Here’s how to get beyond cliché interview questions to find the right fit

Many interviewers fall back on standard questions asked almost in every job interview to get to know the applicant better. These questions often yield predictable, socially desirable or rehearsed answers, because applicants want to show their best side. However, by phrasing the question slightly differently, you can get more honest and spontaneous answers.  

Recruitment specialist Robert Walters provides alternative questions to some of the most frequently asked interview questions to give you a truer picture of the applicant.  

1 . Tell us about yourself

This question is often intended as an icebreaker, but rarely yields relevant answers. Candidates usually list standard information (age, home situation, hobbies) or summarize their CV. As an interviewer, you therefore learn little new from this.  

Alternative question: How did you get here?   

This question invites the applicant to tell their (professional) story. You get to hear what experiences most shaped their career path and what personal factors influence their choices.  

2. What are your strengths?   

Of course, you want to find out what strengths the applicant can bring to the table. However, chances are you will get a rehearsed list of commonly desired qualities or a repetition of what was in your job ad, without concrete examples.  

Alternative question: How did you make a difference in your current or previous role?   

This encourages the applicant to give examples where their skills were highlighted, which is more valuable than a list of standard traits. You get a more realistic picture of their strengths.  

3. What are your weaknesses?

This question often leads to predictable answers, presenting strengths as weaknesses (e.g. ‘I am too perfectionist’ or ‘I am too modest’).  

Alternative question: Talk about a situation that did not go according to plan and what you learned from it.   

This gives the applicant a chance to talk about real challenges and how they dealt with them. It gives you insight into their self-reflection and ability to learn from mistakes.  

4. Why do you want to work with us?  

 Chances are slim that your organisation is the only chosen employer on the candidate's wish list. So this question mainly leads to answers based on repeating the company's mission and vision. What is certain, however, is that for this candidate, your vacancy stands out from several similar vacancies. So, this is where you do want to find out more.   

Alternative question: What aspects of the organisation and the vacancy convinced you to apply? 

This question will help you find out what really stood out and attracted the applicant to the position and the company. You will also get an insight into their expectations of the role and whether they are a good fit for the organisation.  

5. Where do you see yourself in five years?  

Formulating a concrete answer to this question is hard, given the uncertainties involved in this timeframe. At this point in the application process, the applicant does not even know whether he or she can join your organisation, and what opportunities this role may offer.   

Alternative question: What is on your professional or personal bucket list? 

This question gives a better idea of the applicant's long-term goals and ambitions, both professional and personal. It shows what he or she really values in life.  

6. Any questions?  

Expect a neatly prepared list of standard questions that does not reflect the interview course.  

Alternative question: What did you think of our interview?  

This shows whether the applicant can give feedback and form an informed opinion. In addition, it shows how well one followed the interview and whether he or she continues to ask about interesting or unclear points. 

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