How to Use AI to Write Smart Interview Questions
Just a few years ago, the idea of using artificial intelligence to prepare for candidate interviews might have seemed far-fetched. But today, generative AI–assisted interviewing is quickly becoming a game changer for forward-thinking recruiters.
With generative artificial intelligence (GAI) tools now capable of producing tailored, well-structured interview questions in seconds, recruiters can spend less time drafting questions from scratch and more time focusing on what really matters — identifying and engaging top talent. AI can also help ensure consistency across interviews, reduce unconscious bias in question creation, and tailor questions to the specific requirements of a role and a candidate’s background.
Given that 70% of companies will use AI for hiring in 2025, according to a recent survey, now is the time to explore how these tools can enhance your own candidate-interview preparation. In this post, we’ll break down how generative AI can help recruiters craft high-quality interview questions, share best practices for using AI-powered tools effectively, and cite examples of strong AI prompts to elevate your hiring process.
Why interview questions matter
A great interview starts with asking great questions. The right questions don’t just assess a candidate’s skills and experience — they reveal how they think, solve problems, and approach challenges. Well-crafted interview questions create space for meaningful conversations, helping recruiters go beyond the resume to find the candidate that is the best fit for the role and company culture.
But here’s the challenge: Writing strong interview questions takes time. Recruiters often juggle multiple open roles, making it tough to craft fresh, insightful questions for every position. It’s easy to default to generic or overused questions that don’t truly gauge a candidate’s potential.
Bias is another hurdle. Even with the best intentions, human nature influences the way we frame questions, often favoring certain backgrounds, experiences, or communication styles. Research has shown that 48% of HR managers admit bias affects which candidates they choose to hire. Ensuring a diverse and well-rounded set of interview questions takes intentionality and awareness.
Then there’s the issue of consistency. When multiple hiring managers conduct interviews, maintaining a structured and balanced question set can be a challenge. Some candidates may get thought-provoking, high-impact questions, while others face more surface-level ones — making it harder to compare responses fairly.
This is where generative AI comes in. GAI tools help recruiters quickly generate a bank of thoughtful, role-specific questions that address these challenges — saving time, reducing bias, and ensuring a more structured, effective interview process.
How to generate interview questions with AI
After reviewing resumes and applications, the next step is to meet with top candidates. Interviews aren’t just about verifying experience and skills — they’re an opportunity to understand how a candidate thinks, solves problems, and fits within the team and company culture.
AI can help recruiters streamline this process. Here’s a step-by-step guide for using AI to generate thoughtful, well-structured interview questions that help you identify the best candidate for the job.
1. Start with the job description
The best way to generate relevant interview questions with AI is to start with the job description. Copy and paste the full job posting — or provide a link if the AI tool can access external content — and ask your AI to generate interview questions tailored to the role.
The initial output will likely include broad, general questions that apply to most candidates. Think of these as a foundation rather than a final product. Review the AI-generated questions, refine them to align with the specific role and company needs, and add any unique elements that reflect your hiring priorities.
For recruiters juggling multiple roles at once, this approach is a huge time-saver, making it easier to craft structured, thoughtful interview questions without starting from scratch.
Prompt:
Below is the job description for a [Job Title] role I’m hiring for. Based on the responsibilities and qualifications, generate 10 first-round interview questions that assess the candidate’s relevant experience, problem-solving skills, and cultural fit.
2. Use AI to improve existing interview questions
Many organizations already have a go-to set of interview questions they’ve used in the past to fill similar roles. But instead of defaulting to the same list, use this as an opportunity to refine and enhance those questions with the help of generative AI.
AI can help improve existing interview questions by:
- Clarifying vague phrasing to ensure candidates fully understand what’s being asked.
- Making questions more structured to elicit deeper, more thoughtful responses.
- Diversifying question types to include a mix of behavioral, situational, and technical questions.
- Reducing bias by identifying and rewording questions that might unintentionally favor certain backgrounds or experiences.
By leveraging AI in this way, recruiters can create a more consistent, inclusive, and insightful interview experience.
Prompt:
Below are the interview questions we previously used for the [Job Title] role. Please refine and improve them by making them clearer, more structured, and better suited to assess both technical and soft skills. Please also suggest any additional questions that might provide deeper insight into a candidate’s qualifications and fit for this role.
3. Refine your AI-generated interview questions
Once you have a baseline list of AI-generated interview questions, the next step is to fine-tune them so they effectively assess a candidate’s hard skills, soft skills, and behavioral intelligence — the key ingredients for success in the role.
Start by reviewing the job description and identifying the must-have hard skills (such as technical expertise, industry knowledge, or proficiency with specific tools) and critical soft skills (such as communication, adaptability, or leadership). A strong candidate should demonstrate both.
Next, collaborate with the hiring manager and key stakeholders to refine the skill set. While AI is a powerful tool, human input is essential — the person the new hire will report to, as well as others in the department, may have valuable insights into the specific skills that need to be evaluated.
With these skills in mind, use the GAI tool to generate targeted follow-up questions that dig deeper into a candidate’s abilities. For example:
- If a role requires data analysis, AI can help create situational or technical questions to assess problem-solving skills.
- If team leadership is essential, AI can generate behavioral questions that reveal a candidate’s approach to collaboration and conflict resolution.
AI can also adjust the complexity and specificity of questions based on seniority level. An entry-level role may require questions focused on fundamental concepts, while a leadership position might need more strategic, high-level inquiries.
Prompt:
Based on the job description below, generate five interview questions that specifically assess the key hard and soft skills required for this role. Ensure the questions encourage candidates to provide detailed, real-world examples of their experience.
4. Review the questions carefully
Before using AI-generated interview questions in a face-to-face interview, put them under a microscope and examine them carefully. Meet with the hiring manager again to ensure the questions are varied, fair, and comprehensive. AI can generate great starting points, but human oversight is essential to make sure the questions align with the role and the company’s hiring goals.
Also, double-check for legal compliance. Employment laws vary by region, and certain interview questions — no matter how well-intentioned — could unintentionally cross legal lines. Reviewing all questions in advance helps avoid potential risks, ensuring a fair, unbiased, and candidate-friendly interview process.
As a final step, you can even use AI to audit the question set for fairness and compliance. While AI shouldn’t replace legal review, it can highlight questions that may introduce bias or exclude certain candidates — allowing you to refine them proactively.
Prompt:
Please review the following list of interview questions and suggest any improvements to ensure they are legally compliant, fair, and inclusive. Are there any questions that could unintentionally introduce bias or exclude certain candidates? Please suggest modifications where needed.
Final thoughts: AI Is a powerful tool — but you’re in the driver’s seat
Generative AI can save time, reduce bias, and ensure consistency, but it’s not a replacement for human expertise. The best recruiters use AI as a strategic assistant, refining AI-generated interview questions to reflect the unique needs of the role, company, and candidate.
As AI continues to evolve, so will the ways recruiters integrate it into the hiring process. By staying curious and experimenting with AI-powered tools, talent acquisition professionals can create smarter, more effective hiring experiences — without losing the human touch that makes great recruiting truly impactful.