One of the most debated topics in recruitment is whether or not to send interview questions in advance.

Some argue that it levels the playing field, while others believe it gives candidates an unfair advantage.

In this article, we’ll dive into the benefits and drawbacks of sending interview questions ahead of time.

The Benefits of Sending Interview Questions in Advance

Sending interview questions before the meeting has some tangible advantages for your recrutment process as well as for the candidates.

From our experience, here are the main benefits:

• Reduces Anxiety: Sharing questions in advance helps candidates feel more at ease. When they know what to expect, they can prepare properly, leading to less stress during the interview.
• Encourages Better Preparation: When candidates know the questions ahead of time, they can align their skills and experiences with the job requirements. This leads to more relevant and thoughtful answers, giving you better insights into their qualifications.
• Promotes Fairness and Inclusivity: Not everyone is comfortable with spontaneous questioning. By sending questions in advance, you give all candidates a fair chance to prepare, especially those who may struggle with on-the-spot responses. This approach is particularly helpful for neurodiverse candidates who need time to gather their thoughts.
• Improves Candidate Experience: Sending questions in advance shows respect for the candidate's time and effort. It makes the interview feel less like a test and more like a conversation. This positive experience can reflect well on your company and make candidates more interested in joining your team.

The Drawbacks of Sending Interview Questions in Advance

Besides these obvious benefits,there are also some downsides to consider. Here are key drawbacks that we noted when giving questions in advance :

• Potential for Over-Preparation: When candidates receive questions in advance, they might over-rehearse their answers. This can lead to responses that sound scripted rather than genuine. You may not get an authentic understanding of how they think or solve problems
• Risk of External Assistance: Candidates might seek help from others to craft their responses, which can lead to answers that do not truly reflect their own abilities. This makes it challenging to assess the candidate’s true skills and knowledge. You want to ensure that the person you’re hiring is capable without relying heavily on outside assistance.
• Less Insight into Communication Skills: Spontaneous questioning allows you to evaluate how well candidates communicate under pressure. When they have time to prepare answers, you may miss out on assessing their ability to articulate thoughts clearly and effectively in a real-time situation.
• Might Not Suit Every Role: Some roles require candidates who are comfortable thinking on their feet and handling unexpected situations like in sales or customer service. Sending questions in advance may not provide the insights you need for these types of positions.

Should You Send Interview Questions Early?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer in this question. It ultimately depends on the position you're trying to fill.

For roles where technical skills and specific knowledge are crucial, sending interview questions in advance can make a lot of sense. It allows candidates to prepare thoughtful responses that showcase their expertise. In such cases, you want to see how candidates apply their knowledge rather than how they react under pressure.

On the other hand, if the role requires adaptability, quick decision-making, or strong interpersonal skills, you should keep some aspects of the interview spontaneous. For roles in sales, management, or any position that requires frequent interaction with others, spontaneity is a key quality to evaluate. It provides insight into their confidence, communication style, and ability to handle pressure—all critical traits for these kinds of positions.

You can also adop an hybrid approach if you're not satisfied with these two options. You can send candidates an outline or a few key questions in advance to help them prepare, while still reserving some questions to assess their adaptability and critical thinking. Nothing is stopping you from doingthat !

Automated Interview Questions: Noota

Want to stop worrying about note-taking? By simplifying and automating the interview process, Noota helps recruiters and hiring managers make better, faster, and more informed decisions : 

• Streamline your interviews questions. During an interview, it’s easy to get caught up in the conversation and forget to ask key questions. Noota solves this by providing reminders about the essential questions you need to cover.
• Record and transcribe the answers automatically. Forget about scribbling notes while trying to stay engaged with the candidate. With Noota, everything is recorded and transcribed in real-time, allowing you to focus on the conversation.
• Generate structured summaries that highlight the key takeaways from the conversation. Instead of sifting through pages of notes or re-listening to the entire interview, you get a concise overview of each candidate's strengths, areas for improvement, and other important details.
• Ensure objective evaluation with customizable templates. You can use interview methods like the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) technique and apply them consistently across all interviews. This ensures that every candidate is evaluated using the same criteria, leading to fairer and more objective hiring decisions.

Want to streamline your interview process and make the most of your interview questions ? Try Noota for free.