As a hiring manager or recruiter, it’s imperative to ask the right questions during an interview to effectively evaluate candidates. Strategic interview questions not only help uncover a candidate’s skills and experience, but also reveal their thought processes and attitudes towards work.

Strategic interview questions are designed to provide insight into a candidate’s potential performance and fit within a company’s culture. These questions go beyond simple qualifications and job experience, and instead focus on the candidate’s problem-solving abilities, work ethic, and communication skills.

By asking strategic interview questions, hiring managers can gain a better understanding of a candidate’s personality, motivation, and overall suitability for the role. This information helps companies make more informed hiring decisions and ultimately leads to better business outcomes.

How Strategic Interview Questions Help Evaluate Candidates

Strategic interview questions help evaluate candidates by providing a more holistic view of their capabilities. These questions can be behavioral, situational, or even hypothetical, and require candidates to think critically and creatively.

Some examples of strategic interview questions include:

“Tell me about a time when you had to overcome a significant obstacle at work. How did you handle it?”
“Describe a situation where you had to work with a difficult colleague. How did you handle the situation?”
“If you were given an unlimited budget and carte blanche to implement one project at this company, what would it be?”

By asking questions like these, interviewers can gain insight into a candidate’s problem-solving skills, communication style, and ability to think on their feet. This information helps hiring managers make informed decisions about which candidates are best suited for the job.

How to Use This Guide

This guide includes the top 75 strategic interview questions to ask candidates. These questions are designed to help hiring managers evaluate candidates on a variety of factors, including:

Problem-solving abilities
Communication skills
Work ethic
Leadership potential
Cultural fit
Technical knowledge

While not every question will be relevant for every position, this guide provides a comprehensive list of questions for hiring managers to choose from. By asking strategic interview questions, companies can gain a better understanding of candidates and make more informed hiring decisions.

In the next section, we’ll dive into specific questions grouped by category to help you evaluate candidates more effectively.

General Interview Questions

In addition to asking specific questions about a candidate’s experience and skills, it is also important to get a sense of their overall fit and potential as an employee. The following general interview questions can provide valuable insight into a candidate’s personality, work style, and motivation.

A. Tell me about yourself

This open-ended question is often used as an icebreaker in interviews, but it can also reveal a lot about a candidate’s communication skills, interests, and background. A good response should be concise, relevant to the job, and highlight relevant achievements or experiences. Candidates should focus on the most important aspects of their professional and personal life, demonstrating how their skills and background make them an ideal fit for the position.

B. What do you know about our company?

This question helps to determine how well a candidate has researched the company and whether they have a genuine interest in the position. Candidates should demonstrate their knowledge of the company’s history, mission, and values, as well as any recent news or developments that may be relevant to the role. A strong response shows that the candidate has done their homework and has a good understanding of how they can contribute to the company’s success.

C. What are your strengths?

This question is a classic interview question and is designed to help employers identify a candidate’s core strengths and how they can add value to the team. Candidates should focus on the most relevant and valuable skills for the position, providing specific examples of how they have used these in the past. A good response should be confident and tailored to the job requirements.

D. What are your weaknesses?

This question is often dreaded by candidates, but it is an important one as it can reveal whether a candidate has self-awareness and is willing to learn and grow. Candidates should be honest about their weaknesses, but also demonstrate how they are working to improve them. A good response should show that the candidate is committed to self-improvement and is open to feedback.

E. Why are you interested in this position?

This question helps to identify a candidate’s motivation and passion for the job. Candidates should demonstrate a genuine interest in the company and the specific role, highlighting how their skills and experience align with the job requirements. A strong response should be enthusiastic and show that the candidate is excited about the opportunity to contribute to the team.

F. What is your greatest professional achievement?

This question is designed to highlight a candidate’s proudest moments and accomplishments. Candidates should provide a specific example of a project, task or achievement that demonstrates their value and skills. A good response should be detailed, relevant, and highlight personal attributes that contributed to the success.

G. What is your greatest professional challenge?

This question is designed to identify how a candidate deals with, and learns from, difficult situations.

Technical Interview Questions

When it comes to hiring for technical roles, it’s important to assess a candidate’s technical skills and experience in order to determine whether they’re a good fit for the position. Here are some key technical interview questions to ask candidates:

A. What technical skills do you have that relate to this position?

This question is a great starting point because it allows a candidate to highlight their skills and experience that specifically relate to the job they’re applying for. Candidates might mention skills like programming, database management, web development, software testing and more. The key is to get a sense of what the candidate brings to the table in terms of technical expertise and how it aligns with the needs of the role.

B. What programming languages are you proficient in?

Programming languages are a key part of many technical roles, so it’s important to know which ones a candidate is proficient in. This might include common languages like Java, Python, Ruby, or JavaScript, or more specialized languages depending on the role. Understanding a candidate’s programming proficiency is useful for assessing their technical capabilities and determining whether they’ll be able to contribute effectively in the role.

C. What is your experience with database management?

Database management is another key aspect of many technical roles, so it’s important to assess a candidate’s experience and expertise in this area. Candidates might discuss experience with popular databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle or MongoDB, as well as experience with SQL and other related technologies. Understanding a candidate’s experience with database management is important for determining whether they’ll be able to effectively manage data in the role.

D. Explain your experience with data analysis and reporting.

Data analysis and reporting are key skills for many technical roles, particularly those that involve working with large amounts of data. Candidates might discuss their experience with tools like Excel or Tableau, as well as experience with statistical analysis and data visualization. This question is useful for assessing a candidate’s ability to analyze and interpret data, which is valuable in many technical roles.

E. What is your experience with web development?

Web development is a critical skill for many technical roles, particularly those that involve building or maintaining web applications. Candidates might discuss experience with front-end development technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as well as back-end development technologies like PHP, Node.js, or Ruby on Rails. Understanding a candidate’s web development experience is important for determining whether they’ll be able to effectively contribute to web-based projects.

F. What is your experience with software testing and quality assurance?

Software testing and quality assurance are key skills for many technical roles, particularly those that involve building or maintaining software applications. Candidates might discuss experience with manual and automated testing, as well as experience with tools like Selenium or JMeter. Understanding a candidate’s experience with software testing and quality assurance is important for determining whether they’ll be able to effectively ensure the quality of software products.

Behavioral Interview Questions

During the hiring process, it’s important to ask questions that go beyond a candidate’s technical skills and knowledge. Behavioral interview questions can give you insights into how candidates handle different situations and challenges at work. Here are some examples of strategic behavioral interview questions to ask candidates:

A. Describe a time when you had to overcome a major obstacle at work.

This question helps you gauge a candidate’s problem-solving skills, perseverance, and resilience. Look for answers that demonstrate creative thinking, collaboration, and taking ownership of the situation.

B. Give an example of when you had a disagreement with a coworker and how you addressed it.

This question helps you assess a candidate’s communication skills, conflict resolution, and teamwork. Look for answers that show empathy, active listening, and finding a mutually beneficial solution.

C. Describe a project you led and how you managed its successful completion.

This question helps you evaluate a candidate’s leadership skills, project management abilities, and attention to detail. Look for answers that highlight planning, delegation, communication, and achieving measurable results.

D. Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult decision at work.

This question helps you understand a candidate’s critical thinking, decision-making, and risk management. Look for answers that demonstrate weighing different options, analyzing data, seeking advice, and taking responsibility for the outcome.

E. Give an example of when you had to work with a difficult or challenging client or customer.

This question helps you assess a candidate’s customer service, conflict resolution, and empathy. Look for answers that show patience, active listening, problem-solving, and keeping a positive attitude.

F. Describe a time when you had to adapt to a significantly different work environment.

This question helps you evaluate a candidate’s flexibility, adaptability, and openness to change. Look for answers that demonstrate learning new skills, adjusting to new norms, and leveraging previous experience.

G. Give an example of when you had to prioritize multiple projects simultaneously.

This question helps you understand a candidate’s time management, organization, and prioritization skills. Look for answers that show setting clear goals, identifying priorities, delegating tasks, and communicating progress.

H. Tell me about a time when you had to deal with an angry or upset customer.

This question helps you assess a candidate’s customer service, conflict resolution, and emotional intelligence. Look for answers that show active listening, empathizing with the customer’s perspective, finding a solution that meets their needs, and following up to ensure satisfaction.

I. Give an example of when you had to work with a team to accomplish a goal.

This question helps you evaluate a candidate’s teamwork, collaboration, and communication skills. Look for answers that show effective communication, respect for different opinions, accountability, and a focus on achieving the common goal.

Personality Interview Questions

A. What motivates you in your work?

I strongly believe that motivation is key to achieving success in any job. When asking this question in an interview, it’s critical to listen for responses that demonstrate a deep passion for the work or a strong desire to make a positive difference.

B. How do you handle criticism?

Criticism is a natural part of any job, and how a candidate handles it can tell you a lot about their attitude and problem-solving skills. Look for candidates who take criticism constructively, remain calm under pressure, and are willing to learn and improve.

C. What is your communication style?

Effective communication is essential for success in any organization. By asking about a candidate’s communication style, you can gauge their ability to articulate ideas, listen to feedback, and work collaboratively with others.

D. Describe your work style and how you like to be managed.

Every employee has a unique work style, and understanding this can help you create a positive and productive work environment. Look for candidates who are self-motivated, proactive, and able to work independently, but who also appreciate clear guidance and feedback.

E. What are your long-term career goals?

Asking about a candidate’s long-term career goals can give you insight into their future aspirations and potential fit within your organization. Look for candidates who demonstrate a clear vision for their future and a willingness to learn and grow with your company., here are some of my own long-term career goals:

Over the next few years, I hope to continue expanding my skillset and deepening my expertise in my field. I’m always looking for new opportunities to take on challenging projects and work with interesting clients. In the long term, I hope to eventually move into a leadership role, where I can help mentor and develop other writers and subject matter experts. Ultimately, my goal is to make a positive impact in my industry and contribute to the development of innovative and effective communication strategies.

Top 75 Strategic Interview Questions to Ask Candidates