Interview Question Bank

Create structured, fair interview questions that predict job success.

When to Use

• Preparing for candidate interviews
• Building interview guides for new roles
• Training hiring managers
• Ensuring consistent evaluation across candidates
• Avoiding biased or illegal questions

Question Types

1. Behavioral Questions (STAR Method)

Ask about past experiences to predict future behavior.

Format: "Tell me about a time when..."

## Collaboration
- Tell me about a time you had to work with someone difficult. How did you handle it?
- Describe a situation where you had to get buy-in from stakeholders who disagreed with you.

## Problem Solving
- Tell me about a complex problem you solved. Walk me through your approach.
- Describe a time when you had to make a decision with incomplete information.

## Leadership
- Tell me about a time you had to motivate a struggling team member.
- Describe a situation where you had to lead through change.

## Failure & Learning
- Tell me about a project that didn't go as planned. What did you learn?
- Describe a time you received critical feedback. How did you respond?

2. Situational Questions

Present hypothetical scenarios relevant to the role.

Format: "What would you do if..."

## Decision Making
- You discover a critical bug right before a major release. What do you do?
- A team member isn't meeting expectations. How would you address it?

## Prioritization
- You have three urgent requests from different stakeholders. How do you prioritize?
- Your project scope just doubled but the deadline didn't change. What's your approach?

## Conflict Resolution
- Two team members have a disagreement that's affecting the team. How do you handle it?
- A stakeholder keeps changing requirements. How would you address this?

3. Technical/Skill Assessment

Role-specific competency evaluation.

## For Engineers
- Walk me through how you would design [system relevant to role].
- How would you debug [common problem in their domain]?
- Explain [concept] to someone non-technical.

## For Managers
- How do you set goals with your team?
- Describe your approach to 1:1 meetings.
- How do you handle underperformance?

## For Sales
- Walk me through your discovery process.
- How do you handle objections about price?
- Describe how you build pipeline.

4. Values/Culture Questions

Assess alignment with company values.

## Ownership
- Tell me about a time you went beyond your job description.
- How do you handle situations where no one is explicitly responsible?

## Curiosity
- What's something you've learned recently outside of work?
- How do you stay current in your field?

## Collaboration
- How do you prefer to work with others?
- Describe your ideal team environment.

Role-Specific Question Sets

Software Engineer

1. Tell me about a technically challenging project. What made it difficult?
2. How do you approach code reviews - both giving and receiving feedback?
3. Describe a time you had to balance code quality with delivery speed.
4. Walk me through how you would debug a production incident.
5. How do you stay current with new technologies?
6. Tell me about a time you had to push back on a technical decision.

Product Manager

1. Tell me about a product you took from concept to launch.
2. How do you prioritize your roadmap?
3. Describe a time you had to say no to a stakeholder request.
4. How do you measure product success?
5. Tell me about a feature that failed. What did you learn?
6. How do you work with engineering to balance tech debt vs features?

People Manager

1. How do you develop and retain top performers?
2. Tell me about a difficult conversation you had with a direct report.
3. How do you build trust with a new team?
4. Describe your approach to giving feedback.
5. How do you handle a situation where you disagree with leadership?
6. Tell me about a time you helped someone grow into a new role.

Sales Representative

1. Walk me through your most complex deal. What made it complex?
2. How do you research and qualify prospects?
3. Tell me about a deal you lost. What would you do differently?
4. How do you handle a prospect who goes dark?
5. Describe your approach to negotiation.
6. How do you manage your pipeline and forecast accurately?

Questions to AVOID (Illegal/Biased)

Never Ask About:

Topic	Illegal/Problematic Questions
Age	"When did you graduate?" "How old are you?"
Family	"Do you have kids?" "Are you planning to have children?"
Religion	"What religious holidays do you observe?"
National Origin	"Where are you originally from?" "Is English your first language?"
Disability	"Do you have any health conditions?"
Marital Status	"Are you married?" "What does your spouse do?"
Genetics	Any questions about family medical history

Instead, Focus On:

✓ "Are you authorized to work in [country]?"
✓ "Can you perform the essential functions of this role?"
✓ "Are you available to work [required schedule]?"
✓ "Can you travel [X]% as required by this role?"

Scoring Rubric Template

## Question: [Question text]

### What to Listen For:
- [Specific indicator 1]
- [Specific indicator 2]
- [Specific indicator 3]

### Scoring:
1 - Does not meet: [Description]
2 - Partially meets: [Description]
3 - Meets expectations: [Description]
4 - Exceeds expectations: [Description]

### Red Flags:
- [Warning sign 1]
- [Warning sign 2]

Interview Structure

Recommended Flow (45-60 min)

1. Introduction (5 min)
   - Interviewer intro
   - Role overview
   - Interview agenda

2. Candidate Background (10 min)
   - "Walk me through your background"
   - Clarifying questions

3. Behavioral/Situational (20-25 min)
   - 3-4 structured questions
   - Follow-up probes

4. Technical/Role-Specific (15-20 min)
   - Skill assessment
   - Scenario discussions

5. Candidate Questions (5-10 min)
   - Answer questions
   - Sell the opportunity

6. Wrap-up (2 min)
   - Next steps
   - Timeline

Best Practices

1. Ask the same core questions to all candidates for fairness
2. Use a scoring rubric to reduce bias
3. Take notes during the interview, not after
4. Don't oversell - be honest about challenges
5. Leave time for candidate questions - it's a two-way evaluation
6. Debrief promptly - within 24 hours while memory is fresh