Good interview questions ask about something the candidate has done, relate directly to the job, and are asked the same way of every candidate for that role. This article has 41 interview questions for roles that are usually hired in volume: call center, retail, F&B, factory, courier, sales, and admin. Each question comes with what a strong answer contains and the red flags to listen for.
To turn the answers into scores and a decision, use the interview scorecard template, a free Excel file with anchors for every score.
How to use this list
Pick four to six questions for one role: one or two of the general questions, and the rest from that role's section. Write the list before the first interview, then ask the same questions in the same order of every candidate. If each candidate gets different questions, you cannot compare their answers.
The questions here come in two types:
- Experience questions, which start with "Tell me about a time...". These are the main type, because the candidate has to give a real example you can dig into.
- Situational questions, which start with "What would you do if...". Use these for situations the candidate may not have faced yet, such as a customer asking about an allergy.
A 15 to 20 minute first-round interview fits four to six questions. Add more and the follow-ups get cut, and the follow-ups are where rehearsed answers fall apart.
Follow-up questions for any answer
A candidate's first answer is usually general: "I always stay calm with customers." Follow-up questions turn it into an example you can assess. These five work after any question in this article:
- "When did that happen, and where were you working at the time?"
- "What did you do yourself, as opposed to your team?"
- "What did you actually say to the customer or your manager?"
- "What was the result? Roughly how many?"
- "If it happened again, what would you do differently?"
A candidate who lived through the situation can answer with detail. A candidate who made it up usually drifts back to general statements or switches to a different story.
General questions for any role
| Question | A strong answer | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What did a normal day look like in your last job? | Specific tasks, in order, with the tools or systems used | Only names the job title, or the story does not match the resume |
| 2. Why did you apply for this role, and what do you think the work looks like day to day? | A realistic picture of the shifts, targets, or workload | Knows nothing about the work, or only mentions pay and location |
| 3. Tell me about a time a manager gave you feedback on your work. What did you change afterwards? | Clear feedback, the change they made, and the result | Has never had feedback, or blames the manager |
| 4. Tell me about a time you had to learn something new quickly. How did you do it? | A concrete method: asked, took notes, tried it, then checked | "I'm a fast learner" with no example |
| 5. Tell me about a time you disagreed with a coworker. How did it end? | Talked to the person directly, kept it about the work, reached a resolution | A story that mostly runs the coworker down |
| 6. Tell me about a mistake at work that you noticed yourself. What did you do? | Reported it before anyone found out, fixed it, then stopped it happening again | Cannot name a single mistake, or covered it up |
Question 6 is often more useful than "What is your greatest weakness?". Candidates already know the safe answer to the weakness question. The mistake question makes them name a real event and what they did next.
Overused questions and what to ask instead
Some questions appear in so many tips articles for job seekers that the answers mostly show how well the candidate memorizes.
| Overused question | The problem | Ask instead |
|---|---|---|
| Tell me about yourself | The answer repeats the resume | General question 1 |
| What is your greatest weakness? | The answer is prepared ("I'm a perfectionist") | General question 3 or 6 |
| Where do you see yourself in five years? | For a shift role, the answer has little to do with the job | "What do you want to be good at within your first three months here?" |
| Why should we hire you? | Invites claims without evidence | The role-specific questions below |
| Are you detail oriented? | A yes or no question, and the answer is always yes | "How do you check your work before you hand it over?" |
Interview questions by role
The questions in this section are deliberately different from the ones in the interview scorecard template, so you can draw on both when you build your own set.
Call center and customer service agents
These questions cover how the candidate handles customers and repetitive work. Test English separately; the CEFR guide for call center agents explains how.
| Question | A strong answer | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| 7. Tell me about a time you had to give a customer news they did not want, such as a request being declined. What did you say? | Explains the reason, then offers what can still be done | Blames company policy, or hands the call straight to a supervisor |
| 8. A customer asks something you do not know the answer to. What do you say first? | Admits they don't know yet, gives a clear time frame, then finds out | Makes up an answer to end the call faster |
| 9. Tell me about your most repetitive day at work. How did you stay accurate to the end of the shift? | Concrete habits: short breaks, a checklist, rereading notes | "I'm used to it" with no method |
| 10. Tell me about a time you had to follow a script or procedure you thought was wrong. What did you do? | Followed it, then raised a suggestion through the right channel | Quietly stopped following it |
| 11. A customer keeps talking while you type your notes. How do you make sure the notes are right? | Reads the key points back to the customer before closing the call | Relies on memory after the call ends |
The full call center screening flow, from application to training batch, is in the guide to screening for BPOs and call centers.
Retail crew, cashiers, and sales assistants
| Question | A strong answer | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| 12. Tell me about a time a customer wanted to exchange an item outside store policy. What did you do? | Explained the policy politely, offered another option, called a supervisor if needed | Said yes to keep the customer happy, or refused rudely |
| 13. How do you suggest an extra product without sounding pushy? Give an example. | Offers something related to what the customer is buying, and stops when they say no | Never suggests anything, or keeps pushing |
| 14. Tell me about a time you saw a coworker break store rules, for example with cash or stock. What did you do? | Reported it to a manager, or spoke to the coworker and then reported it | "It wasn't my business" |
| 15. The checkout line is long and your replacement for the next shift has not arrived. What do you do? | Keeps serving, tells the supervisor, does not leave the till open | Leaves on time without telling anyone |
| 16. What do you do in the store when there are no customers? | Tidies shelves, checks expiry dates, restocks | Waits to be told |
Waiters, kitchen crew, and baristas (F&B)
| Question | A strong answer | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| 17. Tell me about a time a customer's order was wrong or late. What did you say to the customer, and what did you do in the kitchen? | Apologized, gave an estimated time, checked with the kitchen, went back to the table | Blamed the kitchen in front of the customer |
| 18. What hygiene rules did you follow in your last job? | Specifics: handwashing, hair covers, date labels on ingredients, storage temperatures | A general answer such as "always clean" |
| 19. A customer says they are allergic to peanuts and asks if a dish is safe. What do you do? | Does not guess, checks with the kitchen or the ingredient list, then answers honestly | "It should be fine" without checking |
| 20. When the restaurant is full, how do you and your coworkers split the work? Describe one time. | Clear roles, keeping each other informed, helping whoever is behind | Only looks after their own tasks |
| 21. Tell me about the hardest shift you have worked, such as a weekend or public holiday. What got you through it? | How they paced themselves and set priorities, and stayed until the shift ended | Often takes leave on busy days |
Production operators and factory staff
| Question | A strong answer | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| 22. What machines or equipment have you operated? What do you check before you start? | Names the equipment, the order of checks, and what they do if something is off | Does no checks at all |
| 23. You see a defective product pass down the line, and the day's target has not been met. What do you do? | Stops the line or reports it according to procedure, quality first | Lets it go to hit the target |
| 24. Tell me about working night shifts or doing the same task for hours. How did you stay accurate? | Concrete habits: breaks on schedule, checking output at intervals | Admits to often feeling sleepy, with no way of handling it |
| 25. Tell me about a time you had to follow a new work instruction or procedure. How did you learn it? | Read it, asked questions, tried it under supervision, then checked the result | Kept working the old way |
| 26. Your protective equipment is missing at the start of a shift. What do you do? | Does not start work, reports it to the supervisor or safety officer | Works anyway because "it's only for a bit" |
Couriers and drivers
| Question | A strong answer | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| 27. Tell me about a day when your parcels or route could not be finished on time. What did you do? | Re-planned the route and told the coordinator early | Said nothing, and many parcels failed delivery |
| 28. The recipient is not at the address and does not answer the phone. What are your steps? | Follows procedure: tries again, logs it in the app, takes a photo as proof, reschedules | Leaves the parcel anywhere |
| 29. What do you check on your vehicle before you set off? | Brakes, tires, lights, fuel, documents | Never checks |
| 30. Tell me about a time a parcel was damaged or lost while you had it. What did you report, and to whom? | Reported it straight away with proof, and was honest about what happened | Waited until the customer complained |
| 31. A customer asks you to leave a parcel at the security post, but the rule is hand delivery. What do you do? | Explains the rule, or gets written confirmation as company policy allows | Does what the customer asks with no record |
Field sales and telesales
| Question | A strong answer | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| 32. What was your target in your last job, and what did you usually achieve? | Specific numbers that stay the same when asked again | Does not remember the target, or the numbers keep changing |
| 33. Tell me about a customer who bought after first saying no. What changed? | Found a need the customer had not mentioned at first | Won only by giving a discount |
| 34. How do you keep track of leads and decide when to contact them again? | A real system: a CRM, a spreadsheet, or dated notes | "I just remember" |
| 35. Tell me about a time a customer asked for a discount you were not allowed to give. What did you say? | Explained the limit, offered other value, or asked a manager to approve it | Promised a discount they could not give |
| 36. Tell me about a sale you did not pursue because the product was wrong for that customer. | Has an example, and the reasoning makes sense | Has never let a deal go, whatever the customer needed |
Admin staff
| Question | A strong answer | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| 37. Tell me about a time you found a data error someone else made. What did you do? | Confirmed with the person who made it, fixed it, logged the change | Changed it quietly without telling anyone |
| 38. What software do you use every day? Tell me about one task you finished with it. | A specific example, such as a summary built with formulas or filters in Excel | Only lists software names |
| 39. Three people need their work done today, and you only have time for two. What do you do? | Asks which is most urgent and tells the person who has to wait | Does half of each |
| 40. How do you store documents so a coworker can find them while you are on leave? | Consistent file names and folders, plus handover notes | Documents only exist on a personal laptop |
| 41. Tell me about a time you handled confidential data, such as payroll or customer records. What did you protect? | Limited access, did not send it over personal chat, deleted it when no longer needed | Shared data because a friend asked |
Candidates with no work experience
For fresh graduates or first-time job seekers, experience questions still work. Change the wording slightly: "Tell me about a time... at school, in a club, in a family business, or in part-time work." For example:
- "Tell me about a group assignment where one member did not do their share. How did you finish it?"
- "Tell me about a time you helped in a family business or sold something. What did you do?"
For situations they have not faced, use situational questions like 19 or 26, then ask why they would do that. The reasoning often tells you more about how the candidate thinks than the answer itself.
Questions you should not ask, and what to ask instead
Interviewers who ask about marital status or age usually want to know something else, such as whether the candidate can work night shifts. Ask that directly, and ask it of every candidate.
| Do not ask | What you actually need to know | Ask this |
|---|---|---|
| Are you married? Do you have children? | Whether they can work the schedule | "This role works rotating shifts, including nights and weekends. Can you work that schedule?" |
| Are you pregnant, or planning to have children? | Whether they can do the physical tasks | "The main task is lifting items up to 20 kg repeatedly. Is there any part of that we would need to adjust for you?" |
| How old are you? | The legal minimum age | "Are you at least 18?" |
| What is your religion? | Whether they can work on holidays | "The schedule rotates and includes some public holidays. Can you work that?" |
| Where are you from originally? What is your ethnicity? | Languages they speak, or the commute | "Which languages can you serve customers in?" or "How long is your commute to this site?" |
| Do you have an illness or disability? | Whether they can do the core tasks | "The main task is X. Can you do it, with or without adjustments?" |
In Indonesia, Article 5 of Law No. 13 of 2003 on Manpower gives every worker an equal opportunity to get a job without discrimination. Law No. 8 of 2016 gives people with disabilities the right to work without discrimination, including at private companies. In May 2025 the Minister of Manpower issued Circular No. M/6/HK.04/V/2025 on discrimination in recruitment, which singles out requirements such as age limits, attractive appearance, and marital status. The circular carries no sanctions, but it shows which requirements and questions the government treats as discriminatory. The Manpower Law also treats anyone under 18 as a child and generally bars companies from employing children, which is why confirming the candidate is 18 or older is fine.
In Malaysia, no statute specifically bans these questions in an interview. Section 69F of the Employment Act 1955, in force since January 2023, lets the Director General of Labour rule on discrimination disputes, but it covers employees rather than job applicants. A 2011 High Court case found that withdrawing a government job offer because the candidate was pregnant was gender discrimination under Article 8(2) of the Federal Constitution. Asking the questions in the right-hand column instead keeps the interview about the job in both countries.
Answers about religion, health, or marital status are also personal data. Indonesia's PDP Law treats some of them as specific personal data, and Malaysia's PDPA says the data you collect must not be excessive for its purpose. If the role does not need the data, do not collect it. The details for Indonesia are in the guide to the PDP Law and AI screening.
From answers to a decision
During the interview, write down what the candidate said. "Checked the ingredient list with the kitchen before answering the customer" can be compared with other candidates' answers. "Seems quick on their feet" cannot.
Then score those notes on the same scale for every candidate. The interview scorecard template gives you a 1 to 4 scale with what each score means, weights for each competency, and rules for deciding who moves on.
When you have hundreds of applicants, an AI interviewer can run the first round with questions from this list. It asks follow-ups like the ones above, then scores the answers against your rubric. The setup steps are in how to set up a first-round interview with an AI interviewer.
Where Inhire fits
Inhire (getinhire.com) is an AI screening and AI interview platform for high-volume hiring. You add the questions and rubric for a role, and the Inhire AI interviewer runs the first-round voice interview in English, Bahasa Melayu, and Bahasa Indonesia, follow-up questions included. Every candidate gets the same questions on the day they apply, and every answer has a transcript, audio, and a score with the quotes behind it. Your team decides who moves on.
Start free on one open role, or read how to screen 1,000 resumes for the step before the interview.
