Interviewing candidates is a time-consuming and laborious process. The interviewer has to make sure they are asking the right questions, while also making sure they are learning as much as possible about the candidate in a short amount of time. With the right icebreaker questions, one can diffuse the tension and create an atmosphere where candidates and interviewers can express themselves to the fullest. Here are some excellent icebreaker questions to make your next interview a success.

Personal icebreaker questions

Personal icebreaker questions are a good way to get to know your candidates. To make the conversation more engaging, ask questions about their interests, hobbies, and passions. Questions like “What is your favorite movie?” and “What is the last book you read?” can be used to get a sense of their likes, values, and interests. More examples include the most interesting thing they’ve ever done or their favorite TV shows, books, movies, or foods. Your questions can range from broad ones like “What is your favorite color?” to more personal questions like “What is one of your weaknesses?”

“This or that” questions

“This or that” questions require the respondent to choose one only option out of those presented. The question can be a yes/no question, in which case the respondent is only required to answer with a simple “yes” or “no”, or it can be a question with over two options. This type of question is often used in surveys and polls, but can also be used in interviews to get a glimpse of a candidate’s preferences.

Philosophical questions

Philosophical questions are a great tool to help us better understand our existence and life. This is a unique way to ask something that is more than surface level, and also helps candidates think through their own beliefs and thoughts in ways that they otherwise might not have explored. While this is a great way to dive deeper into the thoughts of your candidates, every interviewer should be careful not to start a philosophical debate or ask questions that require too long of an explanation (you could spend your entire interview session listening to some candidates). Questions can be around simpler ideas or their values in life.

While they help in breaking the silence and encouraging interviewees to speak out, icebreaker questions aren’t the principal focus when interviewing candidates. You can chip in one question each in the beginning, middle, and end of the interview or when you realize your candidate is stuck or nervous. It’s a way to keep conversations flowing and get the best out of your potential employees.