Interview question sets for employers: right questions, right order, consistent scoring
When interviews are improvised and each candidate is asked different things, the panel struggles to compare them and tends to pick the best talker rather than the person who can do the job. The tool at the top of this page draws on a bank of 60 questions in six groups: choose the groups and a number of questions from 5 to 15 to get a ready-made set, each question with its purpose, which you can copy or print and use straight away.
Planning a 45-minute interview
| Part | Duration | Question group |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Duration5 minutes | Question groupSelf-introduction, introduction to the role |
| Experience | Duration10 minutes | Question groupMost recent work experience, measurable results |
| Competencies | Duration20 minutes | Question groupSituational and behavioural, expertise and skills |
| Expectations | Duration5 minutes | Question groupPay and bonuses, availability to start |
| Closing | Duration5 minutes | Question groupCandidate's own questions, next steps |
Choosing questions for the role
For sales and customer service roles, give more questions to the situational and behavioural group, because how a candidate handles rejection and complaints matters more than memorised knowledge. For technical and accounting roles, add more expertise questions and ask for concrete examples from previous jobs. For management roles, add questions on delegating, appraising staff and dealing with underperformers.
- Ask every candidate for a role the same set of questionsAnswers can only be compared when the questions are the same.
- Probe deeper after the first answerAsk “what exactly did you do at that point?” and “how was the result measured?” to separate real experience from rehearsed answers.
- Take notes during the interviewWrite down the examples the candidate gives, not just your general impression.
Questions not to ask
- Plans to marry or have children, or whether the candidate is pregnant.
- Religion, ethnicity, political views.
- Family circumstances unrelated to the requirements of the job.
These questions do not help assess ability and may be treated as discrimination under Article 8 of the Labour Code 2019 (Bộ luật Lao động 2019). If the job involves long business trips or night shifts, ask the candidate directly whether they can work that schedule.
Frequently asked questions
About 8 to 12 questions for a 45-minute interview, leaving time for follow-up probing. A phone screening round needs only 5.
Yes, for the same role. Identical questions make comparisons fair; your follow-up questions can still differ depending on each person's answers.
At least the direct manager and someone from HR. Each person scores independently on the form before any discussion, so that no one is swayed by whoever speaks first.