{"id":901,"date":"2026-06-23T17:41:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T17:41:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/?p=901"},"modified":"2026-06-23T17:41:49","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T17:41:49","slug":"more-interview-questions-you-should-stop-asking-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/?p=901","title":{"rendered":"More Interview Questions You Should Stop Asking (Part 2)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In Part 1<\/a>, I covered five interview questions that need to be put into a rocket and shot into another galaxy. Unfortunately, the list doesn\u2019t end there. So let\u2019s continue the cleanup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are five more interview questions that are overused, outdated, or badly designed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. \u201cHow do you handle stress?\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This question is problematic for two reasons. First, it almost always produces the same answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI handle stress well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because nobody is going to say: \u201cTerribly. I cry in the bathroom and eat the snacks I stash in my drawer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, you\u2019re throwing up red flags like it\u2019s a parade. When you ask, \u201cHow well do you handle stress?\u201d candidates will often hear:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis role is really stressful, and we want to make sure you can survive it without curling into a ball under your desk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I understand that most jobs are stressful. There are deadlines, busy seasons, difficult clients, and unexpected problems. That is normal. However, it\u2019s also a company\u2019s responsibility to make sure support is in place so employees can manage those demands without burning out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to ask instead:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTell me about a time you had to manage competing priorities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDescribe a period when your workload was especially heavy. What did you do to manage it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat helps you stay organized when several things are urgent?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. \u201cAre you a team player?\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This question should never have seen the light of day, because there is only one acceptable answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s it. No candidate is going to say: \u201cNo. I prefer to be isolated because I hate humans.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnly if my teammates are competent, emotionally stable, and won\u2019t eat my lunch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I mean, a few bold candidates might say the second one out loud, but that\u2019s highly unlikely\u2014even though it\u2019s what most of them will be thinking and hoping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teamwork matters. However, asking someone if they are a team player is like asking if they are professional, reliable, or enjoy being paid. The answer will be yes because the alternative is self-sabotage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to ask instead:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTell me about a successful team project you were part of. What was your role?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDescribe a time you had to work with someone whose style was different from yours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat do you need from a team in order to do your best work?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. \u201cWhat motivates you?\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This question is not completely terrible, but it often leads to vague, carefully crafted answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am motivated by challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am motivated by growth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am motivated by helping others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most people are motivated by a mix of things: work they enjoy, autonomy, recognition, stability, learning, and not being treated like a number. And yes, money. That doesn\u2019t make them greedy, it makes them sensible, because we all need a livable wage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to ask instead:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat kind of work gets you the most excited?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat conditions help you do your best work?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat has made a role feel meaningful or satisfying for you in the past?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. \u201cDescribe yourself in three words.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I get the challenge of answering this question, but it really won\u2019t reveal much. Most candidates will choose three positive, professional adjectives or harmless quirks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reliable.
Hardworking.
Creative.
Curious.
Foodie.
Pok\u00e9mon enthusiast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People are complex. Reducing someone to three adjectives may be fun for an icebreaker, but it should not be used as a selection tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to ask instead:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow would your previous manager describe your work style?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat feedback do you most often receive from colleagues?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat strengths show up most consistently in your work?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. \u201cIf you were an animal, what animal would you be and why?\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ten points to the person who created this \u201cgem.\u201d Negative 1000 points for the uselessness of this question. Unless you are hiring someone to write personality quizzes or, perhaps, as a zookeeper, this question needs to go. The same applies to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you were a kitchen appliance, what would you be?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you were a superhero, what power would you have?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf I could grant you one wish, what would it be?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These questions are often seen as a way to assess creativity or how someone thinks on their feet. That may be true to a minor degree. Some candidates will enjoy it, some will panic, some will give a clever answer, and some will wonder whether they accidentally walked into a kindergarten class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unless the role genuinely requires spontaneous creative thinking under strange conditions, you are probably not learning what you think you are learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to ask instead:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTell me about a time you had to solve a problem in a creative way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDescribe a situation where you had to think quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat is an example of a time you approached a problem differently from others?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Few Other Interview Questions That Need to Be Dropped into the Depths of the Deepest Ocean<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some of these questions are not bad per se, but they are usually too vague, too easy to fake, or too disconnected from the actual job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat is your dream job?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can make candidates feel like they are being tested for loyalty to a role they have not even been offered yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat do you know about our company?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Useful in theory, but it\u2019s mostly a memory test of the company website. Better: \u201cWhat interested you in our company and this role?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSell me this pen.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unless the job involves sales, negotiation, or improvisation, please put the pen down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And although you probably know this already, I\u2019ll say it anyway: avoid legally risky or prohibited questions. What qualifies as illegal depends on where your company is located, but play it safe and don\u2019t ask about age, ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy status, and medical history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bottom line:Ask better questions, and you will get better answers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Some interview questions are so outdated, they should have gone extinct with fax machines.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":902,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hiring-talent-retention"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=901"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/901\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":905,"href":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/901\/revisions\/905"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/902"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archprofile.com\/archprofile_blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}