QOTW
Pro Tips
Question of the Week: What kinds of interview questions should we ask to assess a candidate’s competency for the position?
Jul 1, 2026
Question of the Week: What kinds of interview questions should we ask to assess a candidate's competency for the position?
Answered by the HR Pros
We recommend using a mix of behavioral, situational, and job-specific questions to get a full picture of a candidate's competency.
Behavioral questions ask candidates to walk through how they handled a real situation in the past: what they did, what happened as a result, and what they'd do differently now. These questions are great for validating a candidate's actual skill set, along with their self-awareness about what worked and what didn't. Try starting with "Tell me about a time when …" and don't be afraid to dig in with follow-up questions. The goal is to get a real sense of how they'd handle similar situations on your team.
Situational questions present a hypothetical, job-relevant scenario and ask candidates how they'd respond. These are especially useful for evaluating problem-solving and critical thinking, particularly for candidates who may not have direct experience to draw on. A good format is "What would you do if …" followed by a realistic challenge tied to the role.
Job-specific questions test whether a candidate can actually do what their resume says they can. These are most effective when written and evaluated by someone with hands-on technical knowledge of the role. If you're already using work samples or skills assessments as part of your process, you may not need to spend as much time here. But if you have any doubt about a candidate's technical readiness, these questions are worth the extra time.
Want help building out a stronger interview process? APS is here to support you with HR guidance every step of the way.
