12 situational interview questions
Consider asking these situational interview questions to find the right candidate for your open position:
1. Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond to exceed expectations on a project. How did you achieve that?
This question invites candidates to share an example of when they demonstrated initiative and pushed beyond the standard requirements to achieve a better-than-expected result. It focuses on their ability to take ownership of their work, problem-solve creatively and deliver exceptional outcomes.
2. Can you describe a time when you helped a coworker or team member overcome a challenge?
This question allows interviewers to assess a candidate’s ability to collaborate, mentor, and show empathy within a team environment. It’s useful for understanding how candidates handle teamwork beyond their individual responsibilities, particularly in situations where they act as a resource or guide for others.
3. Can you describe a time when you helped a team member improve their work?
This shifts the focus from mistakes to collaboration, looking for candidates who are supportive and constructive in team environments.
4. What steps do you take to ensure continuous personal and professional development in your career?
This question focuses on a candidate’s commitment to self-improvement, learning and career growth. It can provide insight into how they take ownership of their personal and professional development.
5. Describe a situation where you found a creative solution to a problem you couldn’t immediately solve.
This question lets the candidate show their creativity, resourcefulness and willingness to learn new things. Look for a candidate with perseverance, who continues to look for a solution until the problem is solved.
6. You’ve been given a task but need more information to complete it. How would you handle this?
Asking this situational question for interviews can reveal a candidate’s ability to communicate effectively and ask for clarification when needed. Candidates should be able to share that they’re missing information required to complete a task.
7. How do you stay motivated and energized during long-term projects?
This question is designed to assess how candidates maintain their focus, enthusiasm and productivity throughout lengthy projects. It can be a good way to explore how they handle routine or slower phases of work, as well as their strategies for sustaining motivation without the constant pressure of tight deadlines.
8. How do you prioritize tasks when juggling multiple projects or deadlines?
This question allows candidates to showcase their time management skills and ability to stay organized and efficient when facing competing demands. It highlights adaptability, decision-making, and proactive planning.
9. Tell me about a time when you had to adapt quickly to a change in priorities. How did you handle it?
This question can help you assess a candidate’s ability to adapt to change when necessary. The candidate’s answer might suggest that they understand the importance of deadlines and that some tasks may be more important than others.
10. You were given a project with a tight deadline, and you think you won’t be able to complete it on time. What would you do?
This question can help determine whether candidates can manage their time effectively and prioritize tasks. Listen for answers that show they can communicate with their supervisor and make a plan to complete the project on time.
11. How do you maintain a positive attitude and manage stress when working under pressure?
This question can help you assess whether the candidate has healthy coping mechanisms for managing stress. Employees who can effectively manage stress are more likely to have a positive attitude at work.
12. How would you handle a situation where a client was extremely satisfied with your work and asked for additional services?
This flips the usual “unhappy client” scenario and assesses how the candidate builds relationships.
The provided situational questions for interviews can give you insight into how a candidate may react in various situations at your company.
How to create your own situational questions for interviews
The situational interview questions above can apply to many job titles. However, you may wish to ask additional or alternate situational questions based on the specifics of your open position. When writing your questions, consider following the tips:
Start with the job description
When creating situational interview questions, consider your open position. Look over the job description and determine how you can assess candidates for each skill. This approach could help you identify topics for situational interview questions and strengthen your skill-based hiring efforts.
Consult your team
To provide valuable insights about candidates, situational questions for interviews should be as relevant as possible. You might ask candidates about situations your team members have previously encountered.
Talk to your team about challenging situations they’ve encountered. You can use this information to help shape your situational interview questions.
Consider company policies and industry best practices
Employees often rely on company policies and best practices when making decisions and responding to challenging situations. Situational interview questions can help you evaluate whether candidates are familiar with policies and standards.
Remember to keep questions inclusive
As you craft your situational interview questions, keep inclusivity in mind. Use neutral language that doesn’t make assumptions about gender, race, ethnicity and other characteristics.
Be careful not to exclude individuals with the wording of your questions.
Situational interview questions FAQs
What are situational interview questions?
Situational interview questions, also called scenario-based or hypothetical questions, are a type of interview question where the interviewer asks the candidate what they would do in a hypothetical situation. These questions usually begin with “What would you do if…?” or “How would you handle a situation where…?”
How are situational interview questions different from other interview questions?
Situational questions for interviews ask about hypothetical situations the candidate might encounter on the job. On the other hand, behavioral interview questions ask candidates to describe how they dealt with issues they experienced in the past.
Technical interview questions ask about their knowledge or skills in a particular area. Brain teaser questions can help you understand how a candidate thinks and evaluate creativity and analytical skills.
How can situational or scenario-based interview questions help in your hiring process?
Situational or hypothetical interview questions are particularly helpful when hiring for an entry-level position where the candidate may be unable to provide answers about prior work situations. Scenario-based questions are also helpful if you ask multiple candidates how they would deal with a specific job scenario.
The candidate’s answers to these hypothetical scenario interview questions can provide insights into the candidate’s character and skills.
How do you create a situational questions interview evaluation form?
To make situational questions in interviews as objective as possible, consider creating a scoring sheet for every candidate. Establish evaluation criteria for your situational interview questions, such as “answer demonstrates openness to compromise” and “answer indicates willingness to provide criticism.”
You can assign a consistent point system, such as a scale from 1 to 5, to score how well the candidate’s answer aligns with each criterion. A score of 1 may indicate the candidate failed to meet expectations, while a score of 5 would indicate an exceptional response. This method ensures consistent and fair evaluation across all responses.
