In today’s rapidly evolving professional landscape, companies and candidates are looking for more transparency and fairness in the recruitment process. One of the emerging practices is sharing interview questions with candidates before the actual interview. While this approach might seem unconventional or even counterintuitive to some, it offers a range of benefits for both employers and candidates. Here’s why we, at Cambridgeshire ACRE, think it’s a good idea to share interview questions with those interviewing for jobs with us ahead of time.

Levelling the playing field

Not all candidates come from the same background, education or prior experience. Sharing interview questions in advance helps reduce the advantage that some candidates might have due to prior interview experience or connections to our work. By giving everyone equal access to the questions, we’ve seen the emphasis shift to how well a candidate can respond to the questions rather than how well they can think on their feet. This fosters a more inclusive recruitment process and creates a fairer opportunity for individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Improving candidate performance

Interviews can be nerve-wracking and anxiety can affect even the most qualified candidates. When candidates know the questions in advance, they have more time to prepare and can provide thoughtful, well-constructed answers. We’ve seen that this doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll ‘rehearse’ their responses, but rather that they’re able to reflect deeply on their experiences, skills and knowledge, resulting in them giving us more authentic and comprehensive answers.

After all, the goal of an interview is to evaluate how well a candidate fits the role, not to test their ability to think under pressure. By reducing unnecessary stress, we allow candidates to present their best selves, which benefits both us and them.

Enhancing transparency and trust

Transparency is a key factor in building trust and sharing interview questions in advance is a clear demonstration of this. It shows candidates that Cambridgeshire ACRE values fairness and is more interested in their capabilities than in catching them off guard. We believe that this act reflects positively on our reputation, showing that we care about creating an open and supportive interview environment.

Given that candidates might share their interview experiences on social media platforms like LinkedIn, we think that building a reputation for fairness and transparency can only improve our brand as an employer. Candidates are more likely to view us favourably if they feel respected throughout the recruitment process.

Saving time and improving interview quality

When candidates are better prepared, interviews tend to run more smoothly. Candidates who come to the interview with clear, organized thoughts are less likely to go off on tangents or struggle to find the right words. We find this helps the interview stay focused and efficient, making better use of the interview panel’s time.

We’ve also found that having prepared candidates leads to more meaningful discussions. Instead of wasting time on surface-level questions or awkward pauses, we can delve deeper into the candidate’s qualifications, personality and fit with our organisational culture, resulting in a more valuable and insightful conversation.

Aligning with modern recruitment trends

The modern workforce increasingly values empathy, work-life balance and transparent communication in potential employers. Sharing interview questions reflects these values, showing that we understand the pressures that candidates face and are committed to creating a supportive and inclusive recruitment process. Nearly every candidate we have interviewed recently has commented that knowing what they were going to be asked in advance made for a more relaxed interview.

Conclusion

Sharing interview questions in advance is a practice that benefits both candidates and us as an employer. By creating a fairer, more transparent and less stressful interview process, we have been able to attract high quality team members and make better informed recruitment decisions. While some may argue that this removes the element of spontaneity, we have found the reality is that it fosters a more thoughtful, respectful and efficient recruitment process – and one that reflects our values as a forward-thinking charity.

Interested in working for us? Find out more here.