The overarching goal of an interview is to get to know a candidate beyond what’s on their resume. Skills, job titles, and timelines tell part of the story, but they rarely tell you how someone works, why they make certain decisions, or what they’ll be like to work with day in and day out.
Unlike recruiters or HR professionals, many hiring managers have not received formal interview training. As a result, interviewing can feel unnatural, and it’s easy to fall into the habit of asking the same basic, cookie-cutter questions to every candidate. While these questions may offer baseline information, they often fail to uncover the insights needed to make confident, long-term hiring decisions.
Interviews are your opportunity to truly understand and evaluate who you are hiring and trusting with key responsibilities in your ag operation. Digging deeper allows you to uncover work ethic, problem-solving ability, accountability, communication style, and long-term fit. The more intentional your interview approach, the more confident you can be in your hiring decisions.
So how can hiring managers move beyond surface-level interviews? Below are proven strategies our agriculture recruiters use to dig deeper and identify stronger hires.
Effective interviews start well before the candidate walks through the door. When preparing for interviews, aim to develop questions across several key categories:
It’s helpful to have a core set of standard questions that you ask every candidate to keep interviews consistent. However, the most valuable insights often come from tailoring your questions to the individual and the specific role.
Before each interview:
This level of preparation demonstrates professionalism, builds credibility with the candidate, and sets the foundation for a more productive and engaging conversation.
Another essential technique to dig deeper in interviews is by asking open-ended questions, that can’t be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” These questions encourage candidates to explain their thinking, share real examples, and tell stories that reveal how they operate in practical situations.
Open-ended questions often start with phrases like:
For example, instead of asking, “Are you comfortable managing employees?” you might ask, “Tell me about a time you had to manage a difficult employee or team situation.” This invites the candidate to share real world experience rather than a surface-level response.
One of the easiest ways to dig deeper during interviews is by asking follow-up questions.
If a candidate gives a vague or generic response, that’s your cue to explore further. For example, if you ask why they left their last position and they respond with, “I didn’t get along with my manager,” don’t stop there.
A follow-up might sound like:
These questions help you understand context, accountability, and self-awareness.
That said, digging deeper isn’t just about uncovering potential red flags. It’s just as important to explore their wins and accomplishments. If a candidate says they doubled sales, improved efficiency, or reduced costs, you may follow up with:
Silence can feel uncomfortable, especially in interviews. As humans, we naturally want to fill gaps in conversation. But as the interviewer, silence can be one of your most effective tools.
After asking a question, give the candidate some time to think. Resist the urge to jump in or rephrase too quickly. Often, candidates will use that pause to reflect, and then provide a more thoughtful, honest response.
In some cases, silence encourages candidates to expand on their answer, offering insights they may not have shared otherwise. So, don’t rush into asking your next question as soon as the candidate finishes their sentence.
Always plan extra time at the end of the interview for candidates to ask their own questions, too. This part of the interview is just as revealing as your own questions.
The types of questions candidates ask, or don’t ask, can tell you a lot about:
Listen closely to whether their questions focus on the role, the operation, the team, growth opportunities, or day-to-day expectations. This is your opportunity to evaluate alignment from both sides.
Digging deeper in interviews takes practice and intention, but the payoff is well worth it. Better questions lead to better conversations, and better conversations lead to better hires.
By properly preparing, asking follow-up questions, embracing silence, and paying attention to candidate curiosity, you’ll move beyond surface-level interviews and gain the clarity you need to make confident hiring decisions.
For more tips and advice from the agriculture recruitment experts, check out our hiring resources.