17 Top Executives Share Their Favorite Interview Questions

You can read Stephen Viscusi's contribution on the MSN Contributor platform, where he joins 16 other top executives to reveal the interview questions they rely on most when evaluating candidates. For Viscusi, who has spent over thirty years running one of the nation's leading executive search firms, the right question in an interview can reveal more about a candidate than an entire resume.

Why the Right Interview Question Matters

Every recruiter and hiring manager has a go-to question — the one that cuts through rehearsed answers and gets to the heart of who a candidate really is. The best interview questions are not designed to trip people up. They are designed to surface qualities like self-awareness, problem-solving ability, cultural fit, and leadership potential that do not show up on a CV.

Viscusi has conducted thousands of interviews over his career and has seen firsthand how a single well-placed question can separate a good candidate from a great one. His approach to interviewing emphasizes putting the candidate at ease first, then asking questions that reveal poise, intelligence, experience, and communication skills — qualities that matter far more than credentials alone in determining long-term success.

Interview Tips from The Viscusi Group

At The Viscusi Group, we coach both employers and candidates on interview best practices. For employers, we recommend building a structured interview process that includes a mix of behavioral, situational, and culture-fit questions. The goal is not just to assess skill — it is to determine whether the candidate will thrive in your specific environment and contribute to the team dynamic over the long term.

For candidates, preparation is everything. Research the company, understand the role, and be ready to speak with specifics about your accomplishments rather than generalities. The executives featured alongside Viscusi in this article all share one thing in common: they want to hear real stories, not polished talking points.

Stephen Viscusi's Workplace Commentary

As a contributor to MSN, The Huffington Post, The New York Post, Divine Caroline, and The Ladders, Stephen Viscusi has written extensively about hiring practices, workplace culture, and the evolving expectations of employers and employees. On television, he has been a recurring workplace expert on NBC/Universal's Steve Harvey Show, Good Morning America, Inside Edition, CBS News, CNN, Fox News, and NPR. ABC's Charles Gibson called him "America's Workplace Guru."

About Stephen Viscusi and The Viscusi Group

Stephen Viscusi is the CEO and founder of The Viscusi Group, a retainer-based executive search firm that specializes in the interior furnishings industry. He started his career at Haworth and has spent over thirty years placing talent across the contract furniture, residential furnishings, and architectural products sectors. Viscusi is also the New York Times bestselling author of On the Job (Random House) and Bulletproof Your Job (HarperCollins), published in 18 languages worldwide.

Hires made through The Viscusi Group are backed by an industry-leading replacement guarantee, reflecting our confidence in every placement we make.

Please share your story or comment on this article and send your workplace questions to stephen@viscusigroup.com. Or give us a call at (212) 979-5700 ext. 101.

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