7 Frequently Asked Personal Interview Questions to Ask when Considering a Candidate

Photo by Johanna Buguet on Unsplash

We’ve all been there at that one point in our professional lives when we wonder about the personal interview questions that will come our way. Every professional knows (and must know) that honing both technical and soft skills are crucial to one’s success. If this holds true, then the same could be applied to businesses of all sizes: building a team based on their competencies in both technical and soft skills will be key in achieving their goals.

In searching for the right fit for your team, you must learn how to assess each candidate’s interpersonal or soft skills. And one good way is the use of personal interview questions. Testing a candidate’s technical knowledge should be easy enough, now that platforms such as Kandio can simplify the assessment process. What’s left to do is to focus on gauging a candidate’s personality and qualities through the final interview.

Remember, you’re trying to learn as much about a candidate’s personality and qualities as possible in a short period of time, so make the most out of the interview by asking the right questions. To gain a better perspective on a candidate’s soft skills, or if you simply want to shake things up in the recruitment process, try asking these frequently-asked personal interview questions:

“Describe yourself in one word.”

There is no right or wrong answer to this type of personal interview questions. But it’s difficult to summarize one’s self in a single word on the spot. For some recruiters, this is the best question to ask Gen Z candidates with limited work experience, as it can help you gauge their ability to think on their feet and out of their comfort zone.

“How do you define success?”

Some might be motivated by personal gains, while others are through collective causes. At any rate, you can easily see if their vision of success fits your own and if their perspective aligns with your current team.

“Why do (did) you want to leave your current job?”

Candidates might be thrown off guard when asked why they considered leaving their current jobs in the first place. This question is actually designed to help you spot red flags, such as candidates who might get bored easily or those facing issues with their workmates.

“What’s your favorite animal and why?”

While it might seem childish at first glance, this question can actually tell you a lot about a candidate’s personality. Chances are, they will subconsciously choose an animal that personifies them based on their personality traits.

“Can you recount a time when you failed?”

As the saying goes, to err is human. What you can glean from a candidate’s story of failure is how he or she rose above it, not to mention the lessons learned after.

“What are your passions outside of work?”

All of us have our own hobbies and interests, but there are ones that we regard with a lot of passion. Regardless of the answer, this question determines the extent of a candidate’s passion and curiosity.

“What else?”

Don’t hesitate to follow up on a candidate’s answer, since he or she might have a lot more to add. This way, you’re getting to know him or her better.

Go ahead and ask!

These interviews must always go hand-in-hand with a comprehensive skills assessment, which you can conduct with the help of Kandio. We offer more than tests, though: we can also provide insights as to which candidates might be the right fit for your team based on their skillset. With our help, skills assessment should go without a hitch. The rest is all up to you. So go ahead and ask one or two of these sample personal interview questions.