3 Interview Questions That Reveal the Real Person Behind the Resume
This past week, my husband was interviewing candidates for an open role on his government affairs team.
These were people who had already gone through the HR screening and the earlier rounds, so by this point, every candidate was technically qualified.
But he said he could tell within the first few minutes if an interview would actually be worth his time.
When I asked what separated the top candidates from the rest, he said one word: hunger.
They had the skills to do the job and the personality to fit in, but what stood out was their drive. They weren’t just answering questions to impress him. They were already thinking about the work, the team, and how they could make an impact.
And I’ve noticed the same thing in my own hiring world.
People are often surprised when I say we look for hunger in assistants too.
They’ll ask, “Wait, isn’t this just a support role? Don’t you just need someone who checks boxes?”
Except that’s not what makes the best assistants.
The best supporters are the ones who take pride in details and think beyond the checklist. They’re proactive. They ask good questions. They notice what’s missing before you do. They care about making things easier for you and better for the business.
They’re hungry.
That hunger is what makes the difference between an assistant who simply gets the job done and one who becomes a trusted right hand.
What Most People Get Wrong in Interviews
Here’s where things usually go sideways.
Mistake #1: Most people try to evaluate everything in one interview.
They walk in hoping to gauge technical skill, soft skill, and personality fit all in one go — which is way too much pressure for a single conversation. That’s why at Auxo, our process has four phases (and the advice and questions in this article focus specifically on the second-round interview, which is the final stage for us).
By this point, we already know they can do the job. Now we're looking for who they are, how they think, and whether you’ll actually enjoy working with them.
Mistake #2: Asking too many technical questions and not enough about soft skills.
I hear people say they want to “get a feel for the person,” but the second they sit down, they jump straight into technical talk - software, tools, task lists - and walk away wondering, “Hmm… can I really work with this person?” instead of “Yes, this person will make my life easier.”
Mistake #3: Treating the interview like an interrogation.
Rapid-fire questions can be useful in early screening rounds or written questionnaires, but later in the process you’ve somewhat moved past their ability to execute and are now trying to see if you connect with them. This interview is all about the vibe!
That means slowing down enough to actually have a conversation. You can still ask challenging questions, but the goal is to spark reflection to see if you'll enjoy working with them (and can actually trust them to support you).
If you’re not creating space for conversation, you’ll miss it.
The Interview Questions That Reveal Hunger
Interviewing for hunger, connection, and trust can feel tricky because most of the advice that isn’t about technical vetting is vague at best. When people try to find specifics on how to interview for soft skills, they usually end up going down a personality test rabbit hole.
This is where I part ways with a lot of recruiters. I don’t think personality tests are worth the investment. Gasp!
If you’re building a large team and you’re committed to actually studying the results and using them to shape your leadership and team structure, then go for it.
But for most of our clients—whether they’re hiring a VA through us or bringing us in to help recruit a W2 supporter role—we’re helping shape small, growing teams. In that phase of business, personality tests don’t add much value.
If you know what soft skills the role truly needs, you don’t need a test to tell you who’s the right fit.
Here are some of my favorite interview questions to evaluate those soft skills—and what to listen for. (And if you want the full list, grab our Hiring Kit!)
1. “When you think of past coworkers, peers, or managers, who annoyed you the most?”
This one always surprises people, but it reveals a lot. How a candidate describes their frustrations tells me what they can and can’t work with. It also shows whether they take ownership or just deflect blame.
2. “Is there anything you would change about how you performed in your last role?”
This question shows self-awareness. Do they take responsibility? Can they name what they’ve learned and how they’ve grown? The best people are honest about their past and clear about how they’d handle things differently.
3. “Tell me about a time you took initiative.”
This is where the hunger shows up. I’m looking for moments when they saw a problem, thought through the solution, and acted on it. Some will share tiny examples. Others will light up as they describe the big things they made happen.
4. “What’s something you feel confident in, maybe even better at than most people?”
This one’s a setup. I want to see if they can be confident without being arrogant. The best candidates have humble confidence — they know what they’re great at, but they also know how to use that strength in service to others.
When you pair these kinds of questions with a conversational tone, people drop the rehearsed answers. You start to see who they really are.
That’s when you know whether they’ll just fill a role or actually elevate it.
But if figuring out the right questions, reading between the lines, and finding that perfect supporter sounds too time-consuming, my team and I can take it off your plate.
It’s what we do every day — and honestly, what we love doing most.
We’ll handle the screening, the interviews, and the vetting so you can get straight to building momentum with the right person by your side.
Book a call with me to get started. 👉 auxosvs.com/book