Interview questions are an important factor to consider when your aim is to create a positive candidate experience. If candidates are in high demand and are actively interviewing for multiple roles, repeating answers to the same questions can be a bit tedious. Think of it a bit like online dating. There are only a few times you can be asked “what’s your favourite colour” or “you up?” before it gets boring 😴

The same goes for interview questions too. Asking questions like “what’s your biggest weakness” is standard in many interviews and although you can tell a lot about someone's answer, most of the time it’s rehearsed and shows a negative in a positive light like “I’m too detail-oriented”. Yes, these questions are important but there are lots of other ways to ask questions to get to really know and understand your candidate while switching it up and making it a more engaging, positive experience for them. Here are a few standard questions everyone will have asked or answered before along with some fresher questions that still tell you all about them.

Instead of: What’s your biggest weakness?

Try: What's the best mistake you’ve ever made?

Instead of: Describe yourself.

Try: If you were a brand, what would you be and why?

Instead of: What are your hobbies outside of work?

Try: If you weren’t in X field, what would your dream job/life be?

Instead of: Do you have any questions about the company?

Try: If you were interviewing me or the CEO of this company, what would your main question be?

Instead of: Do you consider yourself a good leader?

Try: Who is your most inspirational leader - fictional/non-fictional?

Instead of: What’s a campaign you’ve worked on that you’re proud of?

Try: When was a time you felt your best at work and why?

Instead of: Name a time you had to use your problem-solving skills.

Try: Tell me about a time you were tasked to do something you didn’t know how.

Instead of: Do you prefer to work alone or in a team?

Try: If you were in a team lacking motivation, what would you do to fix it?

Instead of: Why should we choose you over other candidates?

Try: Tell us something about you that’s not on your LinkedIn profile.

These aren’t exactly groundbreaking questions, but they are less used than most and it’s important to switch them up. Breaking the ice with some less serious questions that still show their skill and potential creates a more comfortable environment and you’ll get the most out of your candidate.