I find the vast majority of job postings alarming, which I discuss in detail in this blog and this one. They make the role sound so stressful. It’s like they’re trying to find someone who can perform brain surgery in a space shuttle while answering customer complaints about their phone service.
Job interviews are no better. Some interview questions are useful. Some are idiotic. Some are illegal. And the rest are outdated. A good interview question should help you understand how someone thinks, works, communicates, solves problems, handles responsibility, collaborates, and responds to real work situations.
So, in the spirit of making interviews more useful—and less like something from an HR book from 1974—here are the top ten interview questions that you really need to retire.
1. “Where do you see yourself in five years?”
This interview question is more stale than the 1984 Coke bottle I found in my grandmother’s garage—in 2004.
Should a job candidate have some sort of career goal? Absolutely. But this question is so well-rehearsed, most people you interview will know exactly how to answer it.
“In five years, I hope to have grown within the organization, taken on more responsibility, and continued developing my skills.”
The other problem is that many companies cannot honestly say where the role will be in five years either. The department may restructure. The company may be sold. The role may expand, shrink, or merge with another role.
So maybe let’s not ask candidates crystal ball questions.
What to ask instead:
“What kind of work do you want to do more of in this role?”
“What skills are you hoping to develop?”
“Why is this role a good next step for you?”
2. “What is your biggest weakness?”
This question has been ruined by decades of bad advice. Candidates know the game. They are supposed to name a weakness that sounds more like a strength than a weakness.
“I care too much.”
“I am a perfectionist.”
“I sometimes take on too much responsibility.”
“I work too hard.”
The result is usually useless. Either the candidate gives a fake weakness, or they give an honest one and you cross them off the list, because—*gasp*—they have faults.
The issue is not that weaknesses should be off-limits. Self-awareness matters. But “What is your biggest weakness?” encourages people to rebrand a flaw—or lie to your face.
What to ask instead:
“What is one skill you have had to work on professionally?”
“Tell me about feedback you received that helped you improve.”
“What is an area where you are still developing?”
3. “Why should we hire you?”
This question sounds like a bold “gotcha,” but it often puts candidates in an awkward position.
You are asking the candidate to summarize their entire value when you already have their resume, already know the job requirements, and obviously invited them to the interview for a reason.
The goal should be to understand how the candidate’s skills, experience, and working style match the role.
Companies that expect candidates to “sell themselves” often miss something important: some candidates are excellent at self-promotion. Some are excellent at the actual job. Those are not always the same person.
Just because a candidate doesn’t deliver a perfect interview performance, doesn’t mean they won’t do the job well. They may work hard, have a good head on their shoulders, and become incredibly valuable once given the chance.
If your hiring process only rewards people who know how to market themselves, you may be screening for confidence more than capability.
What to ask instead:
“Describe one or two work experiences that are most relevant to this role.”
“What strengths would help you succeed in this position?”
“What do you think you could contribute most quickly if hired?”
4. “Tell me about yourself.”
This one is just too vague. What exactly is the goal? A career summary? A personality snapshot? A childhood story?
Candidates usually respond with whatever version they think sounds professional enough.
If you want a career overview, ask for one. If you want to understand why they applied, ask that. If you want to know what kind of work they enjoy, ask that.
Don’t toss a giant open-ended question into the room and then judge the candidate for not knowing which direction to run with it.
What to ask instead:
“What attracted you to this position?”
“What kind of work have you found most engaging in your recent roles?”
“What’s a common misconception about you?”
5. “Why did you leave your last job?”
This is a fair question, but it needs to be handled carefully.
Asked bluntly, it can sound dangerous, especially if the candidate left because of burnout, a toxic manager, family responsibilities, or other circumstances they may not want to unpack with a stranger they met three minutes ago. It can also encourage candidates to lie.
“I was looking for a new challenge.”
Which could mean “My manager was making me do the role of three people without the support and salary to match it. I didn’t recognize the company anymore, and I needed to get the hell out.”
You can ask about job changes, but the tone should not make the candidate feel like they are being cross-examined.
What to ask instead:
“What prompted you to start looking for a new opportunity?”
“What are you hoping will be different in this role?”
“What are you looking for that your previous role did not offer?”
So that’s the first batch of interview questions that need to be put in a time capsule that should never be opened again.
And since there are still plenty of stale interview questions wandering around most companies, I’ll cover five more in Part 2.