If you’ve ever interviewed for a job, you’ve probably told the same few stories over and over again. Each time, you tweak the details to match what the interviewer is looking for. Over time, those stories become polished, rehearsed, and—let’s be honest—a little too perfect. Jordan Burton recently wrote about this, sharing a few great strategies for hiring managers who want to go beyond surface-level answers. One approach is team specialization. Instead of every interviewer covering the same ground, assign each person a specific focus area. This allows for deeper conversations and naturally moves past the rehearsed stories. Another is chronology. Rather than asking for a candidate’s “best example” of a skill, walk through their last three roles in order. This reduces cherry-picked responses and helps spot real patterns in their experience. And then there’s the simple but powerful “another” technique. When a candidate repeats a story, just say, “That’s great—can you share another example?” Done right, this encourages more genuine, unscripted responses. Canned stories are a reality in interviews, but better questions lead to better hires. Digging deeper reveals not just what a candidate has done, but how they think, adapt, and grow.
