Two answers, here's the first (it doesn't answer the question directly but I think it's so NB that it's worth mentioning nonetheless). In 13 or so years of doi

Two answers, here's the first (it doesn't answer the question directly but I think it's so NB that it's worth mentioning nonetheless). In 13 or so years of doing this I have found that that there's not a single interview question that can replace the value of chatting to references. I tried for years to perfect our interview process with clever questions, and time and time again, if we had issues after hiring someone it's because we chose to turn a blind eye to something that came out in a call with a previous employer or colleague. I have had countless conversations with my partners that went something like "that's exactly what so and so said before we hired this guy". As if it were a surprise. Trust what the people who have worked with this person before say - there's no better way to assess fit. So we changed our interview process, and now in interviews I focus much more on establishing cultural fit. How we do that is also very simple - we just talk to the person (kicking off the conversation with a question like "I've read your resume but please tell me your story briefly in your words" - and let the conversation flow naturally from there, asking follow-up questions out of genuine interest, making sure we are contributing to the conversation). It makes it comfortable for everyone and allows us to establish a rapport. Then, if I feel this is someone I would like to spend more time with I know they are a good cultural fit. Skill is assessed in addition to this, but that's job dependent (short note on that - we ask people to do a practical in the final round because when it comes to skill you can't take their word for it). More direct answer to follow...