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Image: The Fast Company Executive Board
Most job prospects have thought through the basic interview questions before they get into the room.
Or they should. Interviewing is an art, and knowing how to ask the right question in the right way can draw out candidate insights, instantly pointing you in a yay or nay direction. To truly understand what drives the candidate, know whether there’s a cultural fit, and ascertain if their work ethics align with yours, sometimes you need a special question in your back pocket.
You probably have your own favourite question. But you may gain a new one (or two) from these 14 Fast Company Executive Board members. They share the question they always ask in interviews, and how they interpret the answer.
My favourite interview question is “What made you decide to move on from your last job?” This can be extraordinarily revealing about a candidate’s ability to succeed in your environment. Do they blame their former boss? Complain about the company? Indicate restlessness? Or can they articulate a well-thought-through set of career goals that align with your enterprise? — Robert W. Sprague, Yes&
I’m looking for curiosity first. I ask what they’ve taught themselves recently and what piqued their curiosity and interest in it. Curious people figure things out and keep improving without needing constant direction. — Travis Schreiber, Erase.com
The most important question I ask is, “What kind of work environment do you do your best thinking in and why?” The answer tells me far more than a résumé or CV ever could. It reveals how self-aware someone is, how they manage pressure (because things can turn high-pressure with short deadlines in our office), how they collaborate, and whether they understand what they need, to do great work. Skills can be taught; clarity about how you operate can’t.” — Kristin K. Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC
The most important interview questions aren’t the ones you ask the candidate; they’re the ones you ask the people who’ve actually worked with them. I want to know if their peers and former managers saw them drive tangible impact in past roles, whether that impact was consistent or a one-off, and what it was like to work alongside them daily. Once I have that context, the interview itself is really just about adding colour. — Zander Cook, Lease End
“What do you need from a leader and an organisation to do your best work?” This question shifts the interview from performance theatre to mutual accountability. It surfaces self-awareness, maturity, and expectations, which are far more predictive than rehearsed strengths or past titles. Strong candidates answer with clarity. They understand how they work, what enables their best thinking, and where they need support or autonomy. Equally important, it gives me insight into whether our environment, leadership norms, and pace will set them up to thrive. — Britton Bloch, Navy Federal Credit Union
“Tell me about a time you changed your mind about something important.” The answer reveals intellectual honesty, how someone processes new information, and whether they can admit they were wrong. In a fast-moving environment, I need people who can update their thinking rather than dig in when the facts change. — Frédéric Renken, Lassie
“Describe a recent problem you owned from discovery to outcome, and give the metric that proves it worked.” That question forces candidates to show practical ownership, measurable impact, and how they think through ambiguous problems. — Kevin Leyes,LeyesX and Leyes Media
“Tell me about a time you took responsibility for a meaningful failure. What happened, what did you do next, and what did you change so it wouldn’t happen again?” This is the single most important interview question because it exposes real ownership, learning speed, and integrity under pressure. — Nagesh Nama, XLM Continuous Intelligence
Who are you? And why are you who you are? You will know immediately if a prospect is the right fit with these two questions. — Barney Robinson,Orchard Creative
I ask an example of a failure at their workplace, why they failed, and what they do differently now. This helps me gauge if an individual takes risks, and more importantly, introspects and learns from past experiences. — Ruchir Nath, Dell Technologies
I ask: “Tell me about a time you made something work that didn’t seem possible.” In event production, no plan ever goes perfectly. I need people who can pivot, solve problems creatively, and stay calm under pressure. Their answer tells me how they think, act, and problem-solve when the unexpected happens. — Diana Sabb, Create Something Amazing
“Tell me about a time you changed your mind.” It reveals self-awareness, curiosity, and whether someone can evolve when presented with new information. In fast-moving businesses, adaptability matters more than having the perfect original answer. — Stephanie Harris, PartnerCentric
“Tell me the origin story of something you built: what you believed at the start, what you learned, and what you changed when reality disagreed.” I’m looking for intellectual honesty, adaptability, and real ownership. Can you take a messy problem, learn fast, and adjust strategy without ego? That combination predicts performance in a fast-scaling environment better than a perfect resume. — Max Azarov, Novakid
Usually, I ask something that sounds simple, but makes people a little uneasy: “Tell me about a time you changed your mind.” I am not really listening for the story. I am watching how they sit with the question. Whether they rush to justify themselves, blame the situation, or pause and think. The good answers are never perfect. There is usually a small pause, a bit of honesty, maybe even a half-smile when they admit they got it wrong. That is the moment I pay attention to. Skills can be learned. Confidence can be built. But someone who can change their mind without protecting their ego? That is rare. And if they can do that in an interview, they usually handle messy, real work pretty well too. — Bhavik Sarkhedi, Ohh My Brand and Blushush Technologies
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Kristin Marquet is an experienced publicist and business owner with a track record of over 17 years. As the creative director of Marquet Media, LLC and FemFounder.co, she takes charge of the company's day-to-day operations while spearheading client campaigns More
Britt Bloch currently serves as the Vice President of Global Talent Acquisition Strategy and Recruiting and joined Navy Federal in April 2021. She previously worked at USAA, where she was Head of Talent Acquisition Delivery More
Experienced Owner & CEO of the largest woman-owned performance marketing agency with a demonstrated history of working in the digital marketing and advertising industry. Skilled in Digital Strategy, Premium Affiliate Management, Growth Marketing, Customer Acquisition, and E-commerce More
As Founder and CEO of Yes& Bob brings nearly 40 years of experience in marketing and communications, offering boardroom-level strategy combined with versatile writing and creative skills. His expertise spans branding, market research, internal communications, crisis communications, copywriting, speechwriting, and video production and his industry knowledge is deep in healthcare, financial services, homeland security, and association leadership More
Ruchir Nath is a thought leader with over 17 years of experience in building high-performing teams and managing executives within fast-paced, matrixed organisations. Ruchir is a strong advocate for continuous learning and empowerment, fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment More
Yeah, maybe. More
I'm an experienced entrepreneur and the co-founder of Novakid, an award-winning online English school for young learners. With a strong background in technology and innovation, I’ve launched several successful startups, including Cloudike, and held roles at top companies like Google and LG More
CEO at xLM | Transforming Life Sciences with AI & ML | Pioneer in GxP Continuous Validation | More
Kevin Leyes is the President of LeyesX and CEO of Leyes Media, leading global strategies in social media, PR, and luxury branding, with a portfolio spanning high-profile clients and premium consumer markets. More
Bhavik Sarkhedi is the co-founder of Blushush, a Webflow-based design agency, and Ohh My Brand, a personal branding agency. More
Zander Cook is the co-founder of Lease End, a technology company empowering auto owners through the end-of-lease process. More
Creative agency founder and CEO. Inc Best in Business / Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies / AdAge A-List / Creativity A-List More
With 15+ years shaping culture through experience, Diana Sabb stands at the intersection of creativity, strategy, and world-class production. Her career spans some of the most dynamic corners of the industry—working with musicians, tech innovators, beauty and fashion powerhouses, global sports brands, consumer giants, nonprofits, and community-driven organizations.