The 5 Interview Questions Candidates Love Most – And Why You Should Be Asking Them
When interviewing, asking the right questions can open the door to genuine insights and a better interview experience. So, which questions truly resonate with candidates? Our latest research, led by the Data Scientists at Sapia Labs, reveals the top five questions that candidates appreciate the most from our Chat Interview experience, that over 5 million candidates from 47 countries have completed.
Why is asking the right questions important?
The Live Interview is crucial to volume hiring. Having the opportunity to meet for the first time, to extend the connection already created online – it’s almost like the first date of the volume hiring experience. Showing up unprepared or asking questions that candidates can’t engage with is a waste of everyone’s time.
Asking questions candidates actually enjoy
Interviews can go sideways – either candidates feel like they’ve been part of a scripted exercise, where standard questions that don’t engender creativity or imagination are rolled out one by one; or, if the interviewer is underprepared, questions can appear out of the blue and feel largely irrelevant to the role.
But certain questions break the mould—they encourage authenticity, spark reflection, and sometimes even pride. Rather than prompting canned responses, these questions invite candidates to share real experiences that shaped them. After analysing feedback from thousands of candidates, here are the five most-loved interview questions and why they matter.
- Making a Difference
“Tell us about a time you went out of your way to make a difference for someone and improved their day.”
Why candidates love it: It’s a chance to talk about something positive they’ve done. People enjoy reflecting on moments that mattered, whether big or small, and this question lets them share proud memories. For the hiring team, it reveals a candidate’s potential to bring kindness, positivity, and empathy to your team and customers.
- Handling Difficult People
“Have you ever dealt with someone difficult? How did you handle the situation? Feel free to share examples from work, school, or any group activity.”
Why candidates love it: We’ve all had tough encounters, and this question lets candidates share how they navigated those situations. Their response can reveal resilience, tact, or empathy. Plus, every workplace has its challenges—this question lets them show their approach to handling them.
- Driving Change
“Tell us how you have been proactive in driving change that had a lasting impact.”
Why candidates love it: Everyone has had moments when they took initiative, big or small. This question gives candidates a chance to reflect on those times when they went beyond the status quo and made a real difference. It also reveals whether they see themselves as someone who can step up to make things better.
- Missing Deadlines
“Describe a time when you missed a deadline or personal commitment. How did that make you feel?”
Why candidates love it: This question is refreshingly human. We’ve all missed deadlines, and this question creates space for honesty, vulnerability, and growth – without the awkwardness of the classic “what are your weaknesses?” angle. It’s less about the setback itself and more about how a candidate understands, reflects and moves forward from it.
- Team Support
“Tell us about a time when you rolled up your sleeves to help out your team or someone else.”
Why candidates love it: This question highlights the power of teamwork. Candidates get to share the moments they stepped up and supported others. It shows both teamwork and leadership potential, indicating if this candidate is someone who’ll contribute something bigger than their individual tasks.
Why these questions are impactful
These interview questions tap into values that are universally meaningful. Candidates don’t just want to list their skills; they want to share stories that matter to them. When you ask questions like these, you’re inviting candidates to reflect on personal moments of challenge, motivation, and connection. They get to walk away feeling heard and appreciated – before they’ve even received a job offer.
Interviews, whether face to face or via chat, should be a positive experience for candidates. They’re a chance to connect with the person behind the application. That’s why we built our online assessment Chat Interview on a foundation of questions like these. So the first experience a candidate has with your brand is one of genuine connection.
Why you should consider questions like these in your interviews
Incorporating these questions shows candidates that you value their unique experiences. By making small adjustments to the questions you ask, you create a space where candidats can open up and share more meaningful responses. And that’s the first step in finding candidates who genuinely fit with your team and culture. Shifting to questions that candidates love can elevate your interview process, leaving candidates feeling inspired and excited about the prospect of working with you.
Transforming Interviews, One Question at a Time
This research underscores a core belief we hold: Interviews are an experience, not just an assessment. A good interview reveals job-related skills while also building trust and creating advocates for your brand.
At Sapia.ai, we know interviewing. Whether that’s giving your candidates an engaging interview over chat as their first experience with your brand; or enabling your team to conduct better live interviews, our platform enhances the end to end volume hiring process.
We’re proud to champion a new way of interviewing that prioritises candidate experience and genuine connection. After all, when candidates feel good about the questions you ask, they’re more likely to bring their best selves – helping you find the people that belong with your brand..
Curious to learn more? Get in touch to see how we’re reshaping hiring into a more human, meaningful experience – one great question at a time.
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