Question Types
There is an almost infinite combination of questions you can be asked at interview, a feat that would feel insurmountable for many of us! What you can prepare for is the type of question you could be asked, which will go a long way towards signifying how you should answer.
Closed Questions
‘Are you?’, ‘is there?’ and ‘do you?’ are good indicators that you’re being asked a closed question. This is a simple but effective way of establishing facts – such as ‘did you find us okay?’ – or making sure you feel comfortable. They might even be as conversational as ‘can I get you a glass of water?’
Open Questions
Open questions gather information so the interviewer can define your thoughts, needs and experiences. ‘What?’, ‘where?’, ‘who?’, ‘why?’ and ‘how?’-led questions tend to overview broad scenarios that will explore your personality and cultural compatibility with the company.
Probing Questions
Are usually employed to extract more detailed responses from a candidate. Phrases like ‘describe a time’ and ‘explain to me’ are intended to dig deeper into the drivers behind your answers. If these crop-up, the interviewer may feel that you’re holding back in some way, so be forthcoming.
Clarifying Questions
This type of question is used to learn specifics about a particular topic. It can also be combined with a probing question to gain the most salient facts from longer responses. Look out for the expressions ‘precisely’, ‘did I hear correctly?’ and ‘exactly what resources’ to spot these questions.