experience-based questions

Goal: These types of questions draw out a candidate’s basic work history, qualifications and career experience. They set a basis for the interviewing team to develop the tone of the interview in different directions. Candidates need to be prepared for foundational and experience-based questions to help employers understand their competencies and decide if their background matches the job description.

Example interview questions:

• What training and qualifications do you have that will help you perform this role?
• What duties did you perform in your previous job?
• What is your experience in mentoring other employees?

Behavioural questions

Goal: To meet hiring needs, employers will want to find out how candidates might react and behave under a range of testing scenarios. These types of questions allow employers to assess  communication, problem-solving skills, and customer service ability.

Employers ask behavioural questions to see how a candidate can handle challenging situations and how they might behave in parallel situations in the future. Hiring teams can use past behaviour to determine if they think candidates have the ability to handle critical elements of the role being interviewed for.

Example interview questions:

• Can you describe a time in any of your previous roles when you have had to deal with a dissatisfied customer and were able to manage the situation so they left satisfied?
• Can you give me an example of a job where you had a conflict with a fellow team member. How did you manage this and how was it resolved?

Cultural fit questions

Goal: With these types of interview questions, employers want to establish if candidates will fit in with the atmosphere, ethos, core values and working practices of the colleagues and company of the job being applied for h.

Employers need to be careful about the types of questions being asked under this category as part of the recruitment process, as they can easily cause discrimination and bias. mindset, and how they would bring this to the company,  with the interviewer taking a judgement on whether a prospective candidate  will add value to the company culture.

Example interview questions:

• Can you explain a situation at work where you faced a task or project that you found particularly challenging or did not go as planned? How did you work your way through the problem?
• Can you tell me about a hobby or interest outside of work that you are involved in? What do you gain from it and what life skills does it promote that can crossover into your career?

Growth and potential questions

Goal: For this area, employers want to find out about  ambition, career goals and potential within a company. Interviewers will ask questions that illustrate how candidates might take on a role, whether their skills can be developed in new areas that may benefit the company, and attitudes towards learning from mistakes, and ultimately, what they define as success in their roles and for the company.

Example interview questions:

• How do you see your career progressing over the next three years?
• What skills or training do you think could help make you better in your existing job?

Final thoughts

Using intelligent interview questions increases the likelihood of identifying, and ultimately selecting, the right candidate for your company. Carefully considered questions can allow a candidate to communicate how they would behave and respond to specific situations in the workplace and in their role. This allows recruiters to judge their suitability for the job more effectively.

Employers should focus questions on cultural fit, adaptability, problem-solving skills and the candidate’s potential for growth within the company as well as technical skills. This increases the likelihood that a startup will employ a candidate who can not only perform the role but will match the company’s goals and culture.