Interviews are vital when figuring out whether or not a candidate is right for the job and for your company. While a CV will give you an idea of experience and qualifications, these things alone aren’t a guarantee that they will be successful. There are so many interview questions that will assess different things, and there are a few obvious questions that always tend to feature. These are five interview questions you might not have thought of, that will help you get more of an idea of who your potential employee is.

1. Even if you were really happy with this job, what kind of offer from another company would make you consider leaving?

The answer to this question will give you a good idea of what motivates your candidates, meaning that you will know how to keep them motivated should they get the job. Answers will tend to focus on money, job satisfaction, respect, etc. and will tell you whether or not they will remain happy with your company.

2. Did you gain more responsibility in your last job?

This will tell you about the candidate’s ability to perform and grow. If a candidate is able to move through the ranks and gain more responsibility within their position, it shows signs of flexibility and motivation to succeed. On the other hand, if a candidate has stayed on about the same level of responsibility throughout their position it is worth asking why. This could just be because their previous company didn’t offer opportunities for advancement, but it could be because they were considered unable to handle more responsibility.

3. Tell me about the best boss you’ve ever had. 

The things a candidate values in management will tell you whether or not they will fit into your company. It will tell you about their work habits, communication style and ability to form workplace relationships. If you dig a little deeper on the answers for this question you can compare yourself to their idea of the ‘best’ boss, helping you to figure out if you will be able to work together.

4. Explain something that you know is complicated but that you know well.

Not only will this give you an idea of the candidate’s intelligence level, but it will show you the kind of things they are passionate about. This doesn’t need to be related to the job at hand, and it gives you an idea of what they consider to be complicated as well as their ability to explain and describe complicated ideas. A candidate who can’t think on their feet will end up explaining something fairly simple, but their redeeming factor may be that they can explain clearly, expressing leadership and communication skills.

5. What would you do if…? 

One of the best ways to ask this question is to use an actual problem your company has faced in the past. The answer to this question will tell you about their previous experience and how this will influence their ability to handle problems. By using a real example from your company, you can gain an idea how whether or not this candidate would be a valuable member of your team, and you may get some new ideas for dealing with problems in future.

These are five interview questions you might not have thought of, and are a good way to figure out whether or not a candidate is a good cultural fit for your workplace. Additionally, they will give you a more in depth idea of their experience and qualities than their CV alone.