Index of questions
Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
Why have you applied for this vacancy?
Why do you wish to leave your current position?
Why do you want to work for this organisation?
What has been your greatest achievement/accomplishment?
What can you, above all the other applicants, bring to this job?
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
How would you describe yourself? / How would your boss/colleagues/team/family/friends describe you?
In what ways are you a team player?
Do you work well on your own initiative?
What techniques do you use to get things done?
How do you handle pressure and stress?
Can you tell me about a time when you have failed to achieve a goal?
What’s the worst mistake you’ve made at work and how did you deal with it?
How would you handle the following situation?
Can you tell me about a major project you have successfully completed?
Can you tell me about a major problem at work that you’ve had to deal with?
We have a problem with x. How would you resolve that?
What do you do when you disagree with your line manager?
How would you describe yourself as a manager?
Can you give me an example of when you have successfully coached a member of your team?
What is your customer service philosophy?
How did you get your last job?
What does your current job involve on a day-to-day basis?
What contribution do you make to the department in which you work?
What changes have you made to your current job role since you started?
What have you learned in your last job?
Can you tell me about your last appraisal?
How would you describe your current boss?
Which of your jobs was the best?
Why is there a gap in your CV?
What do you know about us as an organisation?
What do you know about our products/services?
What do you think are our organisation’s greatest strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats?
What do you know about the vacancy for which you are applying?
How do your skills and experience match the job description/person specification?
What appeals to you most about this vacancy?
Why have you chosen this line of work?
Are there any other organisations to which you are applying?
How does this job compare to others for which you are applying?
Can you describe your ideal employer to me?
What sort of person would you most like to work for?
In what ways is your degree relevant to the work you are now doing?
What have you learned and how have you developed over the last year/five years?
What sports are you/have you been involved in?
Do you know what the current headline news is?
How quickly can you adapt to a new work environment?
Would it be a problem if we asked you to work overtime/evenings/weekends?
What is your current salary package?
What salary package are you expecting for this role?
When would you be available to start?
Do you mind if we contact your current employer for a reference?
You must surely have more than one weakness?
What character flaws do you have?
How do you handle being criticised?
What really makes you lose your rag?
How did you cope with the most difficult colleague you’ve ever had?
Are you able to make difficult decisions and tough choices?
Why haven’t you achieved more in your career?
What don’t you like about this line of work?
Where does your current employer think you are at the moment?
What are your current boss’s weaknesses?
What are your current employer’s plans for the year ahead?
What reservations do you have about working for us?
You’ve been out of work for a while. Has it been difficult finding a job?
What’s your sickness record like?
What do you think of me as an interviewer?
If you were in my position, what questions would you be asking?
What would be the toughest question I could ask you?
What makes you better than any of the other candidates I’m interviewing?
I think you’re overqualified for this job. Don’t you?
What will you do if I decide not to hire you?
See this pen? Can you sell it to me?
If you were an animal at the zoo, which animal would you be and why?
If there was a monkey hanging from a chandelier, how would you get it down?
Why don’t polar bears eat penguins?
How much water would it take to fill St Paul’s Cathedral?
Can you tell me what you enjoy about your current job?
What will you remember most about your last job?
Is this the first time you have made an effort to move away from your current employers?
How do you feel about the possibility of leaving your current job?
How would you describe your current employer?
Wouldn’t you be better suited to working in a larger/smaller organisation?
How do you feel this vacancy differs from your current role?
What reservations do you have about your ability to undertake this job?
Can you describe your ideal working environment to me?
How do you feel we compare to our competitors?
What would you say is our Unique Selling Point?
What would be your analysis of the current trends in our industry/sector?
What aspects of your career path would you like to have been different?
What are your greatest regrets about the path your career has taken?
What has been the greatest challenge you have faced in your career to date?
What do you think are your main career options for the next five years?
What exactly does the word ‘success’ mean to you?
Why did you stay with this organisation for such a short time?
Why did you stay with this organisation for such a long time?
Can you juggle a number of different projects simultaneously?
How do you handle rejection/disappointment/failure?
How do you deal with interpersonal conflict?
What do tact and diplomacy mean to you?
What makes for a successful team?
Would you describe yourself as a good manager?
Do you really think you’re management material?
What is your attitude to delegation?
Can you give me an example of a time when you had to lead from the front?
Have you ever had to fire or lay off a member of your staff?
How would you describe your ideal team member?
In what ways do you intend to improve upon your performance?
How has your current job prepared you for greater challenges/responsibility?
What book are you reading at the moment?
Are you interested in current affairs?
If you won the lottery, what would you do?
Can you tell me about the best teacher you ever had?
If you could meet any historical figure, who would it be and why?
How much do you think you are really worth?
How much does money matter to you?
Would you still be interested in this job if your current employer offered a pay rise?
Have you ever had to take a pay cut to keep your job?
Have you ever asked for but been refused a pay rise?
Do you have any medical conditions to declare?
Can you perceive any problems in relocating?
How would you react if I were to offer you this job on the spot?