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Highlights

1. Hard interview questions reveal candidates' experience, personality, and problem-solving skills.

2. Strange or unexpected questions test how candidates think and respond under pressure.

3. Behavioral questions show how candidates handle real-life situations and challenges.

4. Asking about weaknesses helps gauge a candidate’s honesty and self-awareness.

5. Skills tests streamline interviews, allowing more focus on insightful, thoughtful questions.

Hiring managers want the person they're interviewing to be the perfect fit for the job.

Tough interview questions aren’t meant to trap candidates or expose their flaws. Instead, they offer a chance for candidates to show off their problem-solving skills.

These questions need more creativity than typical ones like "Tell me about yourself" or "Why should we hire you?" They also help you gain insight into the abilities you noticed during the skills screening.

So, in this guide, we’ll explore 25 difficult questions to ask competing candidates during a job interview.

Why Is Asking Tough Job Interview Questions Important? 

Hard interview questions are important because they give you a deeper look into a candidate’s experience, personality, and thoughts.

Even strange questions can help. For example, asking, "If you were an animal, which one would you be?" doesn’t have a right answer. It’s more about seeing how fast the candidate responds and how they explain their choice.

The focus isn’t always on getting the “right” answer but watching how the candidate works through the question. To learn more about a candidate’s personality, you should also use behavioral interview questions. These are great for seeing how they handle real-life situations.

Difficult interview questions like “Have you ever acted outside of your company’s usual policies?” reveal more about their judgment and problem-solving skills than “What are your strengths?”

Take your time developing a list of difficult questions to ask competing candidates during a job interview. Make sure to use them in a structured interview so all candidates get the same questions, helping to avoid unconscious bias.

15 Difficult Questions To Ask Competing Candidates For A Job

Using skills tests to screen candidates ensures that all interviewees have the key abilities for the job. This makes hiring more efficient, accurate, and fair.

It also allows you to focus on more thoughtful questions during interviews instead of testing candidates' knowledge of your industry. Here are 25 tricky questions asked in an interview with sample answers to guide you.

1. What’s The Most Common Constructive Criticism You Get?

Candidates might find it hard to be open about their weaknesses, especially ones they’re still working on.

The best candidates are humble enough to share helpful feedback they've received and reflect on why it keeps coming up. They can also explain how they’re working to improve.

For instance, they may improve their listening skills after getting feedback to be more open to colleagues’ ideas. They could note that while this feedback was common before, they’ve worked on it and now receive it less frequently.

2. What’s Your Greatest Weakness?

Asking about weaknesses helps you understand a candidate’s personality traits. For example, being slow to make decisions might suggest they are cautious.

Though tough to answer, this question offers more insight than a resume can. It also helps measure a candidate’s honesty.

Resumes don’t reveal a candidate’s weaknesses, and research shows 55% of candidates have lied to them. So, skip resume screening and ask direct questions for more accurate information.

3. What Didn’t You Like About Your Last Job?

This interview question challenges candidates to be honest but constructive in their criticism. They should show they understand the issues and know how to improve.

Their dislikes can also help you determine if they’d be a good fit for your company or if you need to adjust the role to match their strengths better.

4. Why Do You Want To Work For Us?

This question pushes candidates to think on their feet and use what they’ve learned about your company. It shows how prepared they are and how they think through problems.

Top candidates will give detailed answers, tying the role to their career goals. They might also mention the salary or growth opportunities.

5. What Would You Do If You Could Start Your Career Over?

Not every candidate is happy with all their career choices. Explaining why they regret certain decisions and how they adjusted their path shows they know what they want professionally.

Candidates who are open about their mistakes are often more transparent and driven. They might walk you through their career steps and explain what they would have done differently to achieve bigger goals.

6. What Do You Know About Our Company?

This question checks how much research a candidate has done on your company. A good candidate should be able to share key facts and details they’ve learned.

If they can’t offer much information, it could mean they didn’t do their homework and aren’t fully committed to joining your team. Especially if your company has a unique mission, you’ll want employees who understand it and are eager to be part of your growing team.

7. Are There Any New Industry Trends That Could Benefit Our Company?

This question helps you see if a candidate can spot industry trends and connect them with your company’s goals.

While research isn’t required, candidates' lack of awareness about trends may suggest they don’t plan to stay long in the industry.

For instance, a candidate might mention AI and how your company could use AI-powered chatbots to enhance customer service. Tying trends to the job shows their expertise in the field.

8. What Technological Advancements Would You Like To See?

This question challenges candidates to think about advancements that don’t yet exist in their industry.

It tests their knowledge of current technologies and highlights problems in the industry that new tech could solve. Their answer will show how much they know and how creative they are in imagining future solutions.

If the job requires specific tech skills, running software tests like Microsoft Windows or Google Sheets to evaluate their abilities is also useful.

9. How Would You Describe Your Personality?

Personality plays a significant role in finding the right hire. Don’t just focus on the candidate’s words when answering this question. Their body language and overall demeanor also provide valuable insights into their character.

Honest candidates won’t only highlight their strengths but will also be open about their weaknesses. 

10. What Have You Learned From Your Mistakes?

Everyone makes mistakes, and candidates shouldn’t feel embarrassed to admit past errors. This question gives them an opportunity to reflect on their mistakes and show what they’ve learned from them. Look for candidates who can provide specific examples but also draw broader lessons about their work habits, mindset, or approach to their role.

11. What Was The Most And Least Rewarding Thing About Your Last Job?

This question allows candidates to express their likes and dislikes about their previous job experiences. It helps you gauge what they value in a work environment and their career trajectory. 

Be cautious of candidates who complain about things that your company heavily involves, such as frequent client meetings for a client-facing role. Understanding their responses will give you a clearer picture of their expectations and work preferences.

12. How Much Do You Expect To Get Paid?

Talking about salary can be awkward, but it’s crucial. Many candidates might struggle with this question if they haven’t considered their salary preferences. 

Research shows that 61% of job seekers consider salary the most important factor when evaluating job offers. A good candidate should have a salary range in mind and feel comfortable discussing and negotiating their compensation.

13. How Has Your Work Experience Prepared You For This Role?

While skills are critical, candidates should be able to highlight how their past experiences helped them develop these skills. For example, a candidate who managed projects during a busy period may explain how that experience improved their project management skills, which would benefit your team.

14. Can You Talk About When You Had To Resolve A Conflict With Your Boss?

Conflict is inevitable in any demanding job. Strong candidates should have experience resolving conflicts and maintaining professional relationships, particularly with managers. 

They may use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to describe how they navigated a specific conflict and reached a resolution. 

15. How Will You Contribute To Our Team?

Top candidates should be able to explain what sets them apart and how they can contribute to your team. This answer should be informed by their knowledge of the role, industry, and feedback from past employers. 

For example, a product analyst might emphasize their communication skills, allowing them to explain complex data to team members unfamiliar with analytics.

Looking for jobs hiring immediately or need to fill a position fast? Yulys has you covered! With our employment staffing services, we connect top talent with businesses across the globe. Employers can post jobs for free and find qualified candidates quickly, while job seekers can easily browse opportunities that match their skills and interests. 

Summary

Finding difficult questions to ask competing candidates during a job interview is crucial for gaining deeper insights into their skills, personality, and problem-solving abilities. These challenging questions, behavioral assessments, and skills tests create a fair and thorough hiring process. Also, it helps ensure you select the best candidate for your team.

FAQs

How To Answer Hard Interview Questions?

Stay calm, think clearly, and focus on providing honest, structured answers that highlight your problem-solving and communication skills.

7 Most Difficult Interview Questions

Here are the 7 difficult interview questions:

1. "Tell me about yourself." 

2. "Why should we hire you?" 

3. "What’s your greatest weakness?" 

4. "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" 

5. "Describe a challenge you’ve faced." 

6. "Why do you want this job?" 

7. "What are your salary expectations?"

What Would You Do If You Were Faced With A Tight Deadline And A Demanding Client?

Prioritize tasks, communicate clearly with the client, manage expectations, and stay focused to meet the deadline without compromising quality.

How Do You Approach Resolving Conflicts With Your Colleagues?

Listen actively, empathize, stay calm, and work towards a solution through open communication and collaboration.