9 More horrible interview questions that need to go
PART 2
If you read Part 1, you’ll know we’ve already tackled some of the biggest offenders in the world of interview questions. From vague openers to awkward “gotcha” moments, we covered why so many traditional questions do more harm than good.
Now it’s time for round 2, the questions that keep sneaking into interviews despite being irrelevant, outdated, or just plain unhelpful. These are the ones that make you wonder if the interviewer is trying to assess your ability or your patience.
Let’s finish the list.
11. Quirky questions like “If you were a cocktail, which one would you be and why?”
Unless you have a PhD in quirky questions and personality analysis, this one can go. Go on, tell me why a Moscow Mule is better than a Margarita and how it proves whether someone is a good data analyst.
12. Explain your gap on your resume
People take breaks from work for all sorts of reasons, and none of them are appropriate topics for an interview. Illness, study, caring for family, volunteering, travel, burnout, or something deeply personal like domestic violence. The “why” isn’t any of your business.
13. Why should we hire you?
This one always sounds so entitled. It’s basically getting someone to beg for a job. And it’s unfair, because the candidate doesn’t have insider knowledge to make a truly informed pitch. And you should then expect a return question of, “Why should I work here?”
14. Why should we not hire you?
This question just invites cringe answers like, “Well, if you don’t like someone who works hard, then maybe I’m not for you.” It doesn’t reveal anything useful.
15. What would your former manager or colleagues say about you?
How is this relevant? If you really want to know, you’ll call their referees.
16. Illegal questions
Hopefully this one speaks for itself. If a question is illegal, it’s illegal. Don’t ask it.
But incase it is not so obvious you can not ask anything related to privacy matters like where someone lives or anything related to discrimination like age or religion or marital status.
17. How does your experience relate to this job?
If they’ve made it to interview, you’ve already decided there’s relevant experience. It was on their resume. So why ask them to prove it again?
18. What are your salary expectations?
You already have a salary range in mind. Every role does. It literally needs to be budgeted and signed off on. Just post the range in the job ad and save everyone the awkward dance of back and forth.
19. How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations?
This question is too broad. Everyone manages stress differently, but none of those answers tell you whether the person can do the job. Also, there is no guarantee that someone actually acts the way they say they will when push comes to shove. And is a stress ball the difference between someone getting a job or not?
Wrapping up
The truth is, interviews don’t need to be complicated. They just need to be thoughtful. The best questions help you see how someone works, thinks, and solves problems relevant to the role, not how well they can guess what you want to hear.
If we could all move away from these outdated questions and focus on meaningful, practical conversation, both sides would walk away feeling more confident, respected, and informed. That’s the kind of interview process people remember for the right reasons.
Here’s to asking questions that are actually relevant to knowing if someone can do the job!
Thoughts?