When interviewing candidates for a position, you want to ask a variety of questions to gauge their competence and understanding of the role. While open-ended questions allow applicants to discuss their experience in detail, closed-ended questions can help you discover useful information about a potential hire. Knowing when and how to use closed questions for an interview can help you make hiring decisions confidently. This guide explores closed-ended questions, when to ask them, and examples you can use to lead successful interviews.
What are closed-ended interview questions?
Closed-ended interview questions are ones a candidate can answer in a few words. Often, they're "yes" or "no" questions, but they can also require candidates to choose from a set of multiple-choice answers. For example, you might ask if a candidate prefers to work independently or in a group setting. Closed-ended questions usually start with words such as:
- Do (Do you have experience working in a hybrid role?)
- Are (Are you able to work evenings and weekends?)
- Have (Have you ever worked with this software before?)
These types of direct questions allow candidates to provide clear, specific answers about their skills and experience. They can also lead to valuable follow-up questions, encouraging a meaningful, in-depth conversation.
When should you ask closed questions in interviews?
Closed interview questions might seem simple, but they can help you gain critical information about a candidate. It's common to use closed questions at the beginning of an interview to gather specific information, such as an applicant's professional history or work availability. However, you can also ask closed questions at the middle or end of an interview. You can use closed questions when you want to:
- Learn basic information about a candidate quickly
- Verify a candidate's experience or soft skills
- Clarify information in a candidate's application or on their resume
- Make the job seeker feel comfortable in the interview setting
- Confirm your understanding of their response to another question
- Drive the interview forward or pivot to a new topic
Closed-ended interview question examples
Not sure about the best closed-ended questions for interviews? Here are some closed-ended question examples with details about what to look for in an answer.
How many years of experience do you have in this industry?
This is a simple question you can ask to determine the candidate's level of experience and verify their work history. Make sure their answer matches the experience they've listed on their resume. You can also use this question as a gateway to some open-ended questions, such as:
- What do you like about working in this field?
- What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing this industry?
- How has your experience in another industry prepared you for this position?
How long did you work for your previous employer?
Ask this closed-ended question to determine how long the candidate stayed in a previous position. It can provide you with a sense of how loyal they may be to your organization. If the candidate has been with their previous employer for some time, you may use this question to learn what they enjoyed about working there and why they're seeking a new opportunity. If they've only been with an employer for a short time, you might ask them to explain the reason for their brief tenure.
Are you comfortable working remotely or in a hybrid role?
If your workplace offers flexible work arrangements, make sure to ask this question. It can tell you whether the candidate feels confident in their ability to work outside of an office. You can also ask the job seeker what experience they have working remotely and what tools they're comfortable using in a remote environment, such as communication platforms.
Do you prefer working on your own or in a team?
Some people do their best work independently, while others thrive by collaborating with their teammates. You should have a good idea of whether the position requires working independently, in a team, or both, so you can compare the candidate's answer to the role's requirements. You can also ask follow-up questions to learn more about times when a candidate was successful working independently or with others.
8 other closed-ended questions for interviews
Here are eight more closed questions you can ask candidates in job interviews:
- What was your favorite subject in school?
- Do you enjoy public speaking?
- Do you take steps to have a healthy work-life balance?
- Do you work well under pressure?
- What's your salary expectation for this position?
- Have you ever worked in a leadership or management position?
- Are you happy in your current position?
- Do you consider yourself successful in your career?
Tips for asking closed questions in interviews
Closed-ended questions can be a valuable interviewing tool when meeting with applicants. Here are some tips for success when leading your next interview.
Refrain from asking multiple closed-ended questions in a row
While it's fine to ask one or two closed-ended questions at a time, space them out throughout the interview. Asking numerous closed questions in a row can make an interview feel more like an interrogation. A job seeker may feel pressured or overwhelmed by having to answer questions one right after the other.
Ask both closed-ended and open-ended questions
Closed-ended questions can provide specific information about a candidate, but they don't always tell you the whole story. Throughout an interview, ask a combination of closed- and open-ended questions to make the conversation feel balanced and natural. This approach can make a job seeker feel comfortable, which encourages them to share more meaningful insights into their experience and skills.
You can often follow a closed-ended question with an open-ended one to get more details from a candidate. For example, after asking if they work well under pressure, you might ask the candidate to provide an example of a time they completed a task or project with a strict deadline.
"Throughout an interview, ask a combination of closed- and open-ended questions to make the conversation feel balanced and natural."
Avoid leading questions
Make sure you know the difference between a closed-ended question and a leading question. While they both allow candidates to respond directly, a leading question suggests the "correct" answer you want a candidate to provide. When you ask this type of question, a candidate is likely to give the answer they think you want to hear, not necessarily the answer they believe.
Here are some examples of leading questions to help you understand the difference:
- You're capable of working well in a team setting, correct?
- You enjoy working from home, don't you?
- Do you agree that problem-solving is an essential skill in the workplace?
Know what questions you can't ask
Be aware of the interview questions you can't ask candidates. The Society for Human Resource Management offers a helpful list of troublesome interview questions. Some of these closed-ended questions may seem harmless, but asking them may be unethical or illegal. In general, avoid questions on these topics:
- Race
- Age
- Disability
- Medical history
- Gender
- Sexual orientation
- Marital status
- Religion
Asking a variety of questions in an interview can lead to a productive conversation with a potential hire. You can use closed-ended questions when you want to gain specific information about the job seeker's background. Closed interview questions can also provide a natural way of asking open-ended follow-up questions to get more insights into a candidate's experience and skills. By knowing when and how to ask closed-ended questions, you can assess applicants fairly and make the right hiring decision for your organization.
More tips on asking the right interview questions:
Need more ideas for interview questions? Here are the best questions to ask based on real feedback from job candidates.
If you have a small business, you want to make sure you hire the right employees. Check out these interview questions to ask as a small business owner.
Asking closed-ended questions is just one interviewing technique. Behavioral interviewing can also have advantages when evaluating candidates.
Some people don't interview well, but that doesn't mean they'd make a bad hire. Know when to give a candidate a second look after the interview.
