interview-question-bank

What this skill does

# Interview Question Bank

**Create structured, fair interview questions that predict job success.**

## When to Use

- Preparing for candidate interviews
- Building interview guides for new roles
- Training hiring managers
- Ensuring consistent evaluation across candidates
- Avoiding biased or illegal questions

## Question Types

### 1. Behavioral Questions (STAR Method)

Ask about past experiences to predict future behavior.

**Format:** "Tell me about a time when..."

```markdown
## Collaboration
- Tell me about a time you had to work with someone difficult. How did you handle it?
- Describe a situation where you had to get buy-in from stakeholders who disagreed with you.

## Problem Solving
- Tell me about a complex problem you solved. Walk me through your approach.
- Describe a time when you had to make a decision with incomplete information.

## Leadership
- Tell me about a time you had to motivate a struggling team member.
- Describe a situation where you had to lead through change.

## Failure & Learning
- Tell me about a project that didn't go as planned. What did you learn?
- Describe a time you received critical feedback. How did you respond?
```

### 2. Situational Questions

Present hypothetical scenarios relevant to the role.

**Format:** "What would you do if..."

```markdown
## Decision Making
- You discover a critical bug right before a major release. What do you do?
- A team member isn't meeting expectations. How would you address it?

## Prioritization
- You have three urgent requests from different stakeholders. How do you prioritize?
- Your project scope just doubled but the deadline didn't change. What's your approach?

## Conflict Resolution
- Two team members have a disagreement that's affecting the team. How do you handle it?
- A stakeholder keeps changing requirements. How would you address this?
```

### 3. Technical/Skill Assessment

Role-specific competency evaluation.

```markdown
## For Engineers
- Walk me through how you would design [system relevant to role].
- How would you debug [common problem in their domain]?
- Explain [concept] to someone non-technical.

## For Managers
- How do you set goals with your team?
- Describe your approach to 1:1 meetings.
- How do you handle underperformance?

## For Sales
- Walk me through your discovery process.
- How do you handle objections about price?
- Describe how you build pipeline.
```

### 4. Values/Culture Questions

Assess alignment with company values.

```markdown
## Ownership
- Tell me about a time you went beyond your job description.
- How do you handle situations where no one is explicitly responsible?

## Curiosity
- What's something you've learned recently outside of work?
- How do you stay current in your field?

## Collaboration
- How do you prefer to work with others?
- Describe your ideal team environment.
```

## Role-Specific Question Sets

### Software Engineer

```markdown
1. Tell me about a technically challenging project. What made it difficult?
2. How do you approach code reviews - both giving and receiving feedback?
3. Describe a time you had to balance code quality with delivery speed.
4. Walk me through how you would debug a production incident.
5. How do you stay current with new technologies?
6. Tell me about a time you had to push back on a technical decision.
```

### Product Manager

```markdown
1. Tell me about a product you took from concept to launch.
2. How do you prioritize your roadmap?
3. Describe a time you had to say no to a stakeholder request.
4. How do you measure product success?
5. Tell me about a feature that failed. What did you learn?
6. How do you work with engineering to balance tech debt vs features?
```

### People Manager

```markdown
1. How do you develop and retain top performers?
2. Tell me about a difficult conversation you had with a direct report.
3. How do you build trust with a new team?
4. Describe your approach to giving feedback.
5. How do you handle a situation where you disagree with leadership?
6. Tell me about a time you helped someone grow into a new role.
```

### Sales Representative

```markdown
1. Walk me through your most complex deal. What made it complex?
2. How do you research and qualify prospects?
3. Tell me about a deal you lost. What would you do differently?
4. How do you handle a prospect who goes dark?
5. Describe your approach to negotiation.
6. How do you manage your pipeline and forecast accurately?
```

## Questions to AVOID (Illegal/Biased)

### Never Ask About:

| Topic | Illegal/Problematic Questions |
|-------|------------------------------|
| Age | "When did you graduate?" "How old are you?" |
| Family | "Do you have kids?" "Are you planning to have children?" |
| Religion | "What religious holidays do you observe?" |
| National Origin | "Where are you originally from?" "Is English your first language?" |
| Disability | "Do you have any health conditions?" |
| Marital Status | "Are you married?" "What does your spouse do?" |
| Genetics | Any questions about family medical history |

### Instead, Focus On:

```markdown
✓ "Are you authorized to work in [country]?"
✓ "Can you perform the essential functions of this role?"
✓ "Are you available to work [required schedule]?"
✓ "Can you travel [X]% as required by this role?"
```

## Scoring Rubric Template

```markdown
## Question: [Question text]

### What to Listen For:
- [Specific indicator 1]
- [Specific indicator 2]
- [Specific indicator 3]

### Scoring:
1 - Does not meet: [Description]
2 - Partially meets: [Description]
3 - Meets expectations: [Description]
4 - Exceeds expectations: [Description]

### Red Flags:
- [Warning sign 1]
- [Warning sign 2]
```

## Interview Structure

### Recommended Flow (45-60 min)

```
1. Introduction (5 min)
   - Interviewer intro
   - Role overview
   - Interview agenda

2. Candidate Background (10 min)
   - "Walk me through your background"
   - Clarifying questions

3. Behavioral/Situational (20-25 min)
   - 3-4 structured questions
   - Follow-up probes

4. Technical/Role-Specific (15-20 min)
   - Skill assessment
   - Scenario discussions

5. Candidate Questions (5-10 min)
   - Answer questions
   - Sell the opportunity

6. Wrap-up (2 min)
   - Next steps
   - Timeline
```

## Best Practices

1. **Ask the same core questions** to all candidates for fairness
2. **Use a scoring rubric** to reduce bias
3. **Take notes** during the interview, not after
4. **Don't oversell** - be honest about challenges
5. **Leave time for candidate questions** - it's a two-way evaluation
6. **Debrief promptly** - within 24 hours while memory is fresh