To Stand Out From the Competition, Ask These Unusual Questions

John Krautzel
Posted by in Career Advice


Asking uncommon interview questions can make you stand out as a highly qualified candidate, especially when facing stiff competition. Hiring managers are impressed by candidates who understand the job thoroughly enough to delve deeper into issues that have a significant impact on daily operations. If you want to sway the hiring manager and edge past your competition, present these thought-provoking questions during your next interview.

1. Why Should I Work Here?

After being probed for every detail of your professional experience, interviewing the interviewer gives you a chance to find out what makes the company different from other organizations. The hiring manager may discuss benefits or incompatibilities that aren't obvious from the job posting, helping you determine if the work environment is best suited to your personality and goals.

2. What Are the Top Three Job Priorities?

Clarifying the job priorities is the easiest way to set yourself up for success. The broadness of the question prompts the hiring manager to flesh out the expectations and pain points of the job while enabling you to tailor your responses to the company's needs. More importantly, if different interviewers disagree about the goals of the job, the company could have major communication or operational issues.

3. How Can I Do An Amazing Job?

Develop a plan of action for your first six months on the job by finding out how the hiring manager measures exceptional performance. This interview question tells you what qualities the company values and how to focus your efforts to achieve the best results.

4. What Makes Your Team Successful?

Most hiring managers want employees who seamlessly fit with their existing teams, so this question provides insight into the qualities and strengths that help the team work well together. By listening to what the hiring manager values, you can also draw conclusions about the boss's management style and which personality types clash with the company culture.

5. How Does the Company Optimize Employee Performance?

If innovation and operational efficiency are important to you, look for companies that care about optimizing the workflow to improve results for employees and customers. Passionate hiring managers are excited to discuss tools and resources that set the company part, so beware of interviewers who have no clue how to answer this question.

6. What Are Your Biggest Obstacles?

Problems are always a sensitive subject, but every company has them. Asking the interviewer to be upfront about pain points helps you identify problems you can tackle to make yourself indispensable to the boss; or you can determine whether you want to avoid the company altogether.

7. Are There Any Questions I Should Have Asked?

Give yourself every opportunity to stand out by making sure you haven't left any important questions unanswered. You have nothing to lose, and the hiring manager may introduce a topic you overlooked, offering one last chance to make a great impression.

Never waste the Q&A portion of an interview on fluff questions that tell you nothing about the company or work environment. Hiring managers want to know how carefully you think about employment decisions, so choose compelling questions that provide mutual clarity about your ability to advance the company.


Photo courtesy of Ambro at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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  • Anya Rey
    Anya Rey

    Know I'm commenting late, but am just reading. Would definitely reword the first question to "what about the company would a candidate find attractive?" "Why should I work here?" sounds very confrontational, and a little arrogant. But I do like the deeper questions beyond the standard ones offered on all the various interview sites; makes a person sound more professional and engaged.

  • Gwendolyn F.
    Gwendolyn F.

    Thank you for this information! I can utilize this during upcoming interviews!

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Emmanuel B thanks for your comment. Are you talking about prior to hiring or as an employee of a company? If you are speaking pre-hire, then maybe you could include a quick synopsis of your idea in a few short sentences in your cover letter. If you are speaking as an employee, write up your suggestion and present it to your supervisor. If it's a valid suggestion, then both of you could proceed to forward your suggestion up the line to a person who could make it happen. It's tough to make workflow changes so you would really need to know all of the in's and out's and be able to answer any and all questions that you might be asked. Some companies have a "suggestion" box where you can submit your ideas also. That might be an option for you. Hope this helped!

  • EMMANUEL B.
    EMMANUEL B.

    How would i be heard by the management if i want to suggest in the workflow and other related system of the of the company for improvement

  • Paul Burke
    Paul Burke

    I would eliminate someone immediately if they asked me: "Why should I work here?"

  • David B.
    David B.

    Great questions for the hiring manager. It is best to determine your company fit and the company work culture/organization prior to being hired.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Quinton J. thanks for your comment. I can only speak for myself but I have tried flipping the script and it usually ends the interview - on a down note. But it won't stop me from trying it again. Just remember, an interview is a two-way street. There is nothing that says that we, the interviewee, can't ask some of those hard questions right back. Such as why do you work here? What is it that makes you like your job? If a great job offer came your way, would you take it? - Okay maybe that wouldn't be such a great question to ask but you get the idea. Always remember - two-way street. The purpose in the interview is to find out, not only if they want to hire you, but if you want to work for them. So try flipping the script and see how it works out. We would love to hear about it!

  • Quinton J.
    Quinton J.

    Interesting information. How do interviewers react when the script is flipped?

  • Toni G.
    Toni G.

    Great info!! Thanks

  • Daniel C.
    Daniel C.

    I love the unusual questions that allow a deeper look . Into a person from the surface.

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