Open-Ended Interview Questions

We have compiled a list of good open-ended interview questions. To keep the info streamlined, we have broken down the questions into categories with measurable, corresponding questions.

Accountability

  • Provide an example of a time you were able to surpass a project goal and exceed expectations.

  • Tell me about a time you had to communicate and manage new responsibilities where there was a significant shift in goals midway through a project.

  • Tell me about a time when you and/or your team did not meet a project goal and how you overcame this.

  • Describe a time you tried to improve the effectiveness of a team.

Adaptability

  • Tell me about the first job you’ve ever had. What did you do to learn the ropes?

  • Tell me about a time you were under a lot of pressure at work. What was going on, and how did you get through it?

  • Describe a time when your team or company was undergoing some change. How did that impact you, and how did you adapt?

  • Tell me about a time you did achieve a goal. How did you deal with the situation?

Communication

  • Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully persuade someone to see things your way at work.

  • Describe a time when you were the resident technical expert. What did you do to make sure everyone was able to understand you?

  • Tell me about a time when you had to rely on written communication to get your ideas across to your team.

  • Give me an example of a time when you had to explain something fairly complex to a frustrated client. How did you handle this delicate situation?

  • Tell me about a successful presentation you gave and why you think it was a hit.

Execution

  • Tell me about a time that you established a project plan to achieve a department objective. How did you implement it? What were the results?

  • Tell me about a time that you were under time pressure to complete a job or project. What did you do to meet the deadline? How did the project turn out?

  • Tell me about a time you were assigned to a fix-it or turnaround assignment.

  • Tell me about a time you stepped in during a project to help the team achieve its goals.

  • Describe an assignment or project in which the work was not well defined, or it was in an area where you had little expertise/knowledge. How did you handle this?

  • Tell me about a time you got results that far exceeded others’ expectations.

  • Describe a time you pushed harder for results than others around you.

Decision Making/Problem Solving

  • Describe a time when you made a major decision and were really pleased with the outcome.

  • Give me an example of a situation where you had to adjust your style to get something done.

  • Give me an example of a difficult problem you worked on and walk me through your decision-making process.

  • Describe a time when you had to make a decision without all the information you wanted or needed.

  • Describe a time you had to develop a strategy that would create value for your organization or customers.

  • Tell me about a time when it was difficult to anticipate issues that had an impact on your strategy.

  • Give me an example of exploring various scenarios and possibilities when charting a course for the future.

Initiative

  • Tell me about a time you were the first person to take action on a new project.

  • Tell me about a time you had to decide between more planning or taking immediate action.

  • Describe a time when you seized an opportunity and moved forward with it yourself.

  • Give me an example of how you identified a new opportunity worth pursuing.

  • Explain what you did when faced with a difficult and urgent problem.

  • Describe a project or issue you were eager to address, yet first needed others’ buy-in.

  • Give me an example of what you are currently working on for personal or professional improvement.

Leadership/Developing Others

  • Describe a time when your efforts in developing someone worked out positively.

  • Tell me about a time when you efforts in developing someone didn’t work out as you had expected.

  • Give me an example of how you determine the most appropriate development path for someone.

  • Tell me about a time you created a development process to align with organizational goals and priorities.

  • Tell me about a situation when you were leading an unenthusiastic group and needed to inspire them.

  • Give me an example of a time you increased the team’s effectiveness or productivity.

Leading & Managing Change

  • Tell me about a time you communicated a new direction for a group or business.

  • Describe a time when you struggled to persuade your team to modify their goals or delegate tasks differently. What happened?

  • Tell me about a time when you had to champion an organization’s vision you didn’t fully agree with.

  • Give me an example of how you created an environment where others could offer input.

  • Tell me about a time multiple stakeholders disagreed on a course of action and you had to find middle ground.

  • Tell me about a time you had to change a process or procedure.

Teamwork

  • What was your most successful team experience?

  • Describe a situation at work when a team member and you didn’t agree on how to get things done. What did you do?

  • Describe a time you had to build partnerships to achieve a shared objective?

  • Describe a time you worked with multiple groups or people who had different interests.

  • Tell me about a challenging situation when you worked to earn trust and credibility within your team.

  • Describe a time when the only way to achieve your individual goals was to ask for help from others.

  • Talk about a time when you had to work closely with someone whose personality was very different from yours.

  • We all make mistakes we wish we could take back. Tell me about a time you wish you’d handled a situation differently with a colleague.

  • Tell me about a time you needed to get information from someone who wasn’t very responsive. What did you do?

Time Management

  • Tell me about a time you had to be very strategic in order to meet all your top priorities.

  • Describe a long-term project that you managed. How did you keep everything moving along in a timely manner?

  • Sometimes it’s just not possible to get everything on your to-do list done. Tell me about a time your responsibilities got a little overwhelming. What did you do?

  • Tell me about a time you set a goal for yourself. How did you go about ensuring that you would meet your objective?

  • Give me an example of a time you managed numerous responsibilities. How did you handle that?

Transparency

  • Describe a time when you had to convey the same message through different methods of communication.

  • Give me an example of a time you were unable to follow through on a project.

  • Describe a time you had to set stretch goals and articulate how success would be measured.