Interview question bank for hiring managers
US federal rules as of 30 Oct 2026.
This interview question bank helps hiring managers pick 5 to 8 questions tied to the job's must-haves, ask every candidate the same ones in the same order, and score each answer against a written anchor. Below are tested question types for five role families, each with what a good answer shows and a 1 to 5 scoring guide.
At a glance
- Ask the same questions of every candidate for a role. See the structured interview guide.
- Score right after the interview, before discussing with others, on a scorecard.
- Keep to job-related topics; see illegal interview questions.
- Follow up with "What did you personally do?" to separate individual from team contribution.
Universal scoring scale
| Score | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | No relevant example, or answer shows a red flag |
| 2 | Vague or hypothetical only; little evidence |
| 3 | Real example, partly meets the standard |
| 4 | Clear, specific example; meets the standard |
| 5 | Specific, repeated evidence; exceeds the standard; explains the reasoning |
Use behavioural questions ("Tell me about a time...") for past evidence and situational ones ("What would you do if...") for judgement. Behavioural answers follow STAR: situation, task, action, result.
1. Core questions (any role)
| Question | What a good answer shows | Warning signs |
|---|---|---|
| Walk me through your last role and what you were responsible for. | Clear scope, ownership, relevant outcomes | Cannot say what they personally did |
| Tell me about a project you are proud of. What was your part? | Specific actions and results, honest credit to others | Only "we", no result |
| Tell me about a time you got feedback that was hard to hear. | Listened, changed something, can name the change | Blames the giver |
| Describe a deadline you were about to miss. What did you do? | Early warning, re-scoping, communication | Hid it, or heroics only |
| Why this role and why now? | Understands the job; reasons are about the work | Generic or only about pay |
| What would your last manager say you should improve? | Real, specific, and shows progress | "Perfectionism" |
2. Software engineering
| Question | What a good answer shows | Warning signs |
|---|---|---|
| Describe a bug that was hard to find. How did you find it? | Method: reproduce, narrow, test hypotheses, confirm fix and prevent recurrence | Guessing, no tests added |
| Tell me about a design decision you later regretted. | Names trade-offs honestly, learns | No regrets, or blames others |
| How do you review a pull request? What do you look for? | Correctness, tests, readability, kindness, risk | Only style nitpicks |
| A feature is due Friday and you find the data model is wrong. What do you do? | Weighs risk, talks to stakeholders, offers options | Silent workaround |
| Explain [CONCEPT RELEVANT TO STACK, e.g. database index] to a non-engineer. | Accurate and simple | Jargon only |
| Walk me through how you would design [SMALL SYSTEM, e.g. URL shortener]. | Clarifies requirements, sketches components, discusses failure and scale | Jumps to tools |
Scoring: for the design question, 1 = no structure, 3 = reasonable components with some trade-offs, 5 = clarifies requirements first, identifies bottlenecks, and defends choices. Add a work sample that matches the real job. See assessments.
3. Customer service
| Question | What a good answer shows | Warning signs |
|---|---|---|
| Tell me about the angriest customer you handled. | Stayed calm, acknowledged, fixed or escalated properly | Argued, or "I gave them whatever they wanted" |
| A customer asks for a refund our policy does not allow. What do you say? | Empathy, explains policy, offers alternatives, knows when to escalate | Rigid or ignores policy |
| How do you handle three chats at once? | Prioritisation, templates used well, quality check | Ignores accuracy |
| Role-play: customer says [SCENARIO, e.g. "my order is late and I need it tomorrow"]. | Opens with ownership, asks clarifying questions, sets clear next step | No next step |
| Describe a time you learned a product quickly. | Method for learning, asks for help | Waits to be taught |
Role-play scoring: 1 = dismissive; 3 = polite, solves the stated problem; 5 = solves it, anticipates the next question, confirms the customer is satisfied.
4. Sales
| Question | What a good answer shows | Warning signs |
|---|---|---|
| Walk me through your last closed deal from first contact to signature. | Process, discovery, handling of objections, real numbers | Cannot give deal size or cycle length |
| Tell me about a deal you lost. Why? | Honest diagnosis and change afterwards | Blames price or product only |
| How do you prepare for a first call? | Research, hypothesis, clear goal | "I wing it" |
| What does your pipeline look like today? | Stages, conversion rates, next steps | No numbers |
| Describe a time you said no to a prospect. | Qualification discipline | Never walks away |
Verify any quota or attainment figures the candidate gives through reference checks. Do not ask for current-employer confidential data.
5. People management
| Question | What a good answer shows | Warning signs |
|---|---|---|
| Tell me about a person you coached from struggling to performing. | Specific diagnosis, feedback, support, result | Replaced them without trying |
| Describe a time you had to deliver bad news. | Direct, kind, documented | Avoided |
| How do you set priorities for a team that has too much work? | Criteria, trade-offs, communicates upwards | "We just work harder" |
| Tell me about a conflict on your team. | Listened to both sides, resolved, followed up | Took sides early |
| How do you make hiring decisions? | Structured, evidence-based, gives all candidates the same questions | Gut feel |
6. Operations and admin
| Question | What a good answer shows | Warning signs |
|---|---|---|
| Tell me about a process you improved. | Problem, measure, change, result | No measurement |
| How do you track many tasks with different deadlines? | A system, and how it handles surprises | "I remember" |
| Describe a mistake in your work that reached someone else. | Owns, fixes, prevents | Minimises |
Full question banks with scorecards
Each page has 12 questions, what a good answer shows, red flags, a 1 to 4 scorecard and the steps to run the interview as a LiveRec video interview.
United States
- Software Engineer
- Data Analyst
- Registered Nurse
- Customer Service Representative
- Sales Representative
- Warehouse Associate
- Truck Driver (CDL)
- Administrative Assistant
- Accountant
- Project Manager
- More roles: Retail Associate, Marketing Manager, Operations Manager, Medical Assistant, Teacher, Server, Electrician, Receptionist, Bartender, Mechanic
India
- BPO / Customer Support Executive
- Telecaller
- Field Sales Executive
- Delivery Executive
- Data Entry Operator
- Java Developer
- Accountant (Tally / GST)
- HR Recruiter
- Teacher (School)
- Store Manager (Retail)
How to build your own set
- Take the "What you need" list from your job description.
- Write one question per must-have.
- Write a 1/3/5 anchor for each before the first interview.
- Test the set on a colleague.
FAQ
How many questions per interview? 5 to 8 in 45 to 60 minutes, leaving time for follow-ups and candidate questions.
Can I change questions mid-hiring? Avoid it; candidates would no longer be comparable. If you must, note it and re-ask earlier candidates.
Are brain teasers useful? They rarely relate to the job. Use work samples instead.
Should I record interviews? Only with notice and consent where required.
Next step
Use the scorecard template. LiveRec employers can also store questions and interview feedback in the portal; see question bank help.
Sources
- US OPM, Structured Interviews: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/assessment-and-selection/structured-interviews/
- EEOC, Prohibited Employment Policies/Practices: https://www.eeoc.gov/prohibited-employment-policies-practices
- EEOC, Pre-employment disability-related questions: https://www.eeoc.gov/enforcement-guidance-preemployment-disability-related-questions-and-medical-examinations
- Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures, 29 CFR Part 1607: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-B/chapter-XIV/part-1607
This is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Rules change and your situation may differ. Consult a licensed attorney or qualified adviser.