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A structured set of 20 general job interview questions designed to help employers assess a candidate's experience, skills, motivation, communication, attitude, problem-solving ability and overall suitability for the role.
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Use these questions as a structured interview framework. Ask candidates to provide specific examples wherever possible and use appropriate follow-up questions to establish what they personally did, why they took their approach and what the outcome was.
1. Tell us about yourself and your experience.
Explore: Relevant experience, key skills, career background and how clearly the candidate communicates their experience.
2. What attracted you to this role?
Explore: Motivation, understanding of the role and genuine interest in the opportunity.
3. What do you think you could bring to this role?
Explore: Relevant strengths, experience, skills and understanding of the employer's requirements.
4. What would you
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These 20 general job interview questions provide a practical framework for interviewing candidates across a wide range of roles. The questions are designed to explore the experience, behaviours and personal qualities that can help employers make a well-rounded assessment alongside any role-specific technical questions.
The questions explore the candidate's background, strengths, achievements and motivation for applying. They help interviewers understand what the candidate could bring to the role and whether their experience aligns with the organisation's requirements.
Behavioural questions encourage candidates to provide examples of how they have handled challenges, worked with others, made decisions and responded to mistakes. This provides evidence of how they have behaved in real situations rather than relying solely on hypothetical answers.
Most roles require employees to deal with changing priorities, learn new skills and respond positively to challenges. The questions help explore resilience, flexibility, willingness to learn and the candidate's approach to receiving feedback.
Using a common set of questions for shortlisted candidates can help interviewers assess applicants against the same broad criteria and reduce reliance on informal impressions. The questions can be supplemented with role-specific technical or competency questions where required.
Related HR resources and workflow
Explore the HR resources that may be relevant before and / or after using the 20 essential general job interview questions form, helping you understand the wider process, maintain appropriate documentation and follow a consistent approach.
Our Guide to Interviewing Standards offers comprehensive guidelines, ensuring consistency and fairness in candidate assessments while enhancing hiring quality.
Use these best practice actions, recommended timescales and process stages to understand when and how the 20 essential general job interview questions form should be used, helping ensure each step is handled consistently and appropriately documented.
Understand the common mistakes to avoid when using this HR template, helping you reduce risk, prevent unnecessary costs and ensure the process is handled correctly.
Key areas include relevant experience, skills, communication, motivation, teamwork, problem-solving, reliability, adaptability, attitude, self-awareness and willingness to learn. These should be considered alongside the specific requirements of the role.
A consistent core set of questions is good practice because it provides a more reliable basis for comparing candidates. Interviewers can use reasonable follow-up questions to clarify or explore an answer.
Yes. Asking candidates to describe specific situations can provide stronger evidence of their behaviour and abilities than questions that only ask what they think they would do.
Employers can score responses against agreed criteria such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, motivation and relevant experience. A simple numerical scale can help make comparisons more consistent when applied fairly.
They are designed as general interview questions and can be used across many roles. They should be supplemented with questions covering the technical knowledge, qualifications, experience or competencies that are specifically required for the position.
AI can generate generic interview questions, but HRDocBox provides a professionally structured, UK-focused recruitment resource designed around practical HR use. The questions are organised around the broad competencies employers commonly need to assess, giving hiring managers a consistent starting point that can be used alongside role-specific questions.
How this content is developed and reviewed
The 20 essential general job interview questions form template is developed using a practical HR methodology that considers current UK employment legislation, ACAS guidance, CIPD good practice and the real-world HR process it supports. Templates and supporting information are regularly reviewed and updated, with additional reviews triggered by significant changes to legislation, guidance or established HR practice, helping ensure each document remains practical, relevant and suitable for UK employers.
Darryl Horn, Chartered HR Director
Darryl is a Chartered HR professional with over 25 years' experience in senior HR and employee relations roles.
He has extensive practical experience of managing job interview HR processes and founded hrdocbox to provide businesses with practical, professionally developed HR resources grounded in UK employment law and best practice.
HRDocBox has been creating practical UK HR documents since 2009.
"Darryl provides support and advice with excellent judgement, and has a strong understanding of people, policies and UK employment legislation."
"He is someone I trust; consistent, dependable, and committed to doing things properly."
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