10 Horrible Interview Questions That Need to Go
PART 1
Have you ever sat through an interview and thought, why are we still asking this question in 2026? I have. Too many times. Unfortunately, too many times indeed.
It feels like some interview questions were written in the 1950s and just never retired. They get passed down like old furniture, from one generation of hiring manager to the next. And they become used, outdated, and not really serving a purpose anymore.
I have honestly sat in interviews and just been so unimpressed with what has been asked. It is such an ick!
Interviews are still the go-to method for hiring new employees. It’s the time to figure out whether a person can actually do the job you are hiring for. You want to feel very confident in the person you choose to take on the role.
And yet, there are certain questions that keep coming up time and time again. I feel like these questions exist because people haven’t taken the time to really think about what they want to know to help them choose the best person for the job.
I totally get it if you’re a first-time interviewer. You’ll gladly take those hand-me-down questions as a starting point. But if you’ve been interviewing for a while, when was the last time you actually looked at the questions you ask and asked yourself if they could be improved?
So, let’s talk about the questions that really need to go.
Here’s a list of the first 10 interview questions that in my own personal opinion need to go straight in the bin. 9 more in Part 2.
1. Tell me about yourself / Summarise your CV
The classic opener. The issue? There’s no one right way to answer it. Everyone interprets this question differently, and it rarely helps you figure out if someone can actually do the job. Plus, it screams, “I didn’t read your application.” Not a great start.
2. Tell me what’s not on your resume
This one had its moment as the “next best interview question.” But honestly, what is it even asking? What does the interviewer actually want to hear? My favourite colour? Maybe ask what you actually want to hear instead?
3. What are you currently earning?
Not relevant. You’re hiring for a role that already has a budget. Or it should!! Focus on what’s next, not what’s past. Otherwise, it is like focusing on what someone ate for breakfast to determine what’s for dinner. “Well, I had cereal for breakfast so does that help you decide if you want pasta or a roast for dinner?”
4. Are you interviewing anywhere else?
Let’s just assume the answer is yes. Everyone is interviewing elsewhere. This shouldn’t determine how fast or slow you move through your recruitment process.
5. What’s your weakness? What are your strengths?
This question opens the floodgates to vague, rehearsed answers that may have nothing to do with the job. What one person calls a strength, another calls a weakness. And if someone hasn’t worked with a certain tool or process before, how can they even know what their strengths are?
6. Why are you leaving your current role (or why did you leave your last one)?
This question can be summed up as, “My previous role is no longer aligned with how I want to work.” The end. That’s it. There’s really no need for follow-up. It really is that simple. Also, no one can guarantee the new role will fix whatever the last one lacked.
And if someone says something like, “Well I’m moving house and my workplace is now too far away” or “I was bullied by my boss”, what are you actually going to do with that information?
7. What did you hate about your last role? What didn’t you like about your previous boss?
Why ask people to focus on something negative? It’s a trap. If they answer honestly, they risk sounding bitter. If they sugarcoat it, they sound fake. Lose-lose. You are setting yourself up to dislike your applicants.
8. Where do you want to be five years from now?
This one needs to go. If the 2020 pandemic didn’t completely destroy the logic behind this question, I don’t know what will. Who can seriously predict where they’ll be in five years let alone where they want to be?
9. Tell me about a time when…
This one causes so much unnecessary stress. What if the person has never had that experience? Or has too many examples and doesn’t know which one to pick? How do you even decide if someone’s story is the “right” one?
10. Why do you want to work here?
This question is basically fishing for compliments. Most people pick jobs based on location, pay, hours and a general belief that they can do the job advertised. Not exactly the stuff of inspirational quotes, but completely valid reasons. Not at all a sexy reason but a valid one.
Stay tuned for Part 2
If these questions are part of your current interview routine, this is your reminder to pause and rethink. Interviews aren’t about catching people out or testing who’s memorised the best script. They’re about genuine conversation, curiosity, and clarity. The goal is to understand how someone would work in the role you are hiring for, not how well they can navigate tired old questions.
Stay tuned for Part 2, where we’ll dive into the rest of the list, including the ones that really make you wonder if the interviewer even knows what they’re looking for.
Desk Lite 
Thoughts?