The Top Interview Questions (and Why Hiring Managers Ask Them)

You’ve just spent hours painstakingly submitting applications. You attached a resume only to fill out the exact same information in subsequent pages. Now you’re sitting in anticipation, waiting for your phone to buzz or to see a new email notification.

Want to be a little more productive? How about preparing and practicing how you’ll nail that interview. After all, a resume only gets your foot in the door. The real challenge is impressing whomever is sitting across from you.

What Types of Questions Can I Expect?

They already have your resume on file, so you’re not likely to face questions asking where you’ve worked or where you got your MBA.

Instead, managers are more interested in filling in the gaps and uncovering information not readily available in your resume. Or better yet, they want to know you. They want to know how you accomplished those metrics you’ve boasted about, how you prioritize difficult assignments, or if you’re a team player or a lone wolf.

At the end of the day, good managers are looking for a couple of different things. First, they want to know if you have the skills and abilities required for the position. Smart managers will use their line of questioning to learn more about your past experiences in order to predict how you’ll perform in the future. More and more managers are turning to behavioral interview questions to make those determinations.

Second, managers also want to learn if you’ll mesh with the organization’s culture. Studies show that cultural fit is one of the most important determinants of employee retention and success. Don’t be surprised if interviewers ask what seem like bizarre questions. Chances are they’re trying to gain a feel for your personality. Most will just ask for you to tell them a little about yourself. You’d be wise to practice a brief elevator pitch that describes your passions, hobbies, strengths, etc.

How to Prepare

The best way to prepare is to get in the mindset of understanding what an organization is looking for. A great candidate is one who has the skills to handle the position and the personality to match the culture.

To learn more about the organization, you have a couple of options. Speaking with someone who works there is ideal, but even if you don’t have someone on the inside, you’re not out of luck.

Visiting social sites or forums can give you a pretty good glimpse into an organization’s culture.

You really don’t want to force a personality just so you can match what an organization is looking for. It might be tempting, especially if the position sounds perfect. That being said, it’s difficult to enjoy working for an organization where everyone acts and functions in a manner different from you.

Next, you need to demonstrate your proficiency for the role. The best way to prepare for this is to practice explaining relevant and meaningful experiences from your past and how they apply to the current position.

While you can’t anticipate every question, you know managers will be looking for relevant experiences from your past. Practice explaining memorable achievements. That way you won’t be left fumbling through memory lane on game day, desperately trying to think of the perfect story.

Top Interview Questions

While you can’t anticipate every question, there are many common interview questions you should be familiar with. Chances are they, or some variation, will come up. Familiarizing yourself with these questions will help you identify which experiences from past employment or education might be worth sharing.

Here’s a list of 16 common interview questions:

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. Give me an example of a goal you've reached and how you reached it.
3. How do you prioritize your work demands?
4. How do you approach teamwork?
5. How do you handle disagreements?
6. Why should we hire you?
7. What were your responsibilities at your previous position?
8. If you come across a problem at work that isn’t your responsibility, what do you do?
9. Do you like to work under close or loose supervision? How would you handle either?
10. What is your biggest weakness?
11. Where do you see yourself in five years?
12. What do you consider to be your biggest achievement?
13. What can we expect from you in your first three months?
14. What questions do you have for me?
15. Why did you leave your last job?
16. Tell me about a time you failed and how you learned from it?