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One of the most difficult parts of preparing for a job interview is predicting which questions you’ll be asked. Wouldn’t it be easier if the interviewers could just send them to you in advance?
Some employers are doing just that. This might seem absurd, like a baseball pitcher telling a batter that a fastball low and outside is coming, but sharing questions with candidates is a practice that’s gaining acceptance.
According to a recent survey of employers who post jobs on HigherEdJobs, 23% of employers provide interview questions to candidates ahead of time in at least some of their searches, including 5% for all positions and 6% when candidates request them.
Why Would Employers Do This?
Withholding questions forces a candidate to brace for the unknown. Employers might use the interview as a test to see who is prepared for the most types of questions and, by extension, who wants the job the most.
But the goal is not to see who performs the best in an interview – it’s about finding the right fit for the job. To return to the baseball metaphor, employers shouldn’t be seeking strikeout victims with “gotcha” questions. They want someone who can hit the ball out of the park. By providing candidates the questions, the focus is on the content of their responses and not how deftly they retrieve an example, articulate a point, or collect their thoughts.
A candidate will not be expected to come up with the concept for a marketing plan or curriculum design on the spot, so why should they be measured on this ability during an interview? Some might argue that professors or executives should be expected to immediately answer unanticipated questions from students, but this skill is out of proportion with what interviewers tend to evaluate. Most of them approach interviews as if they are judging the talents of an improv comedian.
In short, sharing interview questions with candidates is practical and inclusive, and it establishes trust between the employer and the candidate. Here’s why:
It’s Practical
Leaving it up to candidates to figure out what an employer is looking for is a waste of time. Often the job description doesn’t speak for itself. They are either asking for too much or they are too vague.
The goal of an interview goes beyond matching a job description to the skills and experiences of a candidate. It provides an opportunity for elaboration and context, and for both the employer and the candidate to get to know each other. Through this process, interviews reveal what’s most important to the employer and the subtle nuances they desire in a candidate that might not come across in the job posting.
A candidate could spend hours thinking about topics or rehearsing answers to questions that will never be asked. An employer might get responses that address situations or skills that are irrelevant. Having the questions in advance sets the tone and allows the candidate to target their responses.
According to advice for employers published by the UK-based recruitment agency Gleeson, “By giving candidates an idea of the questions you intend to ask, you can clarify your expectations and provide a better understanding of how these skills will be assessed. This approach also minimizes any potential misunderstandings that might arise due to vague or generic interview prompts.”
It’s Inclusive
Let’s face it, not all people handle stress the same way. This is compounded by the fact that nearly 20% of the U.S. population has an anxiety disorder. Activities like public speaking are often considered more feared than death, and people’s stress response differs, even within social anxiety, whether it is performance or interaction based. Forcing candidates to brace for unexpected questions introduces an unnecessary variable to how they are evaluated that depends highly on their stress response.
“A tricky interview removes the sense of control that most people feel when performing skills or tasks they’re good at and induces unnatural stress,” wrote Karl Rinderknecht, a former executive for WhoCo, an AI co-pilot for recruiting. “This stress directly correlates with physical manifestations of anxiety, like higher heart rates and sweating (yikes!) and worse and riskier decision-making (oops). The ‘element of surprise’ is great for conquering your enemies in battle but not a great way to find your next hire.”
Giving candidates questions ahead of time will not remove all their stress. They still have to perform. But it provides a sense of control and corrects for any extreme imbalances that might occur from an individual’s anxiety levels when dealing with the unexpected.
This is a fairer approach as long as the questions are provided to all candidates and they have the same amount of time to prepare. There’s not yet a best-practice time for this, but employers should give at least a day’s notice to allow enough time for candidates to consider their responses.
It Establishes Trust
Allowing candidates to see the questions also sends a message that the employer can be trusted. Especially in such a competitive market for talent, employers are selling themselves just as much as candidates. Fair warning of what topics and questions will be covered is a tactic that is noted in the Gleeson article as “a real differentiator that showcases your company as forward-thinking, empathetic, and focused on creating a positive candidate experience.”
“(Employers) fall into the trap of trying to set the terms of the relationship – doing what’s easy or most convenient for them without thinking about how candidates perceive them,” Rinderknecht wrote. “Most candidates perceive standard hiring practices, like a random barrage of interview questions, as unfair.”
When they give the questions in advance, employers are saying, “Hey, we both want something out of this interview, and we’re not trying to trick you or make you fail.” Ultimately, a hire is a joint decision. The candidate chooses the employer and vice versa. That trust begins before the interview, not with a job offer.
What Should Candidates Do?
Here are a few tips for candidates related to seeing questions before an interview:
If you are not provided questions, it doesn’t hurt to politely ask if the employer shares them or the topics. Remember, 6% of HigherEdJobs employers said they would do this only if asked. Even if they don’t, simply asking will further influence employers that this practice is becoming more expected by candidates.
If you are given the opportunity to prepare, don’t deliver scripted responses. Speak in a conversational tone with pauses as if you are being presented the question for the first time. Some search committee members might forget or not even be aware that you were provided the questions by the search chair. (Yes, it happens.)
Expect follow-up questions. Just because you were given a list of questions doesn’t mean interviewers won’t ask more. Your response might prompt them to ask about something related to a program or policy at their institution. Even in the most formal setting that follows HR’s rules of engagement, it is acceptable for interviewers to go slightly off script if your response begs a further question or if more insight can be gained with an additional inquiry.
Finally, if employers are considerate enough to let you see the questions in advance, return the favor by giving your most thoughtful responses. Don’t take this opportunity lightly. Take your best swing, even if you know a curveball is coming.
