You can reuse many of your usual interview questions when assessing internal candidates, but the approach needs a bit of tweaking. After all, hiring from within has its perks—it’s faster, more cost-effective, and can save up to 50% on sourcing expenses compared to external hiring, according to LinkedIn.
Internal hires often boost team morale and increase retention rates, as employees feel more valued when they see clear growth opportunities within the company. In fact, companies that promote internally have up to 34% higher retention rates.
Still, it’s essential to ensure that your internal candidate truly fits the new role, just like any external hire. Here are some useful questions to ask when interviewing internal candidates to make sure they’re ready for the next step.
When interviewing internal candidates, a little extra care goes a long way. They’re already committed to your company, and handling the process poorly could lead to dissatisfaction or even turnover if they don’t get the role they’re aiming for.
Before the interview, ensure the candidate’s current manager is aware of their intention to apply internally. This creates transparency and allows you to gather feedback from the manager on the candidate’s performance and potential.
Just like with external candidates, come prepared with specific, well-thought-out questions. You can tailor them based on feedback from colleagues or past performance reviews. This helps you evaluate how the candidate plans to grow into the new role and handle their current responsibilities.
Avoid assuming that an internal candidate is the frontrunner just because they already know the company. Compare their skills, experience, and qualifications with external candidates to ensure you’re hiring the best person for the role.
Always provide feedback after the interview, regardless of the result. Failing to follow up is one of the top frustrations for candidates, and you definitely don’t want this dissatisfaction among internal employees. A clear, constructive follow-up builds trust and keeps your internal talent engaged—even if they don’t get the role.
When interviewing internal candidates, you want to get a sense of why they’re interested in this new role and what drives them. This can help you understand how they’ll handle challenges, grow, and contribute to your company’s future. Here are some conversational ways to approach these questions:
Why this role?
“So, what made you excited about applying for this position? Was there something specific that caught your attention?”
This lets you tap into their genuine enthusiasm and see if they’re looking for new challenges or simply exploring.
What’s keeping you happy now?
“What do you enjoy most about your current role? What keeps you engaged day to day?”
This will give you insight into what’s working well for them and what they might be hoping to bring into the new role.
Long-term motivation check:
“What motivates you to keep growing here at our company? What makes you feel like this is the right place for you?”
This can tell you whether they see a future with the company and how they align with your values or culture.
Future ambitions:
“Where do you see yourself in five years? How do you think this role will help you get there?”
This helps gauge whether their career goals align with the role and the company’s direction.
Improvement mindset:
“If you could change one thing about the company or your department, what would it be? How do you think this role will allow you to make that happen?”
This not only shows you how proactive they are but also what impact they hope to make in the new role.
Transferable skills:
“What’s something you’ve learned in your current role that you’re eager to apply in this new position?”
This question highlights their ability to leverage past experiences and skills for future success.
Handling outcomes:
“If this role doesn’t work out, would you still be happy in your current position? How do you see your future here regardless?”
It’s important to understand how they’ll handle disappointment and whether they’re still invested in the company.
Adaptability is key when employees move into new roles. You want to make sure your candidates can handle change, new challenges, and the responsibilities that come with the shift. Here’s how to make these questions more conversational and insightful:
Managing challenges:
“Can you share a recent challenge you faced in your current role? How did you manage your tasks and keep things moving?”
This question helps you see how they juggle unexpected hurdles and stay productive.
Learning from mistakes:
“Have you had any setbacks or mistakes in your current role? How do you plan to avoid similar issues in this new role?”
This approach encourages them to reflect on past growth and shows how they plan to improve moving forward.
Role awareness:
“What do you understand about this new role? How do you think it’s different from what you’re currently doing?”
This helps you assess whether they have a clear grasp of the new responsibilities and expectations.
Expectations and challenges:
“What kind of responsibilities or challenges do you expect in this role? How are you preparing yourself for them?”
This gives you insight into their readiness and whether they’ve thought about the potential demands of the role.
Willingness to train:
“Are you open to undergoing training to better understand and adapt to this role?”
This question helps determine if they’re committed to learning and adapting to the new requirements.
Handling rejection:
“Tell us about a time when your proposed solution wasn’t accepted by the team. How did you handle it?”
This reveals how well they manage feedback, team dynamics, and how they adapt when things don’t go their way.
Understanding behavior is key when evaluating how well an employee can fit into a new role and manage interactions within the team. Here’s how to keep it conversational while assessing their behavior effectively:
Communication with supervisors:
“Have you had a chance to discuss this internal move with your current supervisor? How did that conversation go?”
This not only checks for transparency but also sets the tone for collaborative communication.
Self-awareness from a supervisor’s lens:
“If we asked your supervisor about you, what do you think they’d say?”
This allows candidates to reflect on their strengths and areas of growth from a leadership perspective.
Coworker perspective:
“What do you think your coworkers would say about working with you?”
This question helps gauge their relationships and teamwork, giving you a sense of how they integrate within teams.
Handling disagreements:
“How do you usually manage situations when you and your supervisor have different opinions?”
This reveals how they approach conflicts, manage feedback, and stay professional even during disagreements.
If an employee aims to step into a leadership role, it’s crucial to understand their leadership approach, strategies, and growth mindset. Here are some guiding questions:
Defining effective leadership:
“What does being an effective leader mean to you?”
This helps reveal their understanding of leadership and whether it aligns with your company culture.
Leadership style:
“How would you describe your leadership style?”
This question explores their approach, whether it’s collaborative, directive, or a blend.
Leading projects:
“Share a project where you led the team. How did you delegate tasks to ensure success?”
This checks their ability to distribute responsibilities and manage a team effectively.
Managing timelines and budgets:
“How do you plan to keep your team on track for a complex project, ensuring it’s on time and within budget?”
This reveals their strategic planning and problem-solving skills.
Handling team conflicts:
“How do you manage conflicts within a team? Can you share a recent example?”
This assesses how they navigate disagreements and maintain harmony within a team.
Improving leadership skills:
“What’s one area of your leadership that you’re working to improve?”
It highlights their self-awareness and commitment to personal growth.
Handling mistakes:
“Tell us about a time you made a misjudgment. Did you inform your team, or did you fix it quietly?”
This gauges their accountability and transparency in leading a team.
Collaboration is key in any role, so it’s important to understand how well an internal candidate works with others and tackles communication challenges. Here are some thoughtful questions to guide the conversation:
Coworker perception:
“How do you think your coworkers would describe your communication style?”
This question helps understand how self-aware they are and whether their communication aligns with team dynamics.
Resolving communication issues:
“Tell us about a time when you had to resolve a communication issue with a coworker. What steps did you take?”
This explores their conflict-resolution skills and their approach to maintaining harmony at work.
Preferred communication tools and style:
“Which communication style and platforms do you prefer? Why?”
This reveals their preferred tools and methods, offering insight into whether they’re adaptable to different communication channels.
Handling unclear directives:
“What do you usually do when a directive or task from a higher-up isn’t clear?”
This helps assess their problem-solving ability and initiative in seeking clarity.
To ensure an internal candidate has the technical expertise needed for the new role, these questions are designed to dig deeper into their hard skills and past experiences:
Strengths and weaknesses:
“What are your strengths and weaknesses related to this role?”
This question provides a clear picture of their technical strengths while identifying areas for development.
Relevant experiences:
“What makes you a good fit for this role? Share past projects or experiences that are most relevant.”
This helps you understand their experience and how it aligns with the new role’s requirements.
Improving processes:
“Can you share an instance when you improved an existing process? What did you change, and what was the outcome?”
This question gauges their problem-solving skills and their proactive approach to process improvement.
Contributions to company goals:
“What actions have you taken that contributed to achieving the company’s goals?”
This explores how they align their work with broader company objectives.
Biggest accomplishment:
“What’s your biggest accomplishment in your previous role, and how did you achieve it?”
This question highlights their impact and success in their current role.
Problem-solving approach:
“Tell us about a time when you had to create solutions for a problem. How did you start, and what steps did you take to achieve your goal?”
This helps assess their analytical thinking and how they navigate technical challenges.
These questions help assess candidates’ readiness to move into leadership roles, focusing on their skills, mindset, and approach to managing teams.
Getting feedback from the candidate’s current supervisor offers valuable insights into their work performance, behavior, and potential fit for the new role. Here are some questions to ask:
When interviewing an internal candidate, it’s important to take a thoughtful approach. After all, these individuals are already part of your team and have established trust with the company. Let’s explore some tips to make the process smoother and more meaningful.
You want to cover all your bases, so have a mix of questions that target both skills and soft traits. Ask about their current role, how they handle challenges, and their growth potential. Don’t just stick to the obvious questions—dig deeper to see how they might fit into the new role.
Tip: Think about what this new role requires and build your questions around those skills. It’s a great way to see if they’re ready for the next step.
Before the interview, talk to the candidate’s current manager and colleagues. Get a sense of their strengths and any areas they might need to work on. It’s important to ask relevant, specific questions based on their past projects and performance.
Tip: The feedback you get shouldn’t just be about highlighting flaws—it’s about giving the candidate a chance to explain how they’ve grown and what they’ve learned.
Focus on what matters for the role you’re hiring for. If it’s a leadership position, for example, dive into questions about management experience and decision-making. Make sure your questions reflect the job’s day-to-day challenges.
Tip: Use the job description as a guide to structure your questions. It’ll help you see how their previous experience aligns with the role.
It’s not just about checking off a list of accomplishments. Ask your candidate to reflect on their journey so far—what have they learned? How have they improved? This will give you insight into their ability to self-assess and grow within the company.
Tip: Ask about a time they received constructive feedback and what they did with it. It’s a great way to see how open they are to continuous improvement.
For candidates eyeing a leadership role, you’ll want to focus on their ability to manage and motivate teams. Ask them how they’ve handled tricky situations or led a project in the past. Scenario-based questions are helpful for getting a sense of how they think on their feet.
Tip: Ask them to share their vision for the team and how they’d align it with company goals. It’ll show you how strategic they are in their leadership style.
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