The final interview is one of my favorite parts of the hiring process. You’re almost at the finish line of your search, and you and the candidate are both excited to be there. You get to ask meaningful questions, sometimes with surprising results.
I’ll never forget when a candidate flipped the script on me during a last-round interview. I asked, “Why do you want to work here?” Instead of answering, he responded, “Why should I want to work here?” It caught me off guard, but his confidence was refreshing. It led to a candid conversation about our company culture, and we offered him the job.
This answer wouldn’t have gone over well for anyone, like an entry-level candidate. But this guy had the skills and experience to back up his self-assuredness, and we’d already talked at length about his strengths during previous interviews. His unconventional tactic made him stand out, and he showed tenacity and even a bit of lightheartedness. I could see him fitting right in on the team.
That said, a lot of important information can come to light during a final interview, and it all depends on the questions you ask. I’ll share my most effective last-round interview questions here.
Goals for the Final Interview
You should already have a good idea of a candidate’s hard and soft skills and prior experience by this point. That’s what the initial screening and early interviews are for. If they’ve made it this far, there’s a high likelihood they can get the job done. The question at this point is, are they the best choice for the job?
Your goals during the final interview are to:
Determine compatibility
Now is the time to determine whether an individual will fit well on your team and within the organization. If not, there’s a much higher chance they’ll be dissatisfied, which can lead to a premature departure. Ask questions to determine their alignment with the company culture, work style, and values.
Related: How to Identify a Good Candidate in an Interview
Get clarification on uncertainties
Have any red flags, like a negative reference or a discrepancy in the candidate’s resume, come up during the process? Maybe you’re generally excited about hiring them but have concerns, like a lack of experience in a certain area. The final interview is your last chance to present these uncertainties to the candidate and get their response.
Related: Interview Red Flags to Watch Out For
Assess the candidate’s interest
In many ways, the interview process is a lot like dating–you want to find someone who’s as interested in you as you are in them. Getting an accurate read on a candidate’s interest level is important in the final interview to ensure you offer the job to the right person.
Many times with our clients, it comes down to two finalists: one who’s more qualified but is interviewing with several different companies, and one who’s slightly weaker but is all in on this organization. Which is the better choice? It depends on the client’s risk tolerance and how urgently they need to fill the role, but whatever the case, it’s better to have all the information to make the smartest decision.
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Set accurate expectations
This interview isn’t just about gaining more intel on the candidate; it’s also about making sure they have all the necessary information to ensure a strong fit. This means a full understanding of the job duties and what will be expected of them performance-wise.
We were recently in the final stages of hiring for a customer success lead and were ready to make an offer to a very strong candidate. During our last conversation, we raised the topic of work hours, and she shared that she was not available to work after 5 p.m., even occasionally. While this role generally had a fixed start and end time, some flexibility was crucial to deal with extenuating circumstances or urgent issues that came up outside of normal business hours. It was disappointing to learn of this misalignment, but we were very glad to have discovered it before making an offer.
Make a strong impression
As we discussed a moment ago, you want a candidate who wants to say yes to your offer. The final interview is your last chance to make a strong, positive impression that will leave the applicant excited about the prospect of joining your team.
Here are my favorite questions that help accomplish the objectives above.
Must-Ask Questions for the Final Interview Stage
What are your long-term goals?
Retention should be one of your top concerns when taking a high-level look at staffing, and you want to understand how this person will affect it. Are their goals aligned with what the position and company can offer? If they have their sights set on achievements you can’t contribute to, it might not make sense to invest in training and developing them.
Their answer will also indicate their ambition level. Do they thrive on setting and attaining goals, or are they comfortable remaining as-is? I like to look for employees who have a habit of setting realistic goals for themselves and then pursuing them.
What is your favorite part of your current job?
I have the pleasure of interviewing for a lot of financial roles, and frankly, some of the lists of job duties make my eyes glaze over (hence why I’m in the staffing business and not accounting!). But when I asked this question to one accountant candidate, her eyes lit up as she described compiling financial reports. She was so jazzed about analyzing her company’s finances that she made me feel excited about it, and I knew I had found a great choice.
While not every person has to feel such a deep sense of passion about their work, a good candidate should at least seem enthusiastic and be able to cite a few things that make it worthwhile for them to come to work every day.
What have you disliked most about previous positions you’ve held?
This question is useful for flagging aspects of your work environment or the job expectations that may not be aligned with a candidate’s preferences. But it’s also a chance to see how they speak about former jobs and employers; if their descriptions are overly negative or littered with digs at their former bosses, it’s not a strong sign of their professionalism.
How would you describe your communication/leadership/problem-solving style?
Insert whatever soft skill is most important to you here. The idea is to hear from the candidate in their own words about how they approach their work, which can help you envision how they might perform on your team. Bonus points if they give a real-world example to illustrate their capabilities.
Tell me about a time you had a conflict at work. How did you handle it?
Conflict is an inevitable part of work, no matter your position or field. Hiring employees who can successfully manage conflict ensures effective and productive collaboration.
This is an example of a behavioral interview question, which prompts candidates to describe how they’ve dealt with a specific situation in the past. Their response can accurately reflect how they’re likely to react in a similar scenario in the future. Add your own behavioral questions based on the actions and capabilities that are most important for success.
Related: The Best Behavioral Questions to Ask Candidates
How are you different from other candidates?
I like this question because it allows the candidate to make their sales pitch. You’ll often learn new details that haven’t come up in your conversations thus far. I’ve discovered that candidates speak additional languages, hold specialized certifications, or have unique background experience that I wouldn’t have known to ask about.
This is also a chance to assess their understanding of and fit for the role. Pay attention to whether the traits they list closely resemble the qualifications in your job posting.
What is your salary expectation?
If you haven’t already, you need to have the money conversation. Don’t wait until the offer stage. It’s pointless to waste time compiling and getting approval on an offer if you’re not anywhere near the candidate’s expectations. If you are within range, this will give you some good data on which to base your offer, like if you should come in at the higher or lower end of the salary band.
Are you interviewing with any other companies?
Again, you want to gauge the candidate’s investment in your company. Their answer will tell you how quickly you need to move if they’re your top choice and will also inform you of the salary you initially offered. It may sway you in favor of a different candidate if it’s clear you’re one of many companies they’re considering.
Are you comfortable with X?
If there’s anything about the position that could be a dealbreaker, like nontraditional hours, occasional on-call shifts, or travel, it’s best to bring it up proactively. Being transparent about the realities of the position not only prevents you from inadvertently hiring someone who can’t fulfill the requirements but also creates a better candidate experience. It gives a positive impression of your employer brand.
What questions do you have for me?
The best final interviews feel more like a two-way conversation. Prompting the candidate to ask you questions facilitates open, engaging dialogue in which you can address any concerns they may have and make a compelling case for employment with your organization.
Of course, you also want to pay attention to the topics they ask about, as this will tell you where their motivations lie. For example, they may not have the drive you’re looking for if they seem overly concerned with work-life balance or time off. If their only questions are about pay or perks, it may be a sign they’re not that deeply interested in the role itself.
Related: How to End an Interview as the Interviewer the Right Way
The final interview is your last one-on-one interaction with a candidate before you make a hiring decision. By taking advantage of it and asking the proper questions, you’ll have all the information you need to make an accurate, informed pick. Feel like you could use some help in conducting stronger interviews? Reach out to my team. We’d love to help you get clear on your hiring criteria and develop targeted questions that will identify the right candidates.
