Standard interview questions invite rehearsed answers. Unconventional questions, such as asking what a candidate would change about your company or how they handle criticism, create genuine pressure that reveals how someone actually thinks. The quality of their response under discomfort, and even the thinking they do before speaking, is often more revealing than the polished answer that follows.

For senior roles, bring top candidates back three times across three different settings using three different interview styles. Mix credential-verification questions with open-ended problem-solving questions and deliberate pressure questions. Never fear silence. A candidate’s pausing and framing process reveals as much as their words. Pre-defined evaluation criteria allow genuine comparison across candidates rather than gut-feel decisions.

The most common error is confusing likability with capability. Interviewing is not about finding someone you enjoy spending time with; it is about identifying whether someone has the skills, attitude, and aptitude to drive a role forward. Skipping the hard questions about failures, criticism, or what the candidate would change about your company leaves the most valuable evidence uncollected before a hiring decision.

Technical skills can be largely confirmed before the interview if candidates are properly shortlisted. The real work of interviewing is uncovering leadership style, self-awareness, and adaptability. Asking about a moment that caused a candidate to re-evaluate how they led their team, and whether that change was permanent, reveals whether they understand their own management style and can flex it to different situations.

The strongest hires sit a few steps ahead of your current needs: candidates who will drive a role forward rather than wait to be directed. Look for clear reasoning about their career path, evidence of improving existing processes, and the confidence to offer a considered opinion about your company’s direction. Skills can be developed; the drive to move faster than the organisation expects is far harder to find.