20 Questions to Ask Your Applicants and Candidates

Your application form is the first entry barrier for applicants, in both a good and bad way. It can help you get the most out of an application and learn more about a candidate to form a first impression.

But how do you actually set up good questions for an application form? We've all been in a situation involving the cliché "Where do you see yourself in 5 years' time?" And let's face it, we're tired of it. While it can be helpful to see how candidates respond to this question, it's also boring and has been asked countless times—both for you and the candidates.

Here is a list of 20 simple and non-boring questions to get the most out of your application form: Copy them into your Applicant Tracking System, or use them directly from within your Wittl Dashboard.

1. What inspires you, and why?
2. Do you have any unexpected habits or passions?
3. Which fiction books are you currently reading?
4. Which work-related or non-fiction books are you currently reading?
5. What role do you see yourself in over the next few years?
6. Tell us a fun fact about yourself?
7. What has been the biggest challenge in your career so far, and how did you overcome it?
8. What has been the highlight of your career in the past five years?
9. What would you bring to our company—culturally, strategically, or personally?
10. What's the most valuable feedback you've received in your career, and why was it meaningful to you?
11. When was the last time you took initiative at work when it wasn't expected?
12. What was the last project you were especially proud of?
13. How do you stay up to date with trends and developments in our industry?
14. When would you be available to start?
15. What makes you a great fit for this role?
16. If you could work for only one company for the rest of your career, which one would it be—and why?
17. When was the last time you changed your opinion on something? What was it, and why?
18. Who in our industry do you look up to? Who inspires you?
19. Can you name a mistake you made in your career, and how you handled it?
20. What does your ideal work environment look like?