Navigating Interviews: 15 Insightful Questions to Ask Interviewees

As a hiring firm, Bridge Placements understands the pressure to find a candidate with the right skills and professional experience. But how can you determine that from just an interview? The answer lies in the questions for interviewees you choose to ask. Whether you're meeting virtually or in person, preparing thoroughly as an interviewer is crucial.

Here are 15 insightful questions to ask the interviewee, designed to help you gauge their interest in the job and company, understand their work history and career plans, and reveal their values, work habits, strengths, weaknesses, knowledge, and skills.

1. What do you know about our company, and why do you want to work here?

This question for the interviewee quickly reveals who is genuinely interested in working for you.

2. What skills and strengths can you bring to this position?

This question helps you understand if the interviewee has thought critically about how their abilities will benefit your unique team.

3. Can you tell me about your current job?

This open-ended question to ask the interviewee allows you to evaluate their communication skills while gaining insights into their background.

4. What could your current company do to be more successful?

This question gives you a sense of whether interviewees see the big picture at their organizations and why they want to leave their current jobs.

5. Can you tell me about a time when you had a disagreement with a boss or colleague and how you handled the situation?

This question to ask for the interviewee gives you a sense of their conflict resolution abilities.

6. Do you work best alone or on a team?

This question helps determine if they're suited to the types of assignments they'll receive in your company.

7. Why are you leaving your current job?

This question helps you understand if your job opportunity provides an alternative to the factors that made them unhappy in their current role.

8. How would your coworkers describe you?

This question sheds light on the candidate’s soft skills and how they might work with the other members of your team.

9. How would your boss describe you?

This question gives you a sense of the candidate’s relationship with previous managers.

10. Where do you see yourself in five years?

This question helps you find a job candidate with professional drive.

11. How do you manage deadline pressure?

This question helps you understand how well your potential hire performs under pressure.

12. In your most recent role, was there a time when you had to overcome a significant challenge?

This question helps you understand an interviewee’s critical thinking and analytical skills.

13. What’s the most interesting project you’ve worked on in a past position?

This question helps you determine if the applicant would likely enjoy the work available at your company.

14. What’s one fact that’s not on your LinkedIn profile?

This open-ended question to ask an interviewee can help you uncover some interesting insights.

15. Do you have any questions for me?

This question typically wraps up the interview and helps you understand if the candidate is serious about the role.