7 Common Interview Questions from Candidates That You Should Know

When interviewing candidates for a job, you will often end it by asking if they have any questions for you. This is their time to get to know what they find interesting in your company and to assess if they prepared for the interview. You can also use common interview questions from candidates to highlight the benefits and advantages of working for your company.

You might ask what questions can be asked in an interview. They may have questions about the company or questions specific to the role they are interviewing for. Here are some examples.

What this reveals: They have a proactive mindset and interest in the job

Candidates asking you what the next step is in your recruitment process are interested and eager to move on to the next round.

What this reveals: They want to understand their position and possible movement in the company.

A common piece of company information that you can provide during an interview is why you’re hiring in the first place. Candidates want to know if they are filling the role of someone who moved laterally, got promoted, or resigned. If the position is new, you can also explain this and the reason behind the expanded role. In the case of promotion or lateral movement, this also offers some insight on how employees progress in your organisation.

What this reveals: They want to address any potential weaknesses you may have identified.

When a candidate asks this, they want to make sure that they have covered their bases. They may highlight their strengths and experiences, but you may have some concerns. This question allows them to address your concerns and give solutions or action points that they have taken to do such as learning or upskilling.

What this reveals: They want to get to know the team they will be working with and identify if it aligns with their working style.

Candidates ask this because they want to get a feel of the dynamics in the team they may be joining. They also want to know more about the personalities of the people they will be working with.

What this reveals: They want to know the trajectory of this position and the deliverables in the coming months.

When candidates ask this question, they want to envision what the role will entail in the first 12 months. They already want to get a feel of the pace of the work and what they will need to do to achieve the goals and targets.

What this reveals: They want to know the level of engagement of the position.

When a candidate asks this, they want to understand their place in your organisation. They want to know the impact of the work that they will do if they are hired.

What this reveals: They are looking to grow and learn to succeed in this job.

Candidates with growth mindsets are always looking for ways to learn. It’s important to them to know how your organisation provides learning and development opportunities.

If a candidate does not have any questions, it may be that you covered all their concerns during the interview. However, these common interview questions from candidates can help you get to know them more and use their answers to assess if they are a good fit for your opening. While preparing answers for candidates, why not also have some icebreakers for the interview?