The Top 20 Most Common Job Interview Questions & Answers | Expert Tips

FlexJobs is the number one job site to find remote, work from home and flexible job opportunities since 2007. Find a better way to work at FlexJobs.com. If you're in the middle of a job search and you're looking for insights on how to ace your next job interview, you're in the right place. Today we have two of our FlexJobs career experts here to discuss the top 20 job interview questions that recruiters are asking in 2023. Let's get started. The first question is, tell me about yourself. This is a really common way for the hiring manager or recruiter to kick off the job interview. Here's our career expert, Keith Spencer, explaining why this question is asked by recruiters and what they're looking for. Employers will often use this question as an icebreaker in an interview as it helps them begin to understand who you are beyond your resume and gives them the chance to assess your ability to communicate effectively and adapt and react to open-ended questions. They can also evaluate your level of preparation for the interview and your ability to confidently sell yourself for the position that they're looking to fill. Your response to this type of prompt is often referred to as your elevator pitch and you always want to keep your audience in mind and try to relate everything that you're saying back to the topic at hand, which in an interview setting is why you'd be a good fit for this role. You want to be careful to not just regurgitate everything that's already listed on your resume and instead focus on some specific skills and experiences that you've had that align well with this role as well as your particular interest and attraction to this position and this company. Preparing and practicing your elevator pitch ahead of time can help you start the interview off on a positive note and give you a nice boost of confidence for the remainder of the interview. I'm someone who thrives in a collaborative work environment where I'm able to build strong relationships and positively impact the needs of my colleagues and the clients that we serve. I excel at teaching and training others in new topics and I really enjoy getting to help guide people in navigating complex processes and solving difficult problems. I have a strong background in independently managing assignments as well as successfully leading cross-functional teams in planning and executing projects. This is why I'm excited to discuss this role with you today because I think that my skills, experience, and professional goals align really well with the position and I have a deep passion for the type of work being done at this organization. The second question we're covering is tell me about a time you failed. Here's our lead career expert, Toni Franah, explaining why this question is asked by recruiters and what they're hoping to learn from your answer. The interviewer is trying to figure out how you handle failure. So what you want to talk about is a project or an experience that you had or things maybe didn't go as planned and even though they may not have ended the way you envisioned it, you want to talk about how you overcame that particular situation. You might say something like, "I was the lead on a project and the timeline was extended by several weeks. The customer became frustrated because they felt like our team wasn't communicating the challenges in a timely manner." I always think about this experience and it reminds me that more communication is generally always better than less communication. Number three is why should we hire you? Employers ask this question to give you an opportunity to set yourself apart from the other candidates. The problem is you don't know who the other candidates are and you don't want to sound arrogant by simply stating that you're the obvious top choice. So try to frame your response in a way that shows how you're uniquely qualified for this role. You want to make sure that you've researched the role thoroughly and then try to highlight some specific skills and experiences that will help you excel in this position as well as some relevant accomplishments that can demonstrate your potential for future success. I think I'm uniquely qualified for this role because I have a proven record of consistently exceeding my key performance metrics while also maintaining exceptionally high client satisfaction ratings. I'm quick to learn new systems, procedures, and technologies and have a demonstrated ability to identify problems and inefficiencies and implement successful resolutions and improvements to streamline workflows and maximize revenue growth. I'm also a highly effective communicator with a people-oriented mindset and I gain a lot of fulfillment from helping both my colleagues and my clients achieve success. Number four is how do you like to work? As a remote worker, it's important to show that you have focus and can maintain the focus through the workday. That's what the interviewer is really trying to get at with this question. So you might share things like, "I have a quiet space set up in my house for my work. I like to get to my workspace and start with my to-do list right away." I also will occasionally play elevator style music because I feel like it really helps with my creative process. And one of the things that's really important to me even as a remote worker is being able to communicate with team members and collaborate. So I find that I am using those digital communication channels to stay in touch with my team throughout the day. Number five is a popular job interview question that a lot of people struggle with, but Keith is here to help you. What would you say are your weaknesses? This type of question helps employers assess your self-awareness and your ability to manage constructive criticism. When you're answering questions about your weaknesses, you want to be honest, but be careful to not accidentally share something that is critical to the position and could hurt your chances of getting the job. You want to try to frame your response in a positive way by mentioning something that you've struggled with in the past, but then finish by explaining what you've learned from this weakness and the steps that you've taken to improve. This helps demonstrate that you are someone who is actively seeking to grow and develop as a professional. In the past, I've struggled a bit with delegating tasks to others. I sometimes have a tendency to take on too much myself, which can cause me to feel overwhelmed during periods of high volume. To overcome this, I've been a lot more intentional about learning the strengths of my team members and finding opportunities to hand off responsibilities that I know they can perform well. I still make sure to check in with them regularly to see how they're progressing or offer support if they're struggling, but overall, this has helped me manage my own workload much more effectively while also improving the shared success of my team. Number six, what do you do for fun? Employers are really interested in you as a whole person. They'd like to know a little bit more about what you do outside of work. Maybe some of your hobbies are in common with somebody else at the company or even the person that's interviewing you. Other things that you honestly like to do, and if relationships are important to you, say so. Think about the organization's mission, vision, and values, and if there are some hobbies that you have that align with those things, you definitely want to mention those as well. You can say, "I love spending time with my family and friends. Relationships are important to me, so I always like to foster and build those with the people I'm closest with." And if we can be doing that in nature, it's even better. I find that being outside in nature with people that I respect, love, and admire really grounds me and helps me maintain that work-life balance I'm looking for. Number seven, what would you say are your strengths? With questions about your strengths, employers are trying to determine how well you know yourself and whether or not your strongest qualities align with the position. Use this as an opportunity to explain some of your highly relevant skills and further emphasize why you would be a great fit for this role. It can also be really helpful if you include some specific examples from your past that clearly demonstrate your strengths. You want to make sure, though, that you are sounding confident but not arrogant when discussing your strongest attributes. I would have to say that empathy, relationship building, and communication are my greatest strengths. They help me be an effective collaborator because I listen carefully to others to understand their perspectives and am able to clearly and concisely convey my own thoughts in a way that is easily understandable. I'm also able to leverage these strengths to successfully resolve conflicts. For example, sometimes issues arise and clients reach out because they are angry or frustrated. I'm able to actively listen to their concerns, demonstrate my genuine interest in helping them solve their problem, and clearly explain potential solutions to ensure their needs are met. Number eight, give me an example of a project in which you were involved from beginning to end. This is a great example of a behavioral interview question. So think of the STAR method. Think of a project where you can talk about the situation, the task, the action, and the result. Make sure you choose a project that you are proud of and make sure that you think about the requirements of the job and what qualifications are necessary so that you can pick a project and something that you've worked on that relates back to what type of person this company is looking to hire. You could say something like, "I was tasked to create new digital content for a new project launch. I had to manage a $50,000 budget, and between myself and two coworkers, we were able to come up with effective new content for all of our social channels, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We ran a three-week campaign, and over the course of that campaign, our engagement grew by 20%. We increased brand recognition, and our platforms increased 10% of likes and follows over the course of this campaign. Number nine, why do you want to work here? This question allows you to emphasize your specific interest in the position and the company. It also gives the employer a better understanding of how well you research the organization and how closely you paid attention to the job description. Keep in mind that hiring managers want someone who will care about the work being done at their organization and can positively contribute to their mission. Use this as an opportunity to highlight some of the specific things that excite you about the role and the company, while also demonstrating how your skills and experience align well with the position. I'm really excited about the prospect of working here because I've spent my entire career trying to help others. The fact that your organization is so focused on helping clients accomplish their goals is extremely important to me. Also knowing that this role would allow me to directly interface with key client stakeholders is highly appealing. I really enjoy getting to form strong working relationships with clients to help them overcome challenges and achieve their desired outcomes. I'm a very people and results oriented professional, and I feel like those values align extremely well with both this position and your organization. Number 10, tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision. Employers are always going to be interested in knowing how you solve problems. So asking a question like this really allows them to peek into your mindset and your process when things are not easy. So be sure to pick an example that was challenging for you, but you were able to turn it around into a positive outcome. You could say something like, "I was managing a team of employees, and we had one person who would leave for lunch whenever it worked for them." That was really difficult for us because in the type of work we were doing, we needed to have two people on staff at all time in order to make sure that the workload was appropriate for the staff members, and we were continuing to serve the customer in the way that we wanted to. So I set up a meeting with the team because my experiences and situations like this, when there are misunderstandings, it's usually a process or a communication problem. Sure enough, that employee wasn't aware that there had to be two people on staff at the same time. So we created a sort of schedule rotation that really made everybody feel included and that it was a fair situation for all people to be able to get their breaks when they needed it, but also to deliver the service that the customers were expecting. Number 11, what motivates you? Customers want to know your intrinsic motivations to see if they align with the company's values and long-term goals. The motivation that salary and benefits provide often wears off over time, so they want to know what will motivate you to sustain high levels of performance. If you are passionate about the organization's mission, try to show that your values are directly related. If there isn't a particular connection between your values and the mission, you can focus on aspects of the role that you find motivating. Either way, make sure that you are trying to tie your motivating factors back to the role and the company. I find that I'm motivated by new challenges and having the ability to use my creativity to solve problems and improve existing systems. The fact that this role includes analyzing established procedures and working collaboratively with team members to identify inefficiencies and brainstorm improvements is something that I find very exciting. I really enjoy getting to test outside the box strategies in a way that helps individuals, teams, and organizations accomplish their goals. Number 12, what can you contribute to the team? Make sure you focus this answer on the strengths and skills you have that are relevant to the job that you are interviewing for. If this job is looking for somebody who thrives in a fast-paced environment, as well as somebody who is a good time manager and collaborator, you should mention these things, especially if they are strengths of yours. I know from past jobs that I thrive in a fast-paced environment in a team that requires collaboration. Collaboration really brings some great synergy and ideation, I believe, and really can produce great results for a company. I also am a really good time manager and I am able to efficiently prioritize and manage projects to drive results. Previous managers have told me that these characteristics really contribute not only to the team, but also to the company. Number 13 is another one that a lot of people struggle with. What are your salary expectations? This is one of the hardest questions for many job seekers, especially if the salary range isn't already listed in the job description. Readers want to know if they can afford you, but they also want to see if you have a solid understanding of the industry and the position. If you mention something too high, they might think you have unrealistic expectations. If you mention something too low, they might worry that you lack confidence. If you're unsure or uneasy about answering this question, sometimes it's best to give a range rather than a specific number, but then mention that you want to learn more about the position and your fit for the role before negotiating a specific salary. I've conducted a lot of research and I think given my depth of experience that a salary somewhere in the range of 60 to 70,000 would be fair. I would like though to learn more about the specific expectations for the person in this position as well as any additional benefit offerings your company might provide before discussing an exact amount for this role. Number 14, what's your proudest accomplishment? What are your values? What are your career goals? This question really gets to the heart of that and employers like to know where you stand. You want to pick something that you are proud of, of course, and you want to make sure that it's focused on the skills and the requirements for the job that you are interviewing for. This is likely going to be an experience from a past job, but it might be from another experience or even a volunteer experience. But again, if you're focusing on the skills that are required for the job at hand, you're going to be in really good shape. I'm really proud of the fact that I take each job and each role that I have and the skills that I learn in that and apply those principles to the next project or the next role. This is something that I'm really proud of because it allows me to really take on challenges head on because I know I have the skill set to get the job done and more importantly, I trust myself to do it. So taking these two strategies to apply to any project or any role that I am attached to allows me to take on challenges, to embrace challenges, and really do some problem solving in order to drive the needle forward in whatever it is I do. Number 15, why are you interested in this position? This question is very similar to why do you want to work here, but is much more focused on the role rather than the company. Others want to assess your understanding of the position as well as how you envision your skills and talents aligning with the essential responsibilities. Make sure to mention some aspects of the role in which you are already highly skilled as well as some new or interesting things that excite you about the position. Mentioning things that are new or intriguing to you will give the employer confidence that you won't get bored quickly and want to leave shortly after starting. I decided to apply for this position because I think it aligns really nicely with my existing skills, but it also provides the opportunity to train, support, and lead an entire team. I've had a lot of experience in managing team projects and leading working groups in tackling new challenges and I've always found it to be really rewarding. The idea of getting to provide direct oversight for the work being done within this team is something that I'm fully confident that I can do successfully and I'm really excited about taking this next step in my career. Number 16, do you have experience working from home? Employers want to know that you can be a successful remote worker. When they ask a question like this, they really want to know if you have the key skills that can make you a good remote worker. Things like time management, good verbal and written communication, an ability to prioritize and problem solve, and also technology know how are really important to talk to employers about. When you are talking and giving this answer, you definitely want to talk about how much time you've worked remotely and enhance and mention those skills that you have that make you a successful remote worker. Yes, I do have remote work experience and I have found it to be the most productive and effective way for me to work. I work often asynchronously with my team and I have really enhanced my written and verbal communication skills, particularly written when I'm working asynchronously with my team, making sure that they understand what I'm working on, when I'm working on it, and what expectations I have from them and vice versa. Also, I am a really good time manager and prioritizer. I always come to work every day with a solid to-do list. When I sit down in my office, when I join my office and start my work day, I know exactly what I need to focus on from the minute that I get to work so I can really be productive and effective in my work day. So that's something that I found that's been really helpful in my experience of five years working remotely. Number 17, where do you see yourself in five years? Hiring managers often ask this type of question because they want to understand if your long-term goals align with their organization's vision and potential paths for advancement. They also want to minimize employee turnover because hiring can be costly and time-consuming and a question like this helps them determine if you'll stick around. You want to mention some specific but realistic goals that show that you're committed to your career development and also make sure that the goals you mentioned are relevant to the position and company. Try to think about some aspects of the role that will help you achieve your development goals as well as other possible positions within the organization that you could move into as your career progresses. In five years time, I hope to be an industry expert in this field. For now, I want to continue expanding my expertise with this type of service offering and then eventually leverage that expertise into a position that would allow me to train, support, and manage others. I think that this position would push me to quickly master all aspects of the implementation and service delivery processes so that I can successfully support key client accounts to drive growth and increase retention. In turn, that would give me hands-on experience in identifying and applying best practices so that in the future, I can lead and support others in this type of role. Number 18, why did you leave your last job? It's important when answering this question that you don't say anything negative about your former employer. Be very positive and forward-thinking and answer the question in a way that allows you to show what you are really looking forward to in the opportunity at the organization you are interviewing with. You could say something like, "I'm really excited to work at an organization like yours. One that focuses on innovation and collaboration. That is always the type of team that I like to work with, and I really learned a lot in my previous role, and I'm excited about potential opportunities at your company." Everything that I've read about what you do here says to me that you create a culture of innovation and collaboration, and that's really what I'm looking for. Number 19, what are your career goals? When employers ask this question, they're trying to gain insight into your short and long-term professional development goals. Just like with your five-year plan, they want to make sure that your goals align with the position and their organization's long-term aims. When responding to this question, you can mention some specific goals that you've set for yourself, like honing a particular skill or obtaining a certain type of role in the near future. It's also helpful to explain some of the steps you've taken up to this point to work towards achieving your career goals. Just like with other interview questions, you want your response to be relevant to the position and the company. My main goal is to move into a role with greater emphasis on project management. I've had a lot of experience collaborating on projects with team members and have developed really strong leadership, planning, communication, and strategic thinking skills through my previous roles. I'm excited about this position because it would combine those separate skill sets and allow me to have a more hands-on role in guiding the strategic planning and development of projects to help accomplish the long-term business objectives of your organization. And number 20, our lead career expert, Tony Frana, has some examples of things that you can ask when the interviewer asks you, "Do you have any questions for me?" This question really gives you the opportunity to find out a little bit more about the organization that you are interviewing with. You probably have some questions specific to the role based on the research that you did. But if you want to find out a little bit more about the culture, a couple questions you might ask are, "What is a typical day like?" You might also say something like, "How is success measured in this role?" Another question that can be a really good insight into what the team is working on is asking a specific question about a challenge the team is going through at the moment. And finally, you really want to end the interview by saying something like, "Is there anything else that I can clarify or share with you that would support my candidacy for this role?" And then you want to say something like, "Do you know when you'll be making a decision on the position?" This will really give you an idea of when the company is going to make a decision so you know when you can expect to hear back from them by. Thanks for watching. We hope you found this video informative and valuable in preparing for your next interview. Remember, preparation is key when it comes to a senior job interviews. By understanding common interview questions and having well-thought-out answers, you can confidently showcase your skills and experiences to potential employers. So if you want to dive deeper into the world of remote and flexible work, be sure to explore our channel for more job search tips, career advice, jobs, and companies hiring now and more. Don't forget to subscribe to our channel and hit the notification bell to stay up-to-date on our latest videos. And if you have any specific topics or even questions you'd like us to cover in future videos, please let us know in the comments below. Thanks for being a part of the FlexJobs community. We wish you the best of luck in your job search.