A Co-CEO Reveals the Best Interview Question a Job Candidate Asked

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Noah Berk, the co-CEO of Aptitude 8, who is based in Columbia, Maryland. This story has been edited for length and clarity.

I am the co-CEO of Aptitude 8, which is HubSpot’s leading technical consultancy in the ecosystem. We specialize in deploying HubSpot on behalf of our clients.

Generally, when someone interviews with me, it’s their last interview. And generally, prior to the interview, I have a full list of what I’m looking for. I’m trying to understand culture fit and if they’re the right person for the job. It’s also an opportunity for me to set expectations for them.

To me, educating yourself and learning constantly is what will separate any candidate. With AI-enabled services, it’s too easy to just regurgitate whatever AI is saying to you instead of thinking thoughtfully about your own career and your own way of growing up.

I’m looking for curiosity in a candidate. People who show that they like to read and learn are generally the type of people we like to hire.

The question that made a lasting impression

Before becoming a co-CEO, I interviewed thousands of people as a recruiter. In my current role, I’ve interviewed hundreds. Recently, I got asked a question that I’ve never been asked before.

The candidate asked, “What are you reading?”

That question really showed a sense of curiosity and that they’re not just prioritizing themselves. They were also trying to think about who we are as an organization and what the company’s future will look like.

I think I was reading “The Culture Code” at the time, and rereading “Traction: Get A Grip On Your Business.” The question was almost like a shortcut to my mindset.

I ask that question as well. I’m not necessarily looking to hear that the candidate is reading a business book. I’m just curious if they’re exercising their brain and staying on top of whatever it is. Even if you’re reading for fun, you’re still exercising. It’s more difficult to pick up a book than it is to go on TikTok and scroll. For many people, the easiest thing to do is not read.

Avoid broad questions

You should stay away from broad-based questions. The broadest question I typically get is, “What’s the culture like?” That’s not a good question. No one’s going to say, “It sucks here. It’s a horrible place to work.”

I think one mistake a lot of people make, especially when they get to the final interview, is that they think they’ve asked all the questions to the other people they’ve interviewed with, and they may say, “Well, I’ve already had all my answers.” That’s the absolute wrong answer to give, because oftentimes you may get a different or more in-depth answer when you ask the question to different people.

Showing curiosity in your questions is incredibly important. It’s not that hard to research who you’re interviewing. What have they posted on LinkedIn recently? What are their biggest concerns? Who are they as individuals? What are their press releases saying?

Do your research

You should automatically have five to seven questions that you want to ask that show your sense of curiosity about the company and the role. I think a really common and good question is, “What is a co-CEO? How do you operate with your cofounder? Why did you two decide to become co-CEOs?” That’s an example of a question from someone who did research.

We didn’t end up hiring the candidate who asked the question about reading. We had several fantastic candidates, and although that person was definitely in the running, there were other reasons it wasn’t the best fit. But it was still very memorable to me and left a lasting impression. It told me a lot about their character and curiosity.

It’s not the end-all, be-all. But when you’re in a very competitive situation and you’re running against multiple candidates, it could be the difference between getting the job and not getting the job. We’re in a very interesting job market where there’s a lot of competition, and you have to figure out how to stand out.

When you’re getting to the last interview, maybe with a leader in the organization or department, do your research ahead of time.