50 interview questions for hiring the best job candidate

“When interviewing, you want to think about the needs of the business, the demands of the role and the kind of person who would not only ‘fit’ within the culture but who would also add a fresh perspective to it.”

During a candidate evaluation, you’ll also need to abide by the laws in Canada that specifically touch on hiring.

What questions are legally off limits? The Canadian Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity and other grounds.

50 interview questions to ask job candidates

These are competency-based questions that will help you prepare. They assess a candidate's key skills and behaviours in specific situations, such as teamwork, problem-solving or leadership, by asking for concrete examples from past experiences.

You may choose to adapt some or all of them, depending on the role and your need. But these screening techniques will offer you different insights into the person sitting across from you in the interview.

How the candidate sees themselves

Start the interview process with open-ended questions that allow candidates to put their best foot forward and give you a sense of how they perceive themselves in the workplace. Asking for specific examples will ensure they can back up their strengths with action.

1. What qualities make you a good employee?

2. What was your greatest contribution in your previous job(s)?

3. What are your main strengths? Describe how they helped you in a specific work situation.

General attributes and work experience they offer

These questions offer you a window into how a candidate works. The questions let you see what responsibilities they’ve been trusted with and how they’ve been perceived by employers.

4. Describe your work style.

5. What were your most important responsibilities in past jobs?

6. How do you think your previous employers would describe you as an employee? What was the feedback you typically received during evaluations?

Why the candidate is looking for a new job

Understanding what motivated the candidate to apply for your job allows you to gauge how serious and available they are for the role.

“It’s helpful to know whether the person is out of work and actively seeking a new role at a number of companies—or are they currently employed and were attracted to your advertised position specifically?” says Carriero.

7. What led you to apply for this position?

8. Why are you leaving your current job?

How the candidate works with others on the job

Depending on the type of role, it may be important to know how a candidate feels about working with others and the kind of experience they have with it. These questions will help you determine whether they would be a good fit for working alone or on a team.

9. Do you prefer to work on a team or alone? Why?

10. Can you give me an example of a time when you collaborated with others in the workplace?

The candidate’s academic experience and how it shaped them as a professional

For candidates with plenty of on-the-job experience to draw from, these questions may not be necessary. They are, however, appropriate for junior hires, where you’re bringing on board someone straight out of school. These questions can reveal a lot about their motivation, work ethic and professional interests.

Carriero says these questions also serve to validate the resume they’ve submitted, which is an important screening tool.

11. Tell us about your academic background and which institutions you attended.

12. Why did you decide to specialize in this field?

13. How would you describe yourself as a student?

14. During the course of your studies, which were your favourite subjects? Which did you like the least?

How interested the candidate is in your company

You’ll want to know how the candidate understands the company and what might be expected of them.

One clue that they are interested and proactive if they researched your company.

“You can help them deepen their knowledge of your company and the position, and determine whether it’s a good fit for you and for them,” Carriero says.

15. What do you know about our company’s mission, products and services?

16. Can you name any of are our competitors and what makes us different from them?

17. What makes you want to work here?

18. Why do you think this role is important for our company?

19. What do you think your biggest challenge would be in this position?

20. How would you use your previous experience in this position?

21. What are your salary expectations?

How much satisfaction the candidate derives from work

Discovering the type of work that a candidate finds meaning in will help you assess fit. You want someone who will derive satisfaction in the type of work and culture you have to offer.

22. Tell me about your proudest work achievement.

23. What previous job gave you the most satisfaction and why?

24. What are the working conditions you like best and least (e.g., working hours, physical environment, work group)?

How the candidate manages challenges

“For any position, you want to assess whether the candidate has strong problem-solving abilities, Or are they someone who simply complains about hurdles?” says Carriero.

Impressive responses will include ones that take responsibility for some part of the challenges and a positive and concerted effort to resolve any issues.

This is a good example of a behavioural interview, which assess a candidate's suitability by asking for specific examples of past actions and behaviours to predict future performance.

25. What dissatisfactions did you have to deal with in your previous jobs?

26. How did you try to correct these situations?

27. What was the greatest challenge in your previous job(s)?

28. How did you get through that challenge?

29. Tell me about a time you overcame a major obstacle that could have prevented you from completing a project.

30. Give an example of a major decision (or decisions) you’ve made in your current job.

31. Describe a time when you had to think on your feet.

How the candidate takes feedback and manages stress

No job is without some kind of pressure. You want to ensure that the candidate can handle negative feedback and has a healthy approach to managing stress and staying on top of their tasks.

32. Can you describe a time when you were criticized for your work and how you dealt with that?

33. What have you learned from any failures on the job?

34. How do you handle stress or tight deadlines?

35. How do you manage your time and stay organized on the job?

The candidate’s long-term career goals

Hiring is time-consuming and expensive. You want to be sure you’re bringing on someone who has the potential to stay for the long run. Find out what their aspirations are and whether your business can help fulfill them.

36. What are your long-term career goals?

37. What are you looking for in terms of career development?

38. What skills or knowledge would make you better at your current role?

The candidate’s curiosity and commitment to learning

These questions will give you a feel for the candidate’s attitude toward growth and their desire to learn.

39. What’s the most important skill you’ve learned recently?

40. What would you say you would like to improve upon in yourself when it comes to work?

The candidate’s personality

A workplace is more than just a place to get work done. It’s helpful to find out a little about the personality of the person you’re considering hiring and what kind of personal values they have.

41. Can you share something about yourself that isn’t on your resume?

42. What activities or leisure pursuits do you enjoy?

43. What is most important to you outside of work?

How the candidate expects to be led

Your company has its own management style and it’s critical to ensure that it’s aligned with the needs of the prospective employee.

44. Tell us about a manager you liked the most. Why?

45. What do you expect in a manager?

The candidate’s attitude toward diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)?

In today’s workplace it is more important than ever to assess a candidate’s understanding and values towards DEI.

Their replies about DEI can be revealing. “If they can’t answer these questions, it’s because they’ve never stopped to think about it, which offers its own kind of insight,” says Carriero.

“However, that doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t a good candidate. If they are open to growth and learning, this is something that can be developed within the workplace.”

46. What does diversity, equity and inclusion mean to you, and why do you think it’s important?

47. How would you react if you heard a co-worker say something racist, homophobic, ageist, ableist, sexist or equally inappropriate?

48. How do you seek to understand the perspective of a co-worker whose background is different from yours?

How their skills match the demands of the position and how they would perform in specific situations

No interview process is complete without giving the candidate a chance to show you how they would handle job-related challenges. These questions are examples of  questions you might ask that would reveal their approach to the position you’re filling. You will want to tailor your questions to the role and the workplace.

49. Production is delayed because a machine broke down. A very important order for a major client could be delayed. The employees feel under constant pressure and want to meet with you, and so do the managers, because implementing the ISO model is giving them extra work, which is causing discontent. What would you do?

50. You notice tension among some of your colleagues when they collaborate. It can be difficult to make progress on projects when they’re involved. What do you do?

Interviewing candidates is an inexact science. You may be guided by your gut as much as by the answers that applicants offer. However, having a structured interview, where all candidates or participants are asked the same predetermined questions in the same order, will help you make fair comparisons and lead you in the direction that feels right for your company.

3 basic categories of interview questions

Behavioural questions

Purpose: To assess past actions

Example: “Tell me about a time you resolved a conflict?”

Situational questions

Purpose: To test hypothetical responses

Example: “What would you do if a deadline was missed?”

Technical questions

Purpose: To evaluate job-specific skills

Example: “How would you use Excel to track KPIs?”

6 tips for a successful interview

1. Use a mix of behavioural, situational and technical questions

Why it matters: Each type of question uncovers a different layer of a candidate’s suitability. Behavioural questions reveal how they acted in the past—a strong predictor of future performance—situational ones test their problem-solving in real time and technical ones confirm they have the hard skills to do the job.

2. Start with self-perception questions

Why it matters: Asking candidates how they see themselves (strengths, contributions, qualities) sets the tone for the interview and provides insight into their confidence, self-awareness and ability to articulate value. It also lets them highlight accomplishments in their own words.

3. Probe motivations for applying and leaving previous roles

Why it matters: Understanding why someone is looking for a new job tells you about their priorities and long-term fit. It helps distinguish between someone just “job-hopping” and someone genuinely interested in your company and role.

4. Assess teamwork, feedback and stress management

Why it matters: Technical skills can be trained, but collaboration, resilience and adaptability are harder to teach. Exploring how candidates work with others, accept feedback and handle pressure ensures you’re hiring someone who can thrive in your work culture.

5. Explore long-term goals and curiosity about learning

Why it matters: Recruitment is expensive, so you want someone who is not only capable now but also eager to grow with the company. Asking about career aspirations and recent skills learned highlights ambition and adaptability.

6. Include questions on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)

Why it matters: Modern workplaces thrive on inclusivity and respect for differences. By asking about DEI, you gauge a candidate’s values and openness to diverse perspectives. Both of these are crucial for building healthy, innovative teams.

Recommended number of questions in a job interview

For interviewers

• 4–6 questions in 30 minutes
• 8–12 questions in 60 minutes
• 6–8 core questions with follow-ups

For candidates

• 3–5 prepared, aim to ask about 3
• 2–4 key questions
• 1–2 strong questions if time or context limits

Next steps

Prepare candidate interviews more effectively with BDC’s free interview template.