Interviews are an essential part of the recruitment process for both candidates and employers. But they can be nerve-wracking for the former and time-intensive for the latter. So would preparing for the interview be easier if everyone knew the interview questions beforehand?

John Lewis reveals their interview questions

LinkedIn recently shared the news that John Lewis have published their interview questions online. While this might seem revolutionary, a quick Google search shows that over two million people asked this question in 2023 alone. And a scroll through the LinkedIn news alert also indicates that other companies are already taking this approach.

Our thoughts on preparing for interview questions as an employer

In the current recruitment market where we’re seeing employers needing to shift their focus from traditional recruiting to different strategies sharing interview questions can be a great way to show your difference. While, it isn’t right for every role or every organisation, it can be a good way to show that you consider differences such as neurodivergence and anxiety. It can also help candidates show you more considered answers and help you both identify a culture match.

The concern might be that candidates have memorised their responses rather than giving you something more natural. Our recommendation here is that there is a balance between letting candidates know primary questions and also advising that there will be follow up questions.

This approach also enables you to evaluate candidates more fairly and consistently too. While it can be tempting to tailor all questions to each individual’s CV this approach allows you to see the best of everyone while also saving you time. And in today’s recruitment market that can be a major plus point for employers.

And as a candidate

For candidates, knowing the interview questions beforehand enables you to focus in on your most relevant examples. You get to understand what sort of organisation you might be working for as well.

We wouldn’t necessarily advise asking an organisation for their questions if they don’t freely provide them though. While more and more employers are looking at different recruitment methods, it is slow progress. And asking for the questions might not necessarily show the initiative you hope it will.

The Good Egg approach to preparing for interview

This is where working with a recruitment consultancy can help. We can work with employers to help identify what interview questions to share that will help find those ‘good egg’s. And for candidates we take the time to help you fully prepare. We cover everything from joining instructions, to who will be interviewing you and what to expect and each stage of the interview process.

We do this as it helps you highlight your most applicable skills and experience. Not only that but it helps you understand more about the job and the company you might be working for too.

If you feel we can help you as an employer or as a candidate then get in touch withnicola@goodeggrecruitment.com or annette@goodeggrecruitment.com for an initial chat.