Interview Questions That Reveal How Candidates Think and Collaborate

Job interviews tend to feel uncomfortable on both sides of the table. Newly appointed leaders and managers in particular may struggle to identify which questions will genuinely surface what they need to learn about an applicant, while candidates are often so nervous that a prospective employer has trouble getting a real sense of who they are. That is why hiring managers need to master the art of asking well-chosen questions during an interview to gauge whether someone will mesh with their workplace.

No single perfect question exists for hiring, but moving past the standard "so tell me about yourself" demands preparation, a clear sense of why each question is being asked, and empathy for the person across from you. We spoke with coffee industry professionals and one professional recruiter about the questions they pose in interviews and what those questions can uncover about a candidate.

What was a hard situation you faced at work, and how did you handle it?

Open-ended questions give candidates space to share their ideas and experiences. Asking how someone copes with problems is a classic for good reason—it can show not only how a person performs under pressure but also how they might approach tough circumstances down the road.

Coffee consultant Bryan T. Choi, recalling his time as a manager at Copa Vida, said this question "gives me insight into how that person reacts to a situation gone wrong." The response can help an interviewer tell whether a candidate shuts down or takes active steps toward solving the problem. Difficult situations are often complicated, and this question lets an interviewer assess whether a candidate is able and willing to seek a resolution when facing adversity, even if things did not turn out well.

There is no single correct answer here, but listening carefully to how an applicant responds reveals a great deal. "It helps me figure out how they handle problems," says Brittany Sims, a coffee writer (and occasional contributor to our website) and barista who has managed multiple coffee shops.

Sims said they are not after a prescribed answer and consider many responses valid—whether someone kept "a clear head to respond or was quick to call a manager, rather than handle an issue that is beyond them." According to Sims, the only poor answer is "if they just talk about how weird it was and didn't really find a solution."

Some questions work across industries. Jackie Jones, director of talent acquisition at Intercept Pharmaceuticals, interviews roughly 400-500 candidates a year and hires 35-40 people annually. She suggests including at least one question in which a candidate explains why they made a particular choice, or walks you through their thinking as they arrive at a solution. "This will tell you about how people problem solve and how they think about their role in the workplace," she says.

How do you look after yourself outside of work?

Marissa Childers, founder of Tanbrown Coffee in Atlanta, Georgia, previously managed coffee shops and interviewed candidates often to fill openings. They recommend asking applicants about their lives beyond the job. Rather than prying, this gives you a glimpse of the person and signals that the company sees them as more than an employee. "Work is only part of who you are," Childers said.

This question can also yield information that helps build a healthy work culture. "The well-being of a person can make or break team dynamics, especially when working on rigorous teams," Childers says.

As with questions about difficult situations, there is no right or wrong answer. Childers said a candidate's response "showed me how people were with boundaries and showed what made people happy," which informed their hiring decisions.

New team members can shift how a team works, and the interview is the moment to begin gauging what a new person brings beyond their coffee skills.

What tough feedback have you received? What did you do with it?

Jones recommends this question for two reasons: it can help a manager gauge how a candidate handles criticism, and it can reveal whether someone is comfortable processing information and learning new approaches. "It's really telling what internal stories people fall back on. It shows how they see what they've done and how they see their own growth."

Feedback is not solely about the person receiving it, and a useful follow-up is to ask candidates how they prefer to receive feedback. Giving feedback is hard in itself, but receiving it—especially when critical—can derail someone's whole day. Some people want criticism in the moment so they can correct course quickly; others prefer a one-on-one later with time to reflect. Understanding a candidate's preference helps managers judge whether the two of you can work well together.

What hobbies do you have outside of work?

Ger O'Donohue, former owner of This Is It, used interviews to get to know people beyond their working style. Over a career opening and managing cafes (plus a brief stint as a recruiter), he has hired approximately 300 people. He likes to find out what candidates are passionate about and see how that connects to working in a coffee shop.

"I try to find the thing they're most passionate about. I hired one girl once because she was an archer who was 'exceptionally excited by the power and precision of the bow in my hand.'" Identifying a candidate's passion can help hiring managers connect with applicants and understand how they learn. The precision needed to shoot an arrow, for instance, translates well to the precision needed for latte art.

Tell me about a time you worked with someone whose working style was completely different from yours. How did you adapt?

Jones considers this question especially valuable for teams where cooperation matters—everyone has worked with someone they did not necessarily click with. When people must come together on a time-sensitive project, such as making drinks during a rush, figuring out whether they will work well together is essential. "This question helps identify if a candidate is adaptable and if they communicate well," Jones said.

"It tells me if they're self-aware—if they're able to recognize that they're clashing with someone and willing to ask 'how can I improve this situation?'" Not every situation can be resolved through initiative and self-awareness, of course, but asking candidates to talk through how they handle challenging situations offers insight into their problem-solving and opens a door to discussing how conflict is handled in your business.

Ideally, interviewers plan questions ahead of time while leaving room for conversation to flow naturally and for candidates to ask their own questions (consider the prompts above: do you have a protocol for handling conflict among staff? How do you support employees working through difficult situations?). Questions can and should reflect the specific role and team the candidate might join and should show that you have read their resume or reviewed their work or school experience.

You need not adopt our experts' suggestions word for word—Jones recommends tailoring questions to each candidate based on their résumé. A hypothetical scenario can help first-time job seekers who may lack work experience to draw on. When interviewing someone with more experience, targeted questions can dig into their work history and show how past roles have shaped them as an employee.

At its core, an interview is about getting to know a person and judging how they will fit into a team. Keeping that aim in mind helps interviewers conduct more effective interviews and make hiring decisions efficiently, thoughtfully, and with compassion and care for the people applying.