Former Google recruiter says one interview question can set candidates apart

Farah Sharghi, an HR and technical recruiter who has worked for Google, Uber and The New York Times, says the strongest job candidates use the closing minutes of an interview to identify the employer’s underlying problem. In an essay for CNBC, Sharghi said interviewers are often using that stage to assess how candidates reason, after already forming a view of their technical qualifications.

Her central recommendation is that applicants ask, in effect, what is not working and what the new hire is expected to fix. Sharghi wrote that companies create roles because a manager or team has a problem to address and wants someone who can take ownership with limited supervision.

The guidance reflects a broader point about hiring markets: employers are not only screening for experience, but also for whether candidates understand the operating need behind a headcount request. A job opening may be framed around duties, title and reporting lines, but Sharghi said the more useful discussion is about the measurable issue the company wants resolved.

Questions that reveal how a candidate thinks

Sharghi said many applicants ask conventional questions about culture, growth prospects or daily responsibilities. Those topics can be relevant, but she argued that they often fail to distinguish a candidate in a competitive process.

She advised candidates to ask what part of the function is currently failing or under strain, while making clear that the question is meant to focus their effort rather than challenge the interviewer. According to Sharghi, that framing signals that the candidate is interested in the demanding work attached to the role, not just the title.

She also recommended asking what outcome, one year later, would cause the employer to judge the hire a success. Sharghi said this shows that a candidate is thinking about performance standards rather than only trying to secure an offer. She advised applicants to restate the interviewer’s answer and connect it to examples from their own experience.

Understanding the team’s standard for success

Another question Sharghi favors asks which current team member the interviewer would most like to replicate. She said the answer can help candidates understand what effective performance looks like inside that specific team, rather than relying on a generic description of success.

Sharghi wrote that candidates who ask this type of question tend to adapt faster because they begin studying the organization’s internal model of strong performance during the interview process. She said the information can also help candidates prepare for later interview rounds.

She also suggested asking which part of the job is most often underestimated. In her view, that question gives the interviewer room to describe hidden pressures or difficult parts of the role, while allowing the candidate to explain how they might reduce those burdens.

Sharghi’s advice is based on her experience as a recruiter and career coach. She has worked in talent acquisition for Google, Lyft, Uber, TikTok and The New York Times, according to CNBC. Her broader message is that strong candidates treat the interview less as a performance and more as an early business discussion about the work the employer needs done.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.