What to Ask When Interviewing a Potential Employee

Strategic Interview Questions for Small Business Owners

By: Tullis Consulting & Financial Services LLC

Hire Smart. Build Strong. Grow with Confidence.

📌 How to Use This Guide:

This guide is broken into categories, each targeting a different aspect of candidate evaluation:

• Cultural Fit & Attitude

• Accountability & Work Ethic

• Problem Solving & Initiative

• Skill & Role-Specific Competency

• Adaptability & Growth Potential

• Communication & Teamwork

✅ Pro Tip: Ask follow-up questions like “What happened next?” or “What would you do differently now?” to go deeper.

✅ Cultural Fit & Attitude

1. What kind of work environment helps you do your best work?

2. What values are most important to you in a team?

3. Tell me about a time when you worked in a team with very different personalities. How did you handle it?

4. What kind of leader brings out the best in you?

5. What motivates you at work besides money?

✅ Accountability & Work Ethic

1. Tell me about a time you took ownership of a mistake. How did you fix it?

2. When you have multiple deadlines, how do you prioritize your work?

3. Describe a time you were asked to do something outside your job description. What was your response?

4. What does “going the extra mile” mean to you? Can you give an example?

5. How do you stay focused and productive when no one is watching?

✅ Problem Solving & Initiative

1. Describe a time when something important didn’t go as planned. What did you do?

2. Can you tell me about a situation where you solved a problem before it was noticed by others?

3. If you were hired and you saw something inefficient or outdated in our business, how would you bring it up?

4. Tell me about a time you had to learn something quickly in order to succeed.

5. What’s the most creative solution you’ve ever come up with at work?

✅ Skill & Role-Specific Competency

(Customize these for each role, but here are examples across admin, ops, customer service, marketing, etc.)

• Admin: What systems or tools have you used to stay organized in a fast-paced role?

• Customer Service: Tell me about a time you turned an unhappy customer into a satisfied one.

• Operations: How do you manage quality control or process efficiency?

• Marketing: Describe a campaign or project you managed. What were the goals and results?

Always ask:
“What was your role specifically?”
“What results did you help achieve?”

✅ Adaptability & Growth Potential

1. Tell me about a time you were asked to learn or use a new tool/software quickly. How did you handle it?

2. What’s something new you’ve taught yourself in the last year? Why?

3. Have you ever had to unlearn or change your approach to a task? What triggered that?

4. How do you handle uncertainty or change in the workplace?

5. Where do you see yourself growing professionally in the next 1–2 years?

✅ Communication & Teamwork

1. Describe a time you had to communicate something difficult to a coworker or manager.

2. What’s your approach when you don’t understand instructions or expectations?

3. How do you handle feedback—especially when it’s critical?

4. Tell me about a successful collaboration and what made it work.

5. What’s your preferred way to communicate with a team: email, meetings, chat apps, something else? Why?

⭐️ Bonus Final Questions

1. Why do you want to work here specifically?

2. What makes this opportunity a good fit for your career and lifestyle?

3. If you were offered two similar roles—what would make you choose one over the other?

4. What do you want your next boss to know about how to support you best?

🛠️ Optional Tools & Formats:

• Create a Google Form version of this guide for team members to submit candidate evaluations.

• Print as a checklist for interviews.

• Add specific “green flag” and “red flag” notes based on your company culture.

Download a free PDF of these questions here.