The problem with hypothetical questions

Hypothetical questions look for what someone thinks they would do. The response is usually described in the most favourable terms possible – candidates know what interviewers want to hear. Motivated candidates will rehearse polished answers to these hypothetical scenarios until every response is ready to go and sounds amazing.

And since the question is hypothetical, using AI or Google could mean an even more convincing fiction as the model provides them with the textbook answer.

Research consistently shows that hypothetical questions are weaker predictors of job performance than behavioural ones. The candidate’s past behaviour will tell you far more than their stated intention.

The fix is simple

Every hypothetical question can be rewritten as a behavioural question. Instead of asking the candidate to imagine, ask them to recall a time when they were in that situation.

Change

“What would you do if an existing client told you they were considering going with another provider?”

To

“Tell me about a time when you convinced a client to keep their business with your organisation“

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Change

“How would you handle a missed deadline?”

To

“Tell me about a time a project you led didn’t meet the deadline. What did you do?”

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Hypothetical questions invite a rehearsed ideal world scenario and offer limited evidence of a candidate’s ability to perform in the role – use them sparingly if at all.

Situational questions require candidates to provide a real story you can actively probe to uncover the evidence you need. Add these to your interview question list and make sure you ask some quick-fire follow up questions to test the authenticity of their answers.

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Hilt works with organisations to build interview processes that consistently find the right people.

Find out more about Hilt Select – Interviewer Training Workshop – Hilt or contact Hilt to discuss interviewer training, structured interviews and recruitment processes that help identify the best candidates.