What kinds of questions should you ask candidates in a job interview?
In job interviews, it’s often more effective to focus on questions that reveal how candidates behaved in real situations, rather than rely on theoretical answers. In practice, this means asking “Tell me about a time when you dealt with X…” instead of “How would you handle…?”
This approach is known as a Behavioral Interview, and it centers on real past experiences as an indicator of future performance.
Why is it better to ask behavioral questions in a job interview?
A behavioral interview is based on the premise that past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior in a similar context. Instead of asking hypothetical questions like “What would you do if…”, interviewers ask candidates to describe real situations they’ve experienced in the past.
What can you learn about a candidate from questions like these?
Asking follow-up and probing questions helps you get to the core of what happened: understand the details, clarify the situations the candidate describes, and identify the candidate’s actual role in those situations.
This makes it easier to filter out cases where candidates take credit for work that others on the team did. At the same time, it helps surface meaningful contributions from candidates who tend not to highlight their own role.
How to conduct a behavioral interview?
In this type of interview, we ask fewer questions overall, but when we come across an interesting situation, we go deeper and ask multiple follow-up questions to verify and understand the candidate’s actual contribution.
The key skill for an interviewer in a behavioral interview is the ability to break a topic into sub-questions and ask follow-up questions.
Examples
Here is an example of how a behavioral interview works and what you can learn from it about the candidate and their fit for the role:
Initial question to ask:
Tell me about a problem you recently solved in a new field you learned.
Sub-questions / follow-up questions the interviewer may ask:
What was the problem?
How did you approach it?
What was the solution?
Were you satisfied with the outcome?
Looking back, would you do anything differently?
Tips for interviewers
Break down what the candidate says.
Go deeper to understand the details, clarify the situations the candidate brings up, and identify the candidate’s actual role in each situation.
When candidates describe feelings, impressions
or emotions, ask how those showed up in practice.
This helps you understand the impact on their work or on the people around them and puts their description in context.
Don’t make assumptions about candidates.
Without follow-up questions, you may rely on assumptions or unintentionally try to confirm what you already think.
When a red flag comes up, make sure you fully
understand the situation
Before deciding it is a real red flag. Clarify what the risk was and how the candidate responded.
Examples
Below are a couple of strong examples of behavioral interview questions, along with suggested follow-up questions that can help deepen the conversation and uncover real insights into a candidate's capabilities.
What aspects of your previous roles did you enjoy?
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What didn’t you enjoy?
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How did that enjoyment or frustration manifest in your work?
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Is this something you recognize about yourself from other workplaces?
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Can you think of another example where you approached things differently?
Can you recall situations where you had a different perspective from others in the team? Or How often do disagreements arise within the team? In what situations?
Clarify that the goal is not necessarily conflict but rather differences in viewpoints, e.g., "You thought X, and the other side thought Y."
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What was the context of the disagreement?
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Who was involved in the situation?
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What was your role in the team at the time?
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What goal or objective were you trying to reach?
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How did you express your differing opinion?
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How did the team respond to your perspective?
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How did you handle any tension or conflict that came up?
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What was the final decision or outcome?
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What did you learn from the experience?
Behavioral interview question bank
Here you can find a set of questions that help assess
different skills and capabilities required for various roles.
Each question can be broken down using the approach
described above.
Working Method (speed, prioritization..)
- Is it more important to move fast and get it done, or to take your time and do it right? Why?
- Can you describe an example of when you helped your team move faster?
- Describe a time when the organization you were working for went too fast and it was a problem. How did you feel about this?
- What did you take away from your previous job?
Initiative
- Describe a time when you over-delivered against what was expected of you. Why did you want it so badly?
- Tell me about the informal role you take on within your team.
- What do you consider to be your best idea at work, and what obstacles did you overcome to make it happen?
- If you were to get this role, what would be your biggest challenge and how would you approach it?
Adaptability
- We are resource-constrained and things are really ambiguous here, is that what you want for yourself?
- Describe a time when things were changing really quickly. What was the environment like for you? (Notice if they use negative words or positive words.)
- Describe a time when you had to change your plans suddenly. How did you communicate this with other people?
Intrinsic Motivation
- Tell me about a time when you loved your work. What did you enjoy about it?
- Describe a time when you became consumed with what you were working on. How did you deal with it?
- Describe something you created, either in work or outside of work, that you are proud of.
- What’s the most recent thing you learned about yourself at work? How did you learn it? Why?
Job Longevity
- Walk me through your last few jobs. What did you learn and why did you leave each?
- What do you want out of your next job that you aren’t getting now?
Past Performance
- What was the highest performing team you’ve ever worked on? Why was it so high performing? What was your role?
- What is the one thing you do better than most others in your profession?
- What do your coworkers tend to respect and admire most about your work?
- What do you consider your natural gifts, and what are the things you’ve worked hardest to get good at?
- Who have you learned the most from in your career? What did you learn?
- What advice would you give to someone starting new in your profession? What are the best things to spend time learning and doing, and what’s a waste of time?
- What are you most proud of in your career so far?
Talent Magnetism
- If we hired you today, who would immediately want to join us?
- Can you name a time when you recruited someone to a company you were working on?
- Who are the three most exceptional people you’ve ever worked with and what made them so exceptional?
Disclaimer: This playbook is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Employment laws vary by jurisdiction, and founders should consult a qualified employment attorney before acting on any hiring, termination, or other HR decisions discussed here.