# Interview questions prompt: free ChatGPT template > A structured interview prompt: two questions per must-have, what a strong answer includes, a follow-up, and job-related swaps for off-limits topics. Source: https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/interview-questions-prompt · Updated 2026-10-01 · Free from Stepthrough (https://learn.ynteractive.com) [Hiring and HR](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts#job-hiring-and-hr) · [Trades](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts#industry-trades) · Works in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Copilot Updated October 1, 2026 · By [Robert Breen](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/about) Use this before you interview anyone. When every candidate gets the same job-related questions, you can compare answers fairly and your notes hold up later. Asking an AI for "interview questions for a dispatcher" gets you a generic list ("What's your greatest weakness?"). This prompt ties every question to one of your must-haves, tells you what a strong answer sounds like, and gives you a job-related question to ask in place of topics that have no place in an interview. ## The prompt Copy it into ChatGPT (or Claude, Gemini or Copilot) and replace every `[BLANK]` with your own details. It uses the four parts from [Prompt Writing 101](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompt-writing-101-role-context-task-format): Role, Context, Task and Format. Copy prompt ```text Role: You are a hiring manager at [BUSINESS] preparing a structured interview: the same questions, in the same order, for every candidate. Context: The role is [JOB TITLE]. The must-haves are: [MUST HAVES]. A hard moment that comes up in this job: [HARD MOMENT]. The interview lasts [INTERVIEW LENGTH]. Stick to job-related points. Don't ask about, infer or mention age, race, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, disability, health, family status or any other protected characteristic. Task: Write two questions for each must-have: one about a real past situation and one practical scenario based on the hard moment or the daily work. For each, say what a strong answer includes and give one follow-up for a vague answer. Then list topics interviewers should not raise and, for each, a job-related question to ask every candidate instead. Format: One table per must-have with the columns Question, Strong answer includes, Follow-up. Then a two-column table called Instead of asking: Topic, Ask every candidate. Fit the questions to the interview length and say roughly how many minutes each must-have gets. ``` ## Fill in the blanks **`[BUSINESS]`** Your business name and what you do. **`[JOB TITLE]`** The role you're interviewing for. **`[MUST HAVES]`** The three to five requirements from your job description. These are what you'll score on later. **`[HARD MOMENT]`** A real situation that separates good from great in this job. It makes the scenario questions specific. **`[INTERVIEW LENGTH]`** How long you have, such as 30 or 45 minutes. ## Example, filled in **A made-up example** from the free lesson [Build an AI Estimate Writer for Your HVAC Company](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/hvac-estimate-writer-custom-gpt). Cedar Ridge Heating & Air is the made-up HVAC company in the HVAC lessons. It's hiring a dispatcher to run the phones and the techs' schedule. Copy example ```text Role: You are a hiring manager at Cedar Ridge Heating & Air, a residential heating and cooling company, preparing a structured interview: the same questions, in the same order, for every candidate. Context: The role is dispatcher. The must-haves are: handling a busy phone line, scheduling six techs across a day, calming upset customers, and keeping job notes accurate in scheduling software. A hard moment that comes up in this job: a family calls with no air conditioning on the hottest day of the year and every tech is booked. The interview lasts 30 minutes. Stick to job-related points. Don't ask about, infer or mention age, race, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, disability, health, family status or any other protected characteristic. Task: Write two questions for each must-have: one about a real past situation and one practical scenario based on the hard moment or the daily work. For each, say what a strong answer includes and give one follow-up for a vague answer. Then list topics interviewers should not raise and, for each, a job-related question to ask every candidate instead. Format: One table per must-have with the columns Question, Strong answer includes, Follow-up. Then a two-column table called Instead of asking: Topic, Ask every candidate. Fit the questions to the interview length and say roughly how many minutes each must-have gets. ``` ## What a good answer looks like - Questions you can only answer well with real experience, such as "Walk me through a day when the schedule fell apart by 10 a.m. What did you change first?" - Strong-answer notes that name observable things (gave the customer a time window, told the tech before the customer) rather than "good communicator." - An Instead of asking table that swaps "Do you have kids?" for "This job starts at 7:30 a.m. Can you work that schedule?" asked of everyone. - A plan that fits in 30 minutes, with time left for the candidate's questions. ## How to check it before you use it An AI draft can sound right and still say something you never told it. Use the habit from the [Reply Faster lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/chatgpt-reply-to-customer-emails): check every promise, name, date and number against what you gave it before anything goes out. - Match every question to a must-have. Cut any question that doesn't test one of them, however interesting it sounds. - Read each strong-answer note and ask whether two interviewers would agree on it. Rewrite the vague ones. - Check the Instead of asking table with HR or your hiring policy; the rules vary by place. - Print one copy and use it for every candidate, so the scores you record later are comparable. ## Why this prompt works The Context names the must-haves and the hard moment, so the questions are about this job and not jobs in general. The same must-haves become the rows of your [interview scorecard](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/interview-scorecard) after the interview, which is how the [interview scorecard prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/interview-scorecard-prompt) can score each candidate on the same things. ## Practice it in the free lesson **[Turn an Interview Debrief into a Scorecard and a Candidate Follow-Up (Recruiting & HR)](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/chatgpt-interview-debrief-scorecard)**: Turn the transcript of an interview panel's debrief into a scorecard against the role's must-haves, the decisions, action items with owners and dates, and a follow-up email to the candidate. You do every step yourself in a practice copy of ChatGPT, and nothing touches your real accounts. [Start the free lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/modules/recruiting-interview-scorecard) Also useful: [Prompt Writing 101: Role, Context, Task, Format](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompt-writing-101-role-context-task-format) ## Terms used here [Interview scorecard](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/interview-scorecard) · [AI bias](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/ai-bias) · [Role, Context, Task, Format](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/role-context-task-format) ## Related prompts - [Interview scorecard prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/interview-scorecard-prompt): Turn interview notes or a debrief transcript into a scorecard: each must-have rated with a quote as evidence, gaps marked Not… - [Candidate skills task prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/candidate-skills-task-prompt): Design a short, fair work-sample task for candidates: made-up materials, a time limit, clear instructions and a scoring rubric… - [Reference check questions prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/reference-check-questions-prompt): A reference call script aimed at the gaps the interview left: role confirmation, an example per must-have, probes for weak… - [Job description prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/job-description-prompt): Turn a manager's rough notes into a clear job description for your files: ranked duties, required vs preferred skills, work… [All free prompt templates](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts) · [AI glossary](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary)