In building Practice Interviews, our goal was to provide users with valuable, actionable feedback on interview questions that are challenging and commonly asked. Initially, our focus was on behavioral questions (e.g., “Tell me about a time…”) and hypothetical questions (e.g., “What would you do if…”). However, as we gathered feedback, we learned that users wanted to practice responses for a wider range of interview questions—specifically, common, high-frequency questions like “What is your greatest strength?” or “Tell me about yourself.”

The development of the Common Questions feature emerged from this insight. Although adding such a feature may seem obvious in hindsight, it required a different approach and structure from our behavioral and hypothetical questions, demanding a unique feedback process tailored to these types of questions.

Listening to Users: Recognizing the Need for Common Interview Questions

Through user interviews, we uncovered a key insight: while practicing complex behavioral and hypothetical questions was valuable, users also wanted the ability to practice more general, yet highly likely, interview questions. These questions, often predictable in interviews, were just as crucial to users’ preparation. Common interview questions like “What is your greatest weakness?” and “Why should we hire you?” were the types of questions users wanted to master with targeted feedback.

This feedback highlighted an unmet need, prompting us to develop a new question set designed specifically for these Common Questions. Unlike the behavioral and hypothetical questions that we tailored to specific job descriptions and used structured frameworks (like the STAR method for behavioral questions), the Common Questions required a simpler, more rigid structure that could work universally across various interviews and roles.

Adapting the Framework: A Different Approach to Feedback

Developing the Common Questions feature presented a unique challenge: our existing frameworks didn’t fit. Behavioral questions had a STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) structure, while hypothetical questions used the CFAS (Context, Framework, Action, Summary) method. Common interview questions, however, lacked this kind of structured narrative and needed a more straightforward evaluation.

We built out a new set of prompts, each tailored to specific common questions. This meant creating a separate question set with its own feedback process, prompting the user in simpler, focused ways. Rather than analyzing responses through multi-step frameworks, we developed a clear feedback format focused on:

• Clarity and Confidence: Assessing how clearly and confidently the user responded.
• Strengths and Weaknesses: Evaluating the relevance and authenticity of the user’s answer, particularly for questions like “What is your greatest strength?”
• Conciseness and Impact: Highlighting the effectiveness and impact of the user’s answer, focusing on avoiding overly generic or vague responses.

Prototyping with Wordwear: Testing Our Approach

To test the effectiveness of this new question set, we built a prototype using our Wordwear system, a tool we use for prompt management. The prototype allowed us to trial the feedback for Common Questions and refine it based on user responses. Through this, we were able to validate the usefulness of the feature, ensuring it met users’ needs before rolling it into production.

By using Wordwear for prototyping, we quickly iterated on feedback prompts, refining the guidance we provided. This iterative testing process helped us arrive at a streamlined but effective feedback approach for common interview questions.

Outcome: A Simple, Effective Tool for Common Interview Questions

Ultimately, we shipped a streamlined version of the Common Questions feature, which allowed users to practice these questions and receive feedback, albeit with a simpler, less structured framework than the one used for behavioral or hypothetical questions. This quick deployment allowed users to engage with the feature and immediately boosted usage rates, as users could quickly answer questions like “Tell me about yourself” and receive actionable insights.

Key Takeaways: Lessons from Developing the Common Questions Feature

Building out the Common Questions feature taught us valuable lessons about responding to user feedback and designing flexible features:

• Adaptability in Frameworks: Not every question type requires a structured approach like STAR or CFAS. By adapting our feedback approach, we created a simpler, highly effective feedback process for commonly asked questions.
• Prototype and Test Before Production: Testing the Common Questions feature in Wordwear allowed us to refine feedback quickly, ensuring the final product met user needs without over-complicating the feature.
• User-Centric Innovation: Listening to users’ needs helped us identify an area for improvement we hadn’t initially anticipated, underscoring the importance of being responsive to feedback in the development process.

Conclusion

The Common Questions feature is an essential addition to Practice Interviews, making it a more versatile and user-focused tool. By giving users the ability to practice and refine their responses to questions they’re likely to encounter in any interview, we’re equipping them with the confidence and clarity they need to succeed. This feature demonstrates our commitment to listening to xusers and adapting our approach to provide the most practical, effective preparation tools.

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