110 Questions to ask in a job interview – Interview Questions 2020

An interview should always be a conversation between two or more people. And beyond the fact that the interviewer wants to ask you questions to find out more about you and find out what your skills are, it is necessary that we carry a series of questions prepared, and that we will ask during the job interview or at the end of it.

Not always, but in most cases, you surely want to know more about what your potential boss is like, what the work environment is like in that company, how many colleagues you will have, what options there are for promotion or anything else that will help you. Namely, if that’s the job, you’re really looking for.

If you don’t take it seriously and prepare some clever questions, the recruiter will understand that you are not interested in the position or that at least you have not bothered to prepare for the interview.

The ideal time to ask:

Your options for asking questions are greater at the end of the interview. At that point, the recruiter often says to you: Do you have any questions?

A perfect opportunity for you to show that you are interested in that job and that you have invested some time to research the company, the sector it belongs to, and the job you are applying for.

Ask the perfect questions:

So how can you find those smart interview questions that prove you are the perfect candidate? While you are doing the research prior to the interview, write down any doubts that may arise.

[alert-success] Your technique should be to ask focused, but open-ended questions. [/ alert-success]

You should avoid those that answer yes or no, and those questions that are so broad that they are difficult to answer. You don’t want the interviewer to go blank and not know what to answer. Above all, you should seek that if they remember you, they do it with a good feeling, and not with a memory of discomfort.

Questions to ask in a job interview in Dubai

What kind of problems do you usually face, and how do you think it could help you?

With this common interview question, you can get an idea of ​​what the interviewer in Dubai has learned about you. You will make you imagine yourself as an employee of their company, and you will demonstrate that you are a person who really cares about joining and working alongside the rest of the staff.

Do they offer continuing professional education and training?

With this question, you show that you are interested in continuing to improve your training and that you are willing to commit to the company.

Can you tell me something about the team you would be working with?

This is a question that will help you in your decision of whether you would finally choose to work for them. In the end, your partners are going to be the ones you see every day, so be interested in them.

Do they work on new products or do they have growth plans?

Show your interest in the company and adapt this question to your particular case. Let him see that you have read about his new products or contracts, and take an interest in the future of the company.

Who previously worked in this position?

This question can let you see what your future will be in the company and under what conditions it works. If it is timely, you can find out important things for you, such as: if the previous employee managed to advance, was fired or quit.

Questions often to ask at the end of the interview in Dubai

What kind of skills and experience should the ideal candidate have?

With this question, you can get the interviewer to tell you exactly what they are looking for. And now is the time to emphasize or say something that you may have forgotten, or that you may have overlooked during the interview.

What does one enjoy most about your job?

This is one of those questions that allow us to connect on a personal level and incidentally. It gives us information about the level of satisfaction you have with your job.

If you’re slow to respond or have trouble finding something positive, we may need to find out more about other employees’ level of satisfaction.

Do you have any questions about my skills?

It is a question that shows how confident we are with our training or experience. And it allows us something as positive as eliminating any doubt that the interviewer may have had.

Where do you see the company in 5 or 10 years?

Asking about this gives us an idea of ​​job stability. Finding out in time what type of company we are entering can help us assess whether it will allow us to make long-term plans or is simply another step to achieve our professional goal.

What is the next & final step in the selection process?

It is one of the basic questions that every candidate should ask you in Dubai. It serves to demonstrate that you are interested in getting the job, and can give you information about how many people have passed the first interview.

Let’s discuss other 100 top interview questions and answer below:

100 most important top Job interview questions:

The job interview is primarily about getting to know each other better. With typical interview questions, HR managers want to find out whether the previous impression of the applicant is correct. As an applicant, you should, in turn, check whether the job and the corporate culture suit you. Good preparation is essential. Above all, so as not to get stuck in the questions during the interview. So that you know what you can expect, we will introduce you to the  most common questions in the interview and explain what is important in the answer.

Question catalog: 100 typical interview questions

The following selection lists more than 100 typical interview questions , which of course are never all asked at the same time and which you should not memorize meticulously, including the answer. That would be an exaggeration.

However, many of the interview questions provide good food for thought – not only to get you in the right mood for the interview , but also to check in advance why you want the job at all or whether your professional and personal qualifications match the position you are aiming for.

In addition to the 100 typical questions from the interview, we will also give you tips on possible answers that can help you prepare 

Conversation opener in the job interview

Tell us a little about yourself

Here is how you can answer:

After a little small talk at the beginning, the first phase of the interview starts with the so-called self – presentation, which is initiated by exactly this question or request. Here you should summarize the most important information about yourself in a few minutes – at most three to five, often much shorter. In addition to the most important facts about yourself, you should above all briefly consider your professional career.

A three-step structure has been established: I am … I can … I want … These aspects can help you find a common thread for your answer. After an introduction to your person with a name, age and your education or your studies, you can talk about your skills. What are your priorities? What projects have you supervised, what qualifications and experience?

Finally, go back to the future and your goals with the desired employer and the desired position. How do you want to use your knowledge and skills? What are your goals and plans for the position? How do you want to contribute to the success of the company and what ideas contribute to it?

Further questions as a conversation opener:

• Why should our company hire you?
• What is your special ability that other candidates don’t have?
• What is the reason  you want to do this job?
• What is the reason you are late? (pure provocation)

What really convinces HR staff

What convinces personnel managers what impresses HR staff more: high career goals? Ambition? Successes? Or high self-motivation? The two management researchers Johnson and Albert from the Johnson Graduate School of Management and Ayelet Fishbach from the Booth School of Business also wanted to find out and did some experiments with a total of 1426 subjects. These should first evaluate statements in the interview and decide in simulated interviews which candidates they would prefer to employ. The result surprised everyone.

In fact, applicants with particularly high ambitions were not preferred, but those with the highest level of self-motivation. Those candidates who were able to explain why they care so much about the job in particular. Or to put it another way: say what sense you see in the job and the tasks.

Questions about motivation to apply -Questions to ask in a job interview

What are your goals with this new job?

Here is how you can answer:

Companies are looking for motivated and committed employees who are committed to success and who do their job with enthusiasm. Many HR staff therefore ask more precisely about motivation to apply. The core question is: why are you applying to this employer and for exactly this job?

Finding and filling a job is time-consuming and costly. HR professionals are therefore keen to find employees who are really passionate about the job and are also part of the company in the long term. You should express your motivation accordingly convincingly. Before you begin, think about how you can answer the question about your motivation.

What makes this employer so attractive to you? What are your long-term ideas? Do you want to develop a position with more responsibility? What future prospects have contributed to your decision to apply? The more credible you can explain your motivation, the greater your chances will be.

Further questions about motivation to apply:

• Why haven’t you found a new job yet?
• Why do you want to quit your current job?
• What didn’t you like about your past job?
• What will you miss most about your previous / current job?
• What do you think of your last boss?
• What do you know about our company?
• What do you know about our industry?
• What did you earn before?
• What salary do you imagine?
• How long would it take for you to make a significant contribution to us?
• Would you be ready to move?
• Do you have any questions for me?
• If you had to interview someone for this position, what would you pay attention to?

Questions about personality, strengths and weaknesses

What are your weaknesses?

Here is how you can answer:

The typical question about the weaknesses in the interview is hated as well as feared by applicants. Of course, one can try to answer the question about the weaknesses by not answering them – by dodging, talking around or talking nicely. But you shouldn’t!

Studies show that anyone who answers the question about the weaknesses in the interview truthfully and not just positively (i.e. admits one or two real weaknesses) increases their chances of getting a job five-fold . Three studies with a total of around 2000 subjects had preceded this result. It turned out that those who presented themselves too perfectly did less well than those who conveyed an unvarnished impression of themselves.

Further questions about personality and weaknesses:

• Please name three positive things that your former boss would like to say about you.
• And what would he say negative about you?
• What are your strengths?
• Give me a few examples of your good ideas that you have implemented.
• What is the top mistake of your career – and did you learn anything from it, if yes what did you learn?
• If I asked your former manager what further training would be important to you – what would he answer?
• What three positive character traits are you missing?
• What are you most afraid of?
• Give me an example of when you have achieved above average and below average.
• Can you describe what it was like when you were criticized for your work ?
• What irritates you most about other people and how do you deal with it?
• Tell us anything about you that you think we should know.
• Where do you want to be in next seven years?
• Where do you want to reach in your career/What is your goal?
• What is your greatest success that you have achieved outside of your job?
• What are your big life dreams?

Questions about how it works – Questions to ask in a job interview

How would you describe your work style?

Here is how you can answer:

Everyone works differently – but in a team, it still has to fit together to lead projects to success and achieve the best results together. Five loners who work best on their own and find it difficult to find compromises can hardly be combined to form a successful team.

You can collect points for this question in the interview if your way of working fits the company and the position. Is teamwork a priority? Then you should take this into account in your answer. Are clear instructions and responsibilities required? Then go into it.

However, you should n’t promise the blue of the sky if your actual way of working can’t keep it up. It will come out at the latest during the trial period, so don’t do yourself or the company a favor.

Other questions about how it works:

• How do you motivate yourself?
• Tell us about your previous project you worked on,  what was its result?
• What tools, methods or techniques  do you use to organize yourself?
• What would you do if you knew you couldn’t possibly do all of your daily chores?
• How can you quickly prove your trustworthiness in your new team?
• How do you feel when you don’t get any answer?
• Tell me about how did you criticize a colleague?
• Have you ever worked in a team where workers have rested on the work of others. Did you deal it well if yes then tell us how?
• How do you deal with changes?
• Which task was most difficult for you and how did you fix it?
• What will you do in the first month of this job?

Questions about fitting and personal chemistry – Questions to ask in a job interview

What interested you in this company?

Here is how you can answer:

In addition to the way you work, you as a person must also fit the employer. When it comes to such cultural questions in the interview, HR professionals are primarily concerned with getting a better and complete picture of you. This is to round off the impression and make an informed decision.

Answer with aspects that you and the company have in common . Is it future-oriented thinking and acting? A contribution to society? Sustainable use of resources? Research and development in an area that inspires you? The prevailing dealings with employees as well as the corporate culture ?

Do some research and find out more about the intended employer to be able to justify your answer.

Further cultural questions:

• What were you responsible for doing in your previous job?
• What is the definition of an ideal company for you?
• Which is an ideal work situation for you?
• When were you most satisfied with your job?
• Which culture appeals to you more – structured or entrepreneurial?
• What applies more to you: you are visionary- you are detail-oriented ?
• Which is better: should a boss be feared or loved?
• What are the top characteristics of a good manager?
• And a bad one?
• What is the difference between good and exceptional?
• Did you face any conflict in your previous jobs and what was it?
• If I were your boss and I asked you to do something you are not convinced of, what would you do?

Questions about leadership skills – Questions to ask in a job interview

How would you describe your leadership style?

Here is how you can answer:

Anyone applying for a management or leadership role must expect that the questions in the interview will primarily be about leadership qualities and skills. After all, this will be your future core task. It’s not so much about technical qualities, but rather about soft skills.

In addition to the leadership style, this is primarily about achieving goals, promoting employees, but of course also about resolving conflicts. Ideally, you should answer such interview questions in the form of examples and anecdotes. So as concrete and narrative as possible, how you have done it so far (or will do better in the future).

Further questions about leadership skills:

• Are you a good role model? Why?
• How do you ensure that your employees achieve their goals?
• What do you do if goals have not been achieved?
• How do you react to employees who are below your expectations?
• How do you promote your employees?
• What do you pay attention to when delegating tasks to employees?
• How do you deal with difficult employees?
• What has led to problems in the team so far?
• Give us an example of how you have resolved a conflict so far.
• How would you describe your previous employees?
• How important is high employee satisfaction to you?
• How do you keep track of the costs in your field of activity?
• How important is entrepreneurial thinking to you – in a team?
• Which colleagues do you prefer to work with?

Catch questions about social media use – Questions to ask in a job interview

You often write on Twitter that you don’t feel like it at the moment. Are you someone who needs to be highly motivated?

Here is how you can answer:

Anyone who is active on the Internet should not be surprised that HR managers are looking for applicants. This is usually innocuous, especially if you pay attention to how you present yourself online. However, some recruiters try to create common trick questions and use any information that does not match the perfect picture.

As a rule, you should address this as little as possible. Catch questions should unsettle you and lure you out of the reserve. Don’t let this happen, but show that you are still in control of the situation.

Answers at the meta-level are possible, for example: That sounds like a trick question to me. I’d rather have a chat with you about the job … You can find out more about these interview questions in our dossier on trick questions.

Further trick questions about social media:

• We found a video on the net that shows you at an indoor tournament. You foul a teammate, but the referee has not noticed. Would you ignore rules today if it benefits you?
• In your application, you write that you have good contacts in your industry. In Xing, however, you are not networked with the relevant people or with many of your colleagues. How do you explain that?
• On Facebook, you belong to a group of women who are committed to mostly not wearing underwear. Do you think that could disturb business peace if our customers find out?
• Have you ever posted a personally offensive comment on a blog? We had found something recently at … What was the name of the blog …?
• During our research, we found that you were online a lot with your previous employer during working hours and posted comments on other websites. Was that allowed in your previous job or were you underutilized there?
• Your curriculum vitae states that you continued your education between March and July. From this time, however, you can find almost exclusively beach photos from Thailand in your Facebook profile. What exactly did the training consist of?
• In your blog, you describe that you hate working with colleagues who don’t even speak your native language properly. How do you rate your intercultural competence?
• In the profile of one of your best friends on Facebook, a photo of you is linked that shows you in a rather desolate state at a party. We saw similar pictures in the profiles of your other friends. Could that explain grade 3 in your bachelor’s degree?
• You are almost exclusively interested in actresses on Instagram. Do you know them from a previous job?

Spontaneity questions in the interview (stress test) – Questions to ask in a job interview

What is the felt on a tennis ball for?

Here is how you can answer:

The downside: You can usually not know the right answer to such questions(even phone interview questions) in an interview. Either there are none or you simply cannot know it straight away. So many candidates react with panic and uncertainty – mistakes!

It’s not about giving the perfect answer. So don’t let yourself be put under pressure. You can often score with creativity and a well-thought-out solution. You can take a short time to think about it (even if you don’t sit in silence for several minutes at the table).

Then explain how you came to your result and what you thought.

Other spontaneity and stress issues:

• How many times do the hands of a watch overlap in a day?
• How would you measure an airplane – without scale?
• Suppose If you was a superhero, which superpower you would like to choose?
• Suppose If you as an animal, what would you like to be?
• If you can choose to be anywhere in the world now, where would you be?
• Which three things would you take with you to a desert island?
• If you won the lottery then What would you do?
• Sell ​​me this pencil!
• Name 10 things you can use a pen for!
• If you want to have fun then what will you do ?
• How do I do in your eyes as an interviewer?

The last question is of course particularly deceitful. Because this is usually not about feedback – or at least only superficially. Rather, it is a kind of backbone test or a question of self-confidence. Because whoever immediately launches undifferentiated praise comes out as a potential slime who would possibly do anything for this job.

Character Questions (Value Test) – Questions to ask in a job interview

Name five terms that describe your character!

Here is how you can answer:

Tricky, because you should describe yourself and can have a great influence on the perception of the HR manager. Confident demeanor is important and desirable, but blunt self-praise and exaggerated praises to oneself seem rather unappealing.

Here, too, you should orientate yourself for plus points as far as possible on characteristics that are capitalized in the company or are already mentioned in the job advertisement. In the end, a healthy mix is ​​important.

More character questions:

• What three character traits would your friends say you describe?
• What are you particularly proud of?
• Tell us about the most important lesson you ever learned at school?
• What was the most important lesson in your studies?
• Who decisively shaped you in your life? How?
• Was there someone in your career who changed you?
• Tell us about the manager who is a role model for you and why?
• Which personalities do you best cope with and why?
• What was the most difficult decision you had to make in the past three years?
• When did you do something wrong? How did you get on with it?
• What do you most regret? Why?
• Lunch: You order a steak, English. The waiter brings it through. What do you do?
• Imagine, if you had to work for someone who knows less than you then how would you feel Imagine?
• Assuming you find out that your employer is doing something prohibited – how do you deal with it?
• What kind of car do you drive?

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