How do you elicit relevant examples from a candidate?

1 Prepare your questions

Before the interview, review the job description and identify the main skills, qualities, and outcomes you are looking for in the ideal candidate. Then, prepare some open-ended questions that ask them to describe a situation where they applied those skills, qualities, or outcomes in a previous or current role. For example, if you are hiring a project manager, you might ask them to tell you about a time when they managed a complex project with multiple stakeholders and tight deadlines. Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) or CAR (Context, Action, Result) frameworks to structure your questions and ensure you cover all the relevant aspects of the example.

2 Probe for details

Once the candidate gives you an initial answer, don't stop there. Probe for more details and clarifications that will help you evaluate their performance and potential. For example, you might ask them to explain how they approached the problem, what challenges they faced, how they collaborated with others, what results they achieved, and what they learned from the experience. Use follow-up questions such as "What was your role in that situation?", "How did you measure your success?", "What feedback did you receive?", or "How would you do things differently next time?" to dig deeper and uncover more insights.

3 Encourage specificity

Sometimes, candidates might give you generic or hypothetical examples that don't reflect their actual work or achievements. To avoid this, encourage them to be specific and use real-life scenarios that they can back up with evidence and data. For example, you might ask them to name the project, the organization, the timeframe, the budget, the metrics, or the outcomes that they are referring to. You might also ask them to provide samples of their work, such as reports, presentations, or portfolios, that illustrate their skills and accomplishments. If they can't or won't provide specific examples, you might want to question their credibility and suitability for the role.

4 Listen actively

One of the most important things you can do as an interviewer is to listen actively and attentively to the candidate's examples. This means paying attention to not only what they say, but also how they say it. For example, you might notice their tone, body language, confidence, enthusiasm, or communication skills. You might also pick up on some clues or cues that indicate their strengths, weaknesses, motivations, or values. By listening actively, you can also show respect, rapport, and interest in the candidate, which can make them feel more comfortable and willing to share more examples.

5 Provide feedback

Finally, don't forget to provide feedback to the candidate after they give you an example. This can help you acknowledge their efforts, validate their responses, and encourage them to continue or improve. For example, you might say something like "That's a great example, thank you for sharing it", "I'm impressed by how you handled that situation", or "I can see how that skill would be useful for this role". You might also ask them if they have any questions for you, or if they want to add anything else to their example. By providing feedback, you can also reinforce your expectations, criteria, and goals for the role and the interview.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?