Structured interviews are one of the best performance indicators.
To carry them out successfully, you need insightful questions that let you know exactly how your interviewees match up against your candidate scorecard.
That can be a real challenge. You might spend hours coming up with questions — only to realize after the interview process that you have no idea if your favorite candidate is a winner or a dud.
Using an AI tool to generate interview questions gives you access to a world of deep expertise. Artificial intelligence software is trained on mind-boggling amounts of data, letting it draw from best hiring practices across every industry on the planet. It’s no wonder that AI is more popular than ever, with 79% of organizations using automation and AI tools during the hiring process.
Let’s take a step-by-step look at the process of crafting insightful interview questions with the power of AI.
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1. Choose an AI Tool
First, you need to pick an AI tool. That’s easier said than done, with so many great tools on the market. If you’ve got a Discovered – Performance Hiring Software account, then the best option is to simply use the powerful built-in AI, Kingsley:
If you’re not using Discovered yet, we recommend picking one of these:
ChatGPT:
Easy and fast to use, ChatGPT has made headlines across the world in recent months. It’s a great tool for generating interview questions fast.
Google Bard AI:
You need a Google account to sign into Google Bard AI — but you won’t have to pay a cent. Like ChatGPT, Google Bard AI has a simple chatbox interface. You can use the same prompts that you’d use for ChatGPT in Google Bard, and vice versa.
Other good options include Microsoft Bing, which uses the OpenAI language model behind ChatGPT along with AI-powered search results, and Perplexity, which includes sources and links (although Perplexity’s responses aren’t very detailed).
For our examples, we’ll be using Google Bard. It’s fast, robust, and for the most part it produces high-quality interview questions.
To create your questions, you may want to use the same prompts with ChatGPT too, so you get a wider range of interview questions to choose from.
2. Log Into the AI Tool
Most AI tools require you to log in before using them. With Google Bard, simply click the Sign in button on the Google Bard homepage, then log in to your Google account.
3. List the Job Qualifications
Before you create a list of interview questions, you need to know the skills and qualifications the role requires. Don’t worry — you won’t have to spend hours coming up with this list. AI can help you here, too.
Prompt:
List the skills and qualifications required for an RN.
Google Bard response:
Here are the skills and qualifications required for an Registered Nurse (RN):
- Education: An RN must have a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN). Some employers may accept an associate's degree in nursing (ADN) with additional education or experience.
- License: All RNs must be licensed by the state in which they practice. The National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) is the exam required for RN licensure in the United States.
- Skills: RNs must have a wide range of skills, including:
- Assessment: RNs must be able to assess a patient's physical and emotional status.
- Planning and implementation of care: RNs must develop and implement plans of care for their patients.
- Medication administration: RNs must be able to safely and accurately administer medications.
- Treatments and procedures: RNs must be able to perform a variety of treatments and procedures, such as wound care, catheterization, and injections.
- Communication: RNs must be able to communicate effectively with patients, families, and other healthcare professionals.
- Teamwork: RNs must be able to work effectively as part of a team.
- Critical thinking: RNs must be able to think critically and make sound decisions in order to provide safe and effective care.
- Problem-solving: RNs must be able to identify and solve problems in a timely and effective manner.
- Leadership: RNs may be called upon to provide leadership in their clinical settings.
- Qualifications: In addition to the education and licensure requirements, RNs must also meet certain personal qualifications, such as:
- Empathy: RNs must be able to understand and care for their patients' emotional needs.
- Compassion: RNs must be able to show compassion and understanding to their patients and their families.
- Patience: RNs must be patient and understanding when working with patients who are sick or injured.
- Flexibility: RNs must be flexible and adaptable to changing work environments and patient needs.
- Resilience: RNs must be resilient and able to cope with the emotional and physical demands of the job.
Important: Don’t only rely on the AI for this list. Cross-check the AI’s response with your team and edit or update it as required.
4. Use AI to Write Interview Questions (Basic)
First, let’s see what AI can do when given a very basic prompt — the sort of thing you could write in a few seconds.
Prompt:
List 10 interview questions for an RN.
Google Bard response:
Here are 10 interview questions to ask an RN:
- Tell me about your experience in nursing. This question is an opportunity for the RN to share their experience in the field, including the different settings they have worked in, the types of patients they have cared for, and the challenges and successes they have faced.
- What are your strengths as an RN? This question allows the RN to highlight their skills and abilities, such as their ability to provide compassionate care, their ability to work well under pressure, and their ability to collaborate with others.
- What are your weaknesses as an RN? This question is an opportunity for the RN to be honest about their areas for improvement. It is important to be able to identify and address your weaknesses in order to continue to grow as a nurse.
- Describe a time when you had to make a difficult decision in your role as an RN. This question allows the RN to demonstrate their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. It is important to be able to make sound decisions in a timely manner, especially in high-pressure situations.
- Describe a time when you had to provide care to a patient who was at the end of life. This question allows the RN to demonstrate their compassion and empathy. It is important to be able to provide comfort and support to patients and their families during this difficult time.
- How do you stay up-to-date on the latest medical knowledge? This question allows the RN to demonstrate their commitment to continuing education. It is important to be able to stay up-to-date on the latest research and trends in order to provide the best possible care to patients.
- What are your thoughts on the importance of teamwork in nursing? This question allows the RN to demonstrate their value of teamwork. It is important to be able to work effectively with other healthcare professionals in order to provide the best possible care to patients.
- What are your career goals? This question allows the RN to share their vision for their future. It is important to be able to articulate your goals and aspirations in order to achieve them.
- Why are you interested in this position? This question allows the RN to share why they are interested in the specific position. It is important to be able to articulate why you are a good fit for the role and why you are excited about the opportunity.
- Do you have any questions for me? This is a great opportunity for the RN to ask questions about the position or the organization. It is important to be prepared with questions to show that you are interested in the position and that you have done your research.
This is just a quick, basic prompt and response. You’ll get even better results by refining your prompts, which we’ll tackle next.
Not feeling confident writing and refining prompts? Discovered – Performance Hiring Software can do all the work for you, with its powerful built-in AI capabilities.
5. Refine Your AI Interview Questions (Advanced)
To create truly game-changing interview questions, you need to carefully consider the specific job requirements, the skills an outstanding candidate would need, and the qualifications you’d expect them to have. Then, you can ask AI to come up with questions that are perfectly tailored to that.
Using our earlier “skills and qualifications” list, we can easily pick out key hard skills and soft skills to ask about. Let’s start with a hard (technical) skill: “RNs must be able to safely and accurately administer medications.”
Prompt:
We are interviewing candidates for a role as an RN. List 10 interview questions to establish whether the candidate is able to safely and accurately administer medications.
Google Bard response:
Here are 10 interview questions to establish whether the candidate is able to safely and accurately administer medications:
- Can you describe the steps involved in safely administering a medication? This question will assess the candidate's knowledge of the medication administration process.
- What are some of the factors that you would consider when administering a medication? This question will assess the candidate's ability to identify and assess risk factors for medication errors.
- What are some of the common medication errors that nurses make? This question will assess the candidate's knowledge of common medication errors and how to prevent them.
- What is the importance of double-checking medications before administering them? This question will assess the candidate's understanding of the importance of accuracy and safety when administering medications.
- What would you do if you suspected that a patient had received the wrong medication? This question will assess the candidate's ability to take action in the event of a medication error.
- What are some of the resources that you would use to stay up-to-date on medication safety? This question will assess the candidate's commitment to continuing education and their awareness of resources available to support medication safety.
- Have you ever had any experience with medication errors? This question will assess the candidate's ability to reflect on their own experiences and learn from them.
- What are your thoughts on the importance of teamwork in medication safety? This question will assess the candidate's understanding of the role of teamwork in preventing medication errors.
- What are some of the challenges that nurses face in administering medications safely? This question will assess the candidate's awareness of the challenges of medication administration and how to overcome them.
- What are your thoughts on the future of medication safety? This question will assess the candidate's vision for the future of medication safety and their commitment to making a difference.
What about soft skills? Again, drawing from our list, “RNs must be able to communicate effectively with patients, families, and other healthcare professionals.”
Prompt:
We are interviewing candidates for a role as an RN. List 10 interview questions to establish whether the candidate is able to communicate effectively with patients, families, and other healthcare professionals.
Google Bard response:
Here are 10 interview questions to establish whether the candidate is able to communicate effectively with patients, families, and other healthcare professionals:
- Describe a time when you had to communicate difficult news to a patient or family member. This question will assess the candidate's ability to communicate sensitive information in a compassionate and clear way.
- How do you tailor your communication style to different audiences? This question will assess the candidate's ability to adjust their communication style to meet the needs of the patient, family member, or healthcare professional.
- What are some of the challenges of communicating effectively in a healthcare setting? This question will assess the candidate's awareness of the challenges of communication in healthcare and how to overcome them.
- What are some of the strategies that you use to improve your communication skills? This question will assess the candidate's commitment to continuous improvement and their willingness to learn new communication techniques.
- How do you build rapport with patients and families? This question will assess the candidate's ability to connect with patients and families and build trust.
- How do you collaborate effectively with other healthcare professionals? This question will assess the candidate's ability to work as part of a team and communicate effectively with other healthcare professionals.
- What are some of the ways that you use technology to improve communication? This question will assess the candidate's ability to use technology to enhance communication in the healthcare setting.
- How do you ensure that communication is clear and concise? This question will assess the candidate's ability to communicate in a way that is easy to understand.
- How do you handle misunderstandings or disagreements in communication? This question will assess the candidate's ability to resolve communication challenges in a professional and effective way.
- What are your thoughts on the importance of communication in healthcare? This question will assess the candidate's understanding of the importance of communication in healthcare and their commitment to effective communication.
You can go through your list of key skills, asking about each, and choosing one or more interview questions to ask that relate to that skill.
6. Use AI to Write Behavioral Interview Questions
Simply having the right skills isn’t enough. You want an employee who does the right thing – day after day, even in difficult situations. It’s incredibly useful to test for this in an interview, so that you don’t end up finding out the hard way that your new hire is sulky, impatient, or even hostile toward clients. Again, you can draw on the list of skills and qualifications for behavioral interview questions.
You might think candidates will simply lie about undesired behaviors during the interview — but you’d be surprised! People can be surprisingly honest about wrong behavior:
Prompt:
Write 10 behavioral interview questions for an RN. These questions should establish whether the candidate has empathy, compassion, patience, and flexibility when working with patients.
Google Bard response:
Here are 10 behavioral interview questions for an RN to establish whether they have empathy, compassion, patience, and flexibility when working with patients:
- Describe a time when you had to provide care to a patient who was in pain. How did you demonstrate empathy and compassion?
- Tell me about a time when you had to work with a patient who was difficult or demanding. How did you maintain your patience and compassion?
- How do you make sure that you are providing culturally competent care to your patients?
- How do you handle situations where you have to deliver bad news to a patient or family member?
- How do you build rapport with patients and families?
- How do you advocate for your patients?
- How do you handle difficult conversations with patients and families?
- How do you stay calm and focused in stressful situations?
- How do you handle conflict with patients and families?
- What are your thoughts on the importance of flexibility in nursing?
7. Use AI to Write Integrity Interview Questions
Employees with high integrity will be honest and hard-working. Candidates with low integrity may lie, steal, cheat, and could potentially cost your business a huge amount of money — or irreparably damage its reputation. Watch this short video to see the shocking reduction in workers’ compensation claims from new hires during a period of integrity testing:
AI tools can easily write integrity interview questions for you. Even if you’ve already used integrity testing through Discovered and IntegrityFirst at the screening stage of the hiring process, you may want to add some integrity questions into your interviews for peace of mind.
Prompt:
We are interviewing candidates for a role as an RN. List 10 integrity testing interview questions that are relevant for this role.
Google Bard response:
Here are 10 integrity testing interview questions that are relevant for an RN role:
- What is your definition of integrity? This question will assess the candidate's understanding of integrity and their commitment to it.
- Have you ever had to make a decision that challenged your integrity? This question will assess the candidate's ability to make difficult decisions and uphold their values.
- What would you do if you saw a coworker cheating on their timecard? This question will assess the candidate's willingness to report unethical behavior.
- What would you do if a patient asked you to give them a medication that they didn't need? This question will assess the candidate's ability to resist pressure to compromise their integrity.
- What are some of the challenges of maintaining integrity in the workplace? This question will assess the candidate's awareness of the challenges of maintaining integrity and how they would overcome them.
- What are some of the ways that you have demonstrated your integrity in the workplace? This question will assess the candidate's ability to provide examples of their integrity in action.
- What are your thoughts on the importance of integrity in the nursing profession? This question will assess the candidate's understanding of the importance of integrity in the nursing profession and their commitment to it.
- How would you handle a situation where you were asked to do something that you felt was unethical? This question will assess the candidate's ability to stand up for their values and resist pressure to compromise their integrity.
- What are some of the things that you do to stay honest and trustworthy? This question will assess the candidate's commitment to honesty and trustworthiness.
- What are your thoughts on the consequences of dishonesty and trustworthiness? This question will assess the candidate's understanding of the consequences of dishonesty and trustworthiness.
Refine Your Prompts
You may find those questions somewhat generic. (We did!) That’s why we wrote prompts to ask specifically about lying, stealing, and using drugs on the job. Why would dishonest candidates answer those questions honestly in a pre-employment test? We don’t know, but based on tens of thousands of data points, they do!
Prompt:
Write two integrity questions for an RN job interview to ask if the candidate has ever stolen anything in the workplace.
Google Bard response:
Prompt:
- Have you ever been accused of stealing anything in the workplace? This question is straightforward and gives the candidate the opportunity to be honest about their past. If they have been accused of stealing, they should explain the situation and how it was resolved.
- What would you do if you found a valuable item in the workplace? This question is more hypothetical, but it can still give you insight into the candidate's values. A candidate who is honest and trustworthy would likely return the item to its rightful owner.
Prompt:
Write two integrity questions for an RN job interview to ask if the candidate has ever lied to a supervisor.
Google Bard response:
- Have you ever lied to a supervisor, either intentionally or unintentionally? This question is straightforward and gives the candidate the opportunity to be honest about their past. If they have lied to a supervisor, they should explain the situation and how they learned from their mistake.
- What would you do if you were asked by a supervisor to do something that you knew was wrong? This question is more hypothetical, but it can still give you insight into the candidate's values. A candidate who is honest and trustworthy would likely refuse to do something wrong, even if it meant going against the supervisor's wishes.
8. Use AI to Write Cultural Fit Interview Questions
Will your new employee fit in well at your company? Or will they struggle to settle in, perhaps even disrupting others? Whether your workplace is fast-paced and dynamic or calm and laid-back, you can find the perfect new hires. AI makes it easy to come up with cultural fit interview questions.
Prompt:
We are interviewing candidates for a role as an RN. Our workplace is a small healthcare practice with a close-knit team. The role is fast-paced and busy, with lots of rewarding interactions with patients and families. List 10 cultural fit interview questions that are relevant for this role.
Google Bard response:
Here are 10 cultural fit interview questions that are relevant for an RN role in a small healthcare practice with a close-knit team:
- Tell me about a time when you worked on a team to achieve a goal. What was your role in the team? What did you learn from the experience?
- How do you handle conflict in the workplace? What are some of the strategies that you use to resolve conflict?
- What are your thoughts on the importance of communication in a small team? How do you ensure that you are communicating effectively with your team members?
- How do you stay organized and efficient in a fast-paced environment? What are some of the strategies that you use to manage your time effectively?
- What are your thoughts on the importance of teamwork in healthcare? How do you contribute to a team-oriented environment?
- What are your thoughts on the importance of patient satisfaction? How do you ensure that you are providing patients with a positive and rewarding experience?
- What are your thoughts on the importance of professional development? How do you stay up-to-date on the latest healthcare trends and best practices?
- What are your thoughts on the importance of work-life balance? How do you ensure that you are taking care of yourself both physically and mentally?
- What are your thoughts on the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace? How do you contribute to a workplace that is welcoming and inclusive to all?
- What are your thoughts on the future of healthcare? What are some of the challenges and opportunities that you see for the healthcare industry?
9. Choose the Best Interview Questions
You could potentially list thousands of AI generated interview questions. You definitely can’t ask that many in a finite interview, though! Here’s how to pare them down.
First, make sure you’ve got lists of:
- General interview questions for the role
- Specific interview questions that assess key skills and requirements
Put all of these into a spreadsheet. Then, have your team choose the best 10–20 questions from all the different groups (that means 1–3 from each group).
Interview questions are a big help in assessing whether a candidate is likely to be a great fit for the role … but, on their own, they’re not enough to select the right person. If you go by resumes and interviews alone, you’ve only got a 50-50 chance of making an accurate hiring decision.
You need more data than a single interview alone can provide. That means using objective measures like:
10. Don’t Rely on Interview Questions Alone
- Pre-employment assessments: You can easily rule out candidates who do poorly on a skills assessment or who fail an integrity test. You may even want to test for cultural fit, based on candidates’ personalities.
- Reference checking: Extensive research shows that a reference from a past direct supervisor is a strong predictor of job performance. Want to make reference checks easy and effortless? Just use Discovered’s built-in automated reference checking functionality.
- One-way video interviews: Phone screening can waste a lot of time on scheduling and no-shows. One-way video interviews are a great alternative, letting you assess candidates at your convenience, bringing in other decision-makers where needed.
Let Discovered Use AI to Recruit Top Candidates
Discovered’s AI capabilities go way beyond writing your interview questions. You can use Discovered’s AI tools right from the start of the hiring process to write engaging job ads, post to multiple job search sites, and collect applications.
The recruitment benefits don’t stop there. Discovered lets you automatically filter candidates based on their resumes, create and administer multiple screenings, and easily identify the top best-fit candidates for the role. It all takes just a few clicks, with the built-in AI doing all the hard work for you. Plus, the monthly cost is low enough for even small companies to afford. Book a free, no-obligation demo today to see the system in action and to chat to us about your hiring needs.
