Types of Interview Questions

Why This Matters

The questions you ask determine the interview you get. Whether you're conducting a journalism interview, a podcast conversation, or a job screening, your question types shape the depth, direction, and authenticity of every response. Understanding these categories isn't just about having more tools—it's about knowing when each tool works best and why certain questions unlock insights while others shut them down.

You're being tested on more than definitions here. Expect questions that ask you to identify which question type fits a specific scenario, analyze how question sequencing affects interview flow, and evaluate the ethical implications of certain approaches. Don't just memorize what each question type is—know what it does to the conversation and when you'd strategically deploy it.

---

Questions That Open Up the Conversation

These question types create space for the interviewee to share freely. They reduce interviewer control in exchange for richer, more authentic responses.

Open-Ended Questions

• Invite elaboration and storytelling—these questions can't be answered with a single word, forcing interviewees to construct narrative responses
• Signal genuine curiosity by giving the interviewee control over direction and depth
• Essential for building rapport early in interviews when you want subjects to feel heard rather than interrogated

Hypothetical Questions

• Pose imagined scenarios to reveal thinking processes, values, and problem-solving approaches
• Bypass rehearsed answers by placing interviewees in unfamiliar territory where they must think on their feet
• Useful for assessing creativity and judgment—common in job interviews ("What would you do if...")

Funnel Questions

• Start broad, then narrow progressively—this structure lets interviewees orient themselves before diving into specifics
• Reduce defensiveness by easing into sensitive topics rather than leading with pointed inquiries
• Effective for investigative interviews where you need detailed information without triggering resistance

---

Questions That Dig Deeper

Once the conversation is flowing, these question types help you excavate beneath surface-level responses. They transform good interviews into revealing ones.

Probing Questions

• Push past vague or incomplete answers—phrases like "Tell me more about that" or "What do you mean by..." signal you're listening closely
• Uncover underlying motivations that interviewees may not initially volunteer
• Require active listening to deploy effectively; you can't probe if you're not tracking the conversation

Follow-Up Questions

• Build directly on previous answers to maintain conversational momentum and show engagement
• Demonstrate that you're genuinely listening—nothing flatters an interviewee more than a thoughtful follow-up
• Often yield the best quotes because they catch interviewees in unguarded moments after their prepared responses

Reflective Questions

• Ask interviewees to revisit and interpret their own experiences—"Looking back, how do you feel about that decision?"
• Foster self-awareness and emotional depth by creating space for introspection
• Particularly powerful in personal interviews where you want subjects to reveal growth, regret, or insight

---

Questions That Confirm and Clarify

These question types prioritize accuracy and precision over exploration. They narrow the conversation to ensure you've understood correctly.

Closed-Ended Questions

• Require specific, often binary answers—yes/no, dates, numbers, names
• Efficient for fact-checking and confirmation but limit depth and spontaneity
• Best used sparingly to punctuate longer exchanges or verify critical details

Clarifying Questions

• Eliminate ambiguity by asking the interviewee to restate or specify ("When you say 'difficult,' what do you mean exactly?")
• Prevent misinterpretation that could undermine your entire interview's accuracy
• Signal professionalism and care—interviewees trust interviewers who want to get it right

---

Questions That Require Caution

These question types carry ethical implications or can backfire if misused. Understanding their risks is as important as understanding their applications.

Leading Questions

• Suggest a desired answer within the question itself—"Don't you think that was unfair?" pushes toward agreement
• Can bias responses and compromise interview integrity, making them ethically problematic in journalism and research
• Sometimes useful for confrontation when you want to challenge an interviewee's position, but transparency matters

Behavioral Questions

• Focus on past actions as predictors of future performance—"Tell me about a time when..."
• Often structured using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to ensure complete responses
• Standard in job interviews for assessing competencies, but can feel formulaic in other contexts

---

Quick Reference Table

---

Self-Check Questions

1. Which two question types both aim to deepen a conversation, and how do you decide which to use in a given moment?

2. You're interviewing someone who gives a vague, evasive answer about a controversial decision. Which question type would you deploy next, and why?

3. Compare and contrast funnel questions and open-ended questions: when would you choose one strategy over the other?

4. A journalism ethics exam asks you to identify which question type poses the greatest risk of biasing an interview subject. What's your answer, and what makes it problematic?

5. You're designing a job interview and need to assess a candidate's problem-solving skills. Which two question types would you combine, and in what sequence?