8/16/2023

Seven questions to ask in a job interview in English

The right questions help you get to know the candidates and select only those who fit the company's profile.

An essential practice in selecting good candidates for vacancies where English (or another language) is required is to ask the right questions during a job interview. Therefore, it is essential for HR professionals and company leaders to stay up-to-date on the best practices for this phase of selection.

Some questions are quite frequent during the selection process. However, it is relevant to ask some that are not so common during the interview, as they help to identify, in a subtle way, the strengths of each person and how they can contribute to the company.

In addition, it is important to avoid some cliché questions that are very personal and may even sound prejudiced. For this reason, it is not appropriate to ask if the person has children, is married, who they will leave the child with during the work day, etc.

Therefore, if you have to conduct job interviews in English, we recommend that you prepare some questions that can help you select the right talent. To make this task easier for you, we have made a list of seven questions you can ask during a job interview in English. Read them below!

1. Who are you and what are you passionate about?

Asking “Who are you and what are you passionate about?” is a common practice in a job interview in English and other languages.

To make the candidate feel more comfortable in the interview, you can start by asking them to introduce themselves without mentioning anything related to their professional experience. This way, you will get to know the person better.

Although it may seem like a simple question, it helps to evaluate the person’s profile. In this way, you can obtain additional information about what is written on their resume or curriculum vitae. And if you want even more specific answers, you can modify the question:

  • Is there something about yourself that people would be surprised to know?
  • What sets you apart from other applicants?
The image shows two women facing each other, in a meeting room with a wooden table. On the left side of the image there is a woman with her back turned, she is white, has light wavy brown hair. In front of her, there is a white woman with blonde hair, wearing round black glasses. She is looking at the first woman and is taking notes in a notebook
Knowing the personal likes and dislikes of the person applying for the position allows you to identify if they fit the profile of the company and co-workers.

2. If you could go back in time and change anything, what would it be? 

An excellent way to find out what a candidate has learned in previous jobs from a mistake or a difficult moment is to ask “If you could go back in time and change anything, what would it be?”

With this question, you can get answers that demonstrate the candidate’s commitment and their ability to learn from experiences, and realize how those skills can be a differentiating factor for your company.

Asking this question can also help you to identify some of the candidate’s weaknesses that may go against the company’s mission, vision, and values. For example, if the person does not demonstrate that they recognize mistakes or think of solutions to fix them, it may be a red flag. 

This way, it is possible to select people who meet the necessary requirements to fill the vacancy and whose principles are aligned with those of the company.

3. Tell me about a situation when… What was the challenge? 

Asking about experiences in previous jobs is a way to identify how the person deals with day-to-day situations and problems.

Therefore, it is worth asking this question during the job interview:

  • Tell me about a situation when you had a problem with a coworker. What was the biggest challenge?

Through this type of question, you will be able to go deeper into questions that seem relevant and that are related to the most necessary requirements for the vacancy.

For example, if excellent teamwork skills are required, it is helpful to ask the candidate to talk more about it:

  • What did you do to make the situation better between you and that colleague?
  • Did the difficulty to work with that colleague affect your results?

If the candidate has an excellent resume and performs their duties very well, but demonstrates during the interview that they aren’t great at teamwork, it is important to analyze whether or not this will generate coordination problems in the future.

The image shows two black men in a meeting room. They are facing each other and separated by a gray table. On the left side of the picture, there is a young man who has curly hair and shaved sides. Opposite him, there is a black man who appears to be a little older. He is wearing a suit and glasses, and is taking notes on a sheet of paper resting on a clipboard held in his left hand.
Asking about past work experience is a good way to identify strengths such as teamwork, leadership ability and adaptability. 

4. What are two of the most fulfilling accomplishments in your career? 

In a job interview in English, questions related to the career of the person applying for the position should definitely be included.

And to learn more about their greatest professional accomplishments, you can ask them to tell you what they have achieved throughout their career:

  • What are two of the most fulfilling accomplishments in your career? Can you explain each one to me?

This question is also great for analyzing characteristics such as responsibility, professional commitment, teamwork, ability to innovate, etc. Therefore, including it in the list of questions will help you select good professionals.

5. What kind of oversight and interaction would your ideal boss provide?

Knowing the type of leadership each candidate is looking for, even before hiring, helps to avoid problems between leaders and those being led in the company.

To do this, you can ask what kind of leadership and interaction they expect from an ideal boss:

  •  What kind of oversight and interaction would your ideal boss provide?
The image shows a group of people in a workroom with desks and computers. In the front, a white woman with shoulder-length straight brown hair can be seen sitting in front of a monitor. To her left, a white man is standing. He is pointing at the computer screen and appears to be helping the woman with some work task.
Workers who describe their ideal boss as a person who has to be there for them all the time may demonstrate a lack of autonomy.

Their answers help to identify whether they prefer more rigid leadership– that is, someone who constantly monitors and directs the work performed– or if they prefer to have more autonomy in their daily work and only consult the essential points with their supervisor.

By asking this question, you will be able to align the candidate’s expectations with the reality of your company. In this way, it will be easier to select only those who possess characteristics similar to those already adopted by the company’s leaders. 

6. What did you learn while working remotely?

When it comes to hiring professionals who work remotely or have had to adapt this mode of work during the pandemic, you can ask a question to find out what the candidate learned from that experience.

You can carry out the conversation like this:

  • Interviewer: Did you have to work remotely?
  • Interviewee: Yes, I was working from home for over a year.
  • Interviewer: What did you learn while working remotely? Tell me about the experience, share your difficulties and also something good you took from it. 

By doing so, it will be possible to observe which skills the candidate developed during their remote work time and how these can be put into practice within your company. This is another way to identify if the person will contribute positively to the company.

The image shows a white woman with shoulder-length, straight, light brown hair sitting in front of a silver laptop computer. A video call with three other women can be seen on the screen.
In online interviews, it is relevant to ask about their experience of remote work.

7. Do you have any questions for me?  

Before ending the job interview, ask the applicant if there is anything about the job or the company that they would like to know. Your pitch might go something like this:

  • Before finishing this interview, do you have any questions for me? You can ask about the company, the job position, the recruiting process, or anything else you would like to know.

Thus, the person who is applying for the vacancy can take advantage of the space to resolve any doubts they may have about the selection process, what the next steps will be and if there are any comments regarding their performance in the interview.

This question can also help you identify if the candidate has researched the company and if they are really enthusiastic about being part of the team. In this way, you will also be able to evaluate aspects such as commitment and proactivity, and select the best candidate for the vacancy.

Do you like this type of content and need tips for conducting job interviews in English for future employees? Learn more about our Interviewing English course and practice without leaving home!