Examples of Structured Interview Questions To Study Before You Go

Hard skills questions

Structured interview questions are often designed to test specific skills. For example, the interviewer may ask “Describe your level of skill using Microsoft Excel.” Most structured interview questions ask candidates to select an answer on a numeric scale. In this example, it could read:

• 1 – Never used Excel
• 2 – Familiar with the program but have rarely used
• 3 – Used frequently but novice level
• 4 – Experienced as an advanced user
• 5 – Expert-level user

To successfully answer this type of question, be as honest as possible about your knowledge and abilities. After all, you will eventually have to demonstrate these hard skills if you are chosen for the role.

Company knowledge questions

Before hiring a new employee, the company may want to assess your level of familiarity with their business. Common structural interview questions for this purpose include: “What is our business mission?” and “How do your personal values align with our core values?”

A sample scoring rubric for these questions could read:

• 1 – No information, or only incorrect information, about the business mission or values
• 2 – Limited information about the business mission or values
• 3 – Some information about the business mission or values
• 4 – Demonstrated knowledge of the business mission or values
• 5 – Demonstrated exceptional knowledge of the business mission or values

You should always come to an interview with detailed knowledge about the company, its business model, its values, its mission, and its products or services. You should also understand how the role for which you’re applying will help the company meet its objectives. Doing your research before an interview is the best way to successfully answer a structural company knowledge question.

Behavioral structural interview questions

With this type of structural interview question, the interviewer will ask you to share an experience from your past that offers insight into your ability to fill the position. For example, he or she may say: “Tell me about a time when you were able to fix a serious problem with a client and retain their business.”

Because this is an open-ended structural question, the interviewer would likely judge your response based on a 1-to-5 scale of acceptability, with 5 for candidates who provided a detailed, impressive, appropriate response, 3 for those who answered but could have provided more detail, and 1 for those who answered only briefly or inappropriately.

To successfully answer behavioral questions, come to the interview prepared to discuss a few different scenarios from your work history in detail. Look at common questions employers ask and practice how you would answer them. Provide as much insight as possible without exceeding the scope of the question or straying from the topic at hand.

Leadership style preference questions

The employer may ask a structural interview question about your preferred leadership style. For example, “What manager in your job history have you worked best with and why?” or “Describe a time when a supervisor successfully motivated you to complete a challenge or goal.”

As with the open-ended behavioral structural interview question, the interviewer will rate your question from 1 to 5 based on the acceptability of your answer. Prepare for this type of question by reflecting on the qualities you liked and disliked in previous supervisors. Think about actions that helped motivate you and behaviors that caused you to clash with or misunderstand your manager. Practice makes perfect with these types of questions. You want to come off as candid and relaxed, rather than rehearsed.

Integrity-related questions

Most employers would say they value workers who perform their roles with honesty and integrity. If the interviewer wants to test your integrity in a structural interview, he or she may ask a question such as: “What steps do you take if you think you will miss a deadline, and why?” or “What would you do if you find out a colleague has acted unethically in the workplace?” Grading for this type of question depends on the forthrightness of your answer and your ability to gauge appropriate actions and accept responsibility for errors (ranked on a numerical scale, of course).

Questions that require you to think about and discuss mistakes you made can be challenging to answer, especially in a setting where you want to make the best possible impression. To succeed with this type of question, avoid trite answers such as “I rarely make mistakes at work, so I don’t have anything to add.” Instead, use a real example of an error or misjudgment and discuss it as honestly as possible. However, you should also be brief. Don’t spend precious minutes of your interview talking about your downfalls. Instead, quickly switch gears to discuss how you recovered from the mistake and what you learned. Have a few of these stories in your back pocket before you come to an interview.

Attention to detail questions

This type of question is designed to tell how well you juggle the little things at work. If your employer values keen attention to detail for your desired role, he or she may ask a structural interview question such as “Tell me about a system you have implemented to keep track of multiple projects.”

To score closer to a 5 than a 1 on the structural interview scale for an attention to detail question, provide plenty of detail (pun intended) about the system you developed, what types of projects you have had to manage and multitask, and why the method you described worked for you. Whatever you do, don’t say that you don’t have a system and you just figure it out on the fly.

Structured hypothetical questions

This type of interview question asks you to talk about the course of action you would take in an imaginary proposed scenario. For example, if you are interviewing for a management role, the interviewer might ask “What would you do if you had to reprimand an employee with whom you have a friendly relationship?”

No matter what the scenario, you can give a great answer to this type of question by following the STAR model. Remember: Situation, Tasks, Action, Results. Structure your answer by first painting a picture of your role in the situation. Then, describe the tasks you would take on in the scenario and the intended action that would occur when you perform these tasks. Finally, wrap up your answer by explaining the expected results of your actions.

Communication questions

If communication will be a core competency of the job, your employer will likely ask you a question designed to assess your communication abilities. For example, “What strategies do you use to communicate with a challenging colleague, client, or manager?”

When answering this and other types of structured interview questions, remember that your interviewer wants to get to know you. The more detail you can provide about your approach to sticky work situations, the better he or she will be able to picture you performing the role in question.

Leadership ability questions

Whether or not you have applied for a management role, leadership ability can help you succeed at your job. A sample question for this competency could be “Describe a time when you successfully delegated a project to others and your strategy for doing so.”

A successful answer should indicate that you display the qualities of a good leader. For example, you may want to highlight your accountability, initiative, and project vision when coming up with an answer to this type of question.

By studying these structured interview questions and preparing appropriate, detailed responses, you’ll be ready to handle this objective interviewing method. The quantitative approach is quickly gaining popularity among employers, so expect to encounter a structured interview while you’re on the job market if you haven’t already. Glassdoor can help prepare you with our research on common interview questions and other useful topics.