17 Insightful Interview Questions to Find the Right Fit

When interviewing potential hires, asking the right questions is key to finding the right candidate for your company. These lines of questioning can reveal a lot about a candidate's skills, personality and fit for your team.

To help you get the most out of your interviews, the members of Newsweek Expert Forum discuss their favorite questions to ask applicants. Here are 17 questions they recommend asking, along with what the responses can uncover and why they are so effective in evaluating candidates.

1. "What do you like/dislike about your job?"

Ask about their most and least favorite part of their job. This question gives great insight into what aspects of the work they find engaging and what disinterests them. If you listen and probe about how they tackle the least favorite aspects, there is so much that can be learned, including a sense of working style preference, if the job offered matches their interests and how they prioritize their work. - Michelle Tillis Lederman, Author, The Connector's Advantage

2. "What is a major mistake you've made?"

I frequently ask potential hires to discuss a major mistake that they have made in the past and what they do differently now as a result of having made that mistake. How they answer such a question can provide a tremendous amount of insight not only into their problem-solving skills and ability to learn from mistakes but also into their willingness to accept responsibility for bad decisions. - Joseph Steinberg, CyberSecurity and Artificial Intelligence Expert Services

3. "How will you achieve your life goals?"

There are several, but one I like is to ask people what their goals are in life, how they plan to achieve them, what their limitations and strengths are and if they are confident about hitting those goals. That will tell me a lot about how a person thinks and will behave. - Zain Jaffer, Zain Ventures

4. "Can you work overtime?"

Ask candidates whether they are willing to work overtime, weekends and holidays if needed. I ask this because this speaks volumes to me during those times and their response is vital to me when hiring. It proves they are not only serious but will also be a dedicated employee. - Tammy Sons, Tn Nursery

5. "What lesson have you had to learn repeatedly?"

I like to ask about one lesson they've had to learn again and again. This question probes into a potential hire's capacity for self-reflection, adaptability and growth. It also gauges their capacity for honesty, humility and authentic communication while unveiling their ability to recognize patterns, learn from mistakes and showcase a commitment to ongoing personal and professional development. - Anna Yusim, MD, Yusim Psychiatry, Consulting & Executive Coaching

6. "What is the biggest professional risk you've taken?"

Ask what is the most significant risk they have taken as a professional and what they learned from it. This question not only reveals their capacity for taking risks but also denotes their learning agility and resilience. Any response they give can denote their willingness to step out of their comfort zones. - Dr. Kira Graves, Kira Graves Consulting

7. "What have you learned from failure?"

Interview questions for potential hires are designed to uncover facts and nuances about backgrounds, interests, experiences, preparation and commitment to an opportunity. One of the most revealing interview questions probes a person's failures and lessons learned. Candidates who respond with clarity demonstrate self-awareness and resilience, which are necessary for handling complex challenges. - Lillian Gregory, The 4D Unicorn LLC

8. "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

My favorite question is asking where do they see themselves in five years. In asking this, I am looking for the prospective employee to tell me they expect to still be with our firm. It may seem trite, but identifying long-term team members is a critical part of our interview process. Who can grow with us as a firm? Who wants to make their career with us? - Jacob Kupietzky, HCT Executive Interim Management & Consulting

9. "What are your least favorite duties?"

I like asking about their least favorite job duties. Many candidates want to please interviewers and say they like everything. On the other hand, top professionals know exactly what they don't want to do in their next role. - Krisztina Veres, Veres Career Consulting

10. "What constructive feedback have you received?"

"What is the constructive feedback that you received in your most recent performance review? Why do you think you received this feedback? What have you done about it since?" These questions at the surface level are telling, and so are the behavioral insights gleaned from the way the candidate answers the question. For example, it can demonstrate whether the candidate is self-aware and if they practice self-improvement. - Sabina Pons, Growth Molecules

11. "What are you currently excited about?"

I ask about what they are in the middle of doing that they're excited about. This open-ended question surfaces what potential hires are passionate about, as well as the correlation between their strengths and the outcomes they are positioned to deliver as a result. The more aligned a candidate's strengths and passions are with the role, the better the likelihood of fit. - Karen Mangia, The Engineered Innovation Group

12. "What is your ideal working environment?"

I ask candidates to describe their ideal working environment specifically and in a bottom-lined manner. I also ask what that does for them when they have that environment. - Jay Steven Levin, WinThinking

13. "What would your strategy be as CEO?"

"If you were suddenly elevated to the CEO position in your prior role, what would be the three to four pillars of your strategy? Why those pillars? And how would you go about implementing them?" This is a challenging question that requires time for reflection but it provides exceptional insights about a leader's strategic thinking and their ability to translate their strategy into action. - Eric Michrowski, Propulo Consulting

14. "What challenges have you faced in your previous role?"

I have candidates describe a challenge they faced in their previous role, how they addressed it and what they learned from the experience. The question provides critical insights into problem-solving orientation, professional maturity, learning orientation, collaborative spirit or leadership and emotional intelligence. - Britton Bloch, Navy Federal

15. "How do you prevent and handle burnout?"

Ask candidates to talk about a time when they felt overwhelmed with their workload or experienced burnout. Learn how they recognized it and what steps they took to address it. Additionally, what boundaries or self-care practices did they implement to prevent burnout and maintain their well-being in high-pressure situations? - Leah Marone, Corporate Wellness Consultant

16. "What major change has improved your professional life?"

"What major change have you made that has positively impacted your professional life?" I like this question because it uncovers a candidate's approach to growth and challenges. It shows their self-awareness, willingness to evolve and adaptability, which are all essential qualities for any role. Additionally, their answer provides insight into what unique contributions they can bring to the team. - Gergo Vari, Lensa

17. "How did you handle a challenging situation?"

One of my favorite questions to ask potential hires in an interview is, "Can you tell me about a time when you faced a challenging situation at work and how you handled it?" This question allows me to assess their problem-solving skills, resilience and ability to handle pressure. Their answer would tell me if they can think critically, adapt to difficult circumstances and take initiative. - Alan Wozniak, Business Health Matters (BHM) Executive Consulting