The top 5 interview questions to ask candidates
We share the top five interview questions employers should ask prospective candidates and why these questions should be asked.
A job interview is more than just an opportunity for a person to showcase the skills they can bring to your organisation. It’s also the time to uncover whether their values, behaviours, skills and experiences are the right fit for your business and, importantly, what it will take to motivate them to perform to their best.
Taking the time to plan the questions you are going to ask prepares you with an objective mindset and a structure to ensure you are selecting candidates that meet the key criteria you are seeking for your role.
The SEEK Interview Builder features a selection of best-practice questions employers and recruiters can use to design their own interview template.
Good People HR’s Director Kristine Tuazon and Will International’s Director of Employee Engagement, Andrea McDonald explain the questions SEEK found were the most commonly asked in an interview and what they can tell you about your potential new employee.
The most-asked interview questions
1) Based on your understanding of this role, which of your skills do you believe will be most valuable to our organisation? (Skills-based)
Being highly skilled in a specific area doesn’t mean a lot if that expertise can’t be harnessed to benefit your business.
Tuazon says you want the candidate to provide evidence and solid examples of their experience relating to what is required for the job you are offering.
“Somebody who can succinctly communicate what their role involves, with substantiated answers, as well as showing a clear understanding of your organisation, goes a long way to providing you with confidence in their capabilities,” she says.
McDonald agrees: “When someone answers this question well, they have clearly done their research on the position - which gives the interviewer confidence they are serious and motivated for the role. It also shows some broader desirable skills and characteristics such as conscientiousness, analysis skills, critical reasoning and communication skills.”
2) What’s your understanding of the role and why are you interested? (Motivational)
McDonald says asking this helps determine whether the person has an accurate concept of your role and if they genuinely want to be with your organisation. It’s investigating the motivation behind their application.
There’s a good chance that the person you are interviewing is also speaking with your competitors or applying for their job openings, too. Therefore if you understand what is motivating them for the role you can ensure you cover all those selling points in relation to their motivation.
“You are looking for someone who can show you they have thought about and are prepared for this role, and that your company is at the top of their wish list.”
The best answers, she says, will be able to define the role at a high level, and identify potential opportunities as well as challenges it may bring.
“This also shows you if the person understands what is motivating them for the next role and what will keep them motivated. This is essential for ensuring the role is in fact a motivational fit and can give them what they need for longer term motivation. It is difficult to determine true role fit and future retention in an interview if a candidate can't articulate their current and future motivations.”
3) Why are you interested in working at this organisation? (Motivational)
This question is about your brand, says McDonald.
It can reveal whether the candidate feels a genuine connection with your brand – are they a customer, will they advocate for your business, or do they just need a job?
McDonald says someone who has researched the company and is motivated by the affinity they feel with your brand is more likely to stick around for the long term.
“This is also an opportunity to explore that the candidate has an accurate understanding of the role and the business. There can be a risk of lack of engagement or turnover if they start the role, and the expectation doesn’t fit the reality. This is a question that can help you determine if they have an accurate view of the business and role and it truly aligns to what they had in mind, and are looking for.”
Tuazon agrees: “A stand out candidate speaks with a compelling passion, energy and interest that shows they are personally aligned with your core purpose and values. They just seem to get it, the big stuff and the little things about your organisation.”
4) At times you will be asked to do many things at once. How do you prioritise your tasks? (Behavioural)
In a fast-paced world of email, mobile phones and constant demands, this question can tell a lot about how a person behaves under pressure.
This question, says McDonald, helps you assess if they will be able to cope with the pace of your organisation.
She says you want to know how they differentiate between what’s important and what’s urgent, whether they delegate, and evidence of how, and who, they’ll communicate with if a deadline can’t be met.
“It can also give you additional insights to leadership style and/or cultural fit. Some answers may display a very autocratic approach, however you will be able to hear those that are more collaborative in their approach with their answers. This question helps you understand how someone may interact with others in the workplace under pressure.”
5) What parts of your current role do you really love? (Motivational)
If you want an insight into what will motivate your new employee and where their passions lie, this is the question to ask.
Understanding what makes the candidate tick can help you plan how to manage them.
“Sometimes people jump out of the frying pan into the fire,” says McDonald, “so it’s important to understand why they are leaving their job and if this role can fix what they are not getting in their current role.”
But, says Tuazon, beware the candidate who has nothing good to say and is negative.
“Someone who sits in an interview and denigrates the organisation they are working for never bodes well. It’s disrespectful and a red flag.”
McDonald shares something else to keep in mind with this question: It is often what the candidate doesn’t say (i.e. area of passion which you think would be beneficial for the role) which can tell you more than what they do say. What people authentically prioritise tends to come top of mind in interview answers. If you know this role has a huge amount of relationship building involved and the person does not mention they love working with people, it is worth delving further to ensure fit.
Plan your interview
Tuazon says while these five questions have proven the most popular, and have a lot to offer, you don’t necessarily want to ask all of them in the same interview – or every time you hire. Have a structured interview but listen intently as sometimes your intuition may nudge you into a question which helps you understand the candidate better.
SEEK’s Interview Builder can help employers and recruiters put together a strong interview format so they can confidently test for the specific requirements they need in their business.
“As an interviewer, the way you interview reflects on your brand,” says Tuazon.
“In this dynamic world where networks are more connected than ever before and your company reputation can be impacted by a poorly handled interview, you want to ensure the candidate walks away feeling great about their experience, even if they aren’t successful.”