Insightful Interviewing: 12 Unique Questions to Help You Hire the Right People

Hiring the right people for a position can be difficult, especially in a competitive industry. When interviewing, hiring managers don’t get a lot of time to get to know the interviewee.

Still, when the interviewer chooses the right questions and conducts the interview productively, that short meeting can be incredibly informative.

Unique and Effective Questions for Interviewing

Developing a successful hiring plan requires asking the right questions. While many interviewers try to ask unique questions, it is important to maintain a balance between serious, structured questions and fun questions. Regardless of the tone, you should always have a goal in mind when asking a question.

Here are some unique yet effective interview questions you can ask to get to know a candidate better:

1. Can you tell me about a time when a job or company wasn’t a great fit?

This question prompts the interviewee to share details about their strengths and weaknesses in the workplace. It may reveal an incompatible company culture, scheduling issues or difficult-to-manage tasks, which will help you choose the right role for the candidate.

2. How would your previous boss describe you?

Their answer will help you develop a professional profile for the candidate.

3. How do you choose which companies and roles to apply to?

This question asks candidates to list their strengths and preferences and will tell you more about why they applied for the position you are offering, as well as the potential tasks they stand to excel at.

4. Do you believe it is more important to work fast or to get the job done right?

This question will help you and the interviewee align your priorities.

5. What personal or professional accomplishments are you most proud of?

Asking this question in an inviting manner might help the candidate open up about their professional and transferable skills.

6. What fictional character do you identify with the most? Why?

This is a fun way to spruce up the age-old, “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”

7. What inspires you to work in this industry?

Asking this question will help you determine what makes your industry desirable for new employees, and will reveal the candidate’s skills, professional goals and knowledge of the industry.

8. Tell me about a time when you were part of a team that was fun to work with. How did you balance productivity and fun with your co-workers?

This is a good question for gauging time management and multitasking skills, and it gives the candidate the chance to talk about something fun in a professional setting.

9. If you had an unlimited budget, what innovation would you want to create in our industry?

Asking this question might help you learn about the candidate’s interest in your business’s industry and may even help you bring their ideas to life later on.

10. What’s a skill you’re actively working on improving right now?

Unlike the classic “weakness” question, this one assumes growth is ongoing. It should show that the candidate has self-awareness and humility, and whether the candidate takes ownership of their own development without being prompted.

11. Tell me about a time you disagreed with a decision at work. What did you do?

This reveals how a candidate handles conflict, whether they raise concerns constructively or stay silent, and how much initiative they take when they see a better path forward. It’s especially useful for understanding how they’ll engage with leadership during disagreements down the line.

12. How will AI change our industry?

This question is effective for tech-related positions but can also be asked in non-tech interviews. It tugs at a candidate’s creative strings and encourages them to be open to the possibilities ahead.

Each hiring interview is unique, and finding the best candidate takes patience and finesse. To learn how to identify and hire the right person for each role you need to fill, join us for “Finding the Right Fit: A Guide to Successful Hiring” to further strengthen your interviewing skills and hiring plans.