Screen Candidates With Better Questions

Small BusinessOperationsPreparation

About this prompt

Get a focused set of interview questions tuned to the role, so you can tell a good fit from a bad one instead of going on gut feel.

Prompt type: Small Business
Output: Questions
Use case: Knowing what to ask when interviewing someone you might hire
Skill level: Beginner

Copy block

Help me prepare questions to interview a candidate.

The role: [JOB TITLE AND WHAT THEY'LL DO]
Employee or contractor: [TYPE OF ARRANGEMENT]
The skills that matter most: [TOP 2–3 THINGS THEY MUST BE GOOD AT]
What's gone wrong with past hires or helpers: [IF ANYTHING]
What makes someone a great fit here: [WORK STYLE, VALUES, RELIABILITY]
How long the interview is: [15 / 30 / 45 MIN]

Give me:
1. A short warm-up question to put them at ease
2. Questions that reveal whether they can actually do the core work — ask for real past examples, not opinions
3. One or two questions about handling a realistic tough situation for this role
4. Questions that surface fit: reliability, communication, working style
5. What a strong answer vs. a weak answer sounds like for the most important questions
6. Two good questions to invite them to ask me

Keep questions open-ended and job-related. Avoid anything that strays into personal areas like age, family, health, religion, or other protected characteristics — flag any of my own notes that drift there. Focus on what predicts good work, not gut feel.

Example scenario

An owner interviewing their first virtual assistant could use this to prepare questions that test real skills instead of just a good vibe.

Recommended for

Small business owners
First-time hirers
Team leads

These prompts are drafting and learning aids. Review important outputs carefully and avoid pasting private, sensitive, legal, medical, or financial information unless you understand the risk.