5 Unique Interview Questions That Don’t Suck and That Your Competition Probably Isn’t Using

As a Professional Recruiter, I’ve probably coached somewhere around 1000+ ish people on how to nail the interview. Unfortunately, not all of them take the advice – and sometimes they do take the advice and they still don’t get the gig.

Regardless, it’s always my hope to help as many people as possible be as successful as possible in the interview to get the best job as possible and yes … I’m trying to say “as possible” as much as possible in this sentence. **cough** as possible ** cough**

So on that note – here are 5 easy questions that you should ask in every interview you have. While these won’t guarantee you get the job, I guarantee you’ll stand out from the crowd of applicants that don’t have questions like these in their interviewing arsenal.

-Greg's Top 5 Non-Sucky Questions-

#1 – The Double Decker

The reason this is so good is because it shows you did some research and came prepared for the interview. It shows that you are genuinely interested in their opinions, and it kind of puts them on the spot and lets you gauge their answer – whether it’s a cheesy / canned answer or an honest / transparent answer.

The Question: You’ve been here for XX amount of years now. What is it about this company that has kept you happy for that long?

#2 – Lil’ Risqué

This one is definitely not for the faint of heart. This one needs to be delivered with a tone of confident curiosity and a positive sounding voice. This is another way to help you figure out if the person on the other side of the table is actually willing to be honest or not.

The question: What’s something that you wish were different / What’s something that you wish you could change? (Same question – different way of asking it)

#3 Hindsight is 20/20

This is a question that will hopefully get you more information about the role or the company or the team – etc. that maybe you hadn’t even thought to ask.

The question: Knowing what you know now about the company, what do you wish you would have known in the interview process that you didn’t ask?

#4 – Put me in coach!

This one shows that you aren’t looking to be just another hamster in the wheel but that you’re already interested in diving in and helping the team reach whatever the next level might be.

(Bonus tip: write this down and address it in a thank you note after the interview for added brownie points)

The question: What’s the biggest challenge that you and your team are currently facing and how would I, in my role, be able to help find and/or implement that solution?

#5 The Pièce de Résistance

In my opinion, this is by far the best question to bring out as the grand slam to close out the game. This shows that you’re professional enough to take constructive criticism and address hard conversations head on with confidence. Feel free to give it your own flare but make sure that the meat is still there when finally getting to the question.

The question: We’ve had a great conversation and thank you so much for all your input and your answers to my question. One thing that I want to make sure I give you the chance to do is to address any concerns or red flags you might have. The last thing I want to happen is for me to think I’ve nailed it and for you to have a little question in the back of your mind and for us to miss a great opportunity to work together simply because I didn’t give you an opportunity to question those red flags. So on that note, do you have any questions, comments, or concerns about my background? 

What questions do you like to keep in your interview arsenal?

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