Interview questions come in all flavors. Sometimes, they’re straightforward—“Tell me about yourself.” Sometimes, they’re a mini intelligence test—“Tell me how you think they make M&Ms.” Sometimes, they’re just plain weird—“If you were an animal, what kind would you be?”

But the best interview questions are behavior-based queries that focus on what applicants know how to do and how they do it.

Employment law attorney Mindy Chapman likes the following 20 questions. They’ll help you zero in on a candidate’s skills, knowledge and temperament—the kind of information you need to pick the right person for the job.

• How can we best rewa rd you for doing a job well done?

• What have your mistakes taught you?

• What frustrates you at work, and what do you do about it?

• How do you like to be managed?

• What kind of supervisor brings out your peak performance?

•  What is the most useful criticism you ever received? Given?

•  What one area of your performance do you struggle with?

•  Tell me about a time when you had to adapt quickly to change.

•  In your position, are you a risk taker or do you play it safe?

• Describe a time you had to sacrifice quality to meet a deadline.

• How do you stay current on industry trends and standards?

• What do you think are key qualities for this position?

• How has your current position prepared you for this job?

• Have you ever been fired? Why?

• What strategies do you use when you cannot solve a problem?

• What are your three most effective business accomplishments?

• What policies have you written and implemented?

• Tell me about a time when your communication skills had an impact.

• Tell me about a time when you missed a deadline.

• Tell me about a time when you changed your pla n mid-project.

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