9 bosses on the one question they always ask candidates in a job interview.

The job interview stage of applying for work is one of the most nerve-wracking times. 

It's something we all face at various points in our careers, and no matter how old and experienced you are, you still get that pang of anxiety right before the interview.

One explanation for the anxiety is often the fact you have no idea what the interviewer will ask you, leading you to prepare dozens of answers and reading over your notes vigorously. 

Be thankful you're not going for a job with Elon Musk. According to a biography on the tech billionaire, he reportedly asks all candidates a maths riddle. 

Watch: Job interviews translated. Post continues below.

But to help you out with job interviews everywhere but Tesla, we asked some of the most fabulous female bosses and business owners in Australia to share with us the one question they always ask candidates in a job interview.

Here's what they had to say.

Jane Lu, CEO and founder of Showpo.

"I do love the classic 'what's your strengths and weakness' question, but you always get the usual answers like 'I'm a perfectionist', 'I care too much, it's hard for me to let go' (eye roll).

"So what I normally ask is 'when we call your manager for a reference, what would they say you need to work on?' Not only does this ensure a more honest response, but is a good reflection on their level of self-awareness."

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Mia Freedman, co-founder of Mamamia.

"I rarely ask 'proper' interview questions because by the time I meet someone it's usually the second or even third interview and they’ve been pretty well vetted by other people in our business. I tend to just ask whatever I'm curious about. 'Why did you leave your last job?' or anything really because I like to get a sense of someone. Are they engaged and engaging? Do they seem like someone I could communicate easily with?

"I've learned that anything that you really notice in an interview – if someone is quite cold or if they have little self-awareness and just talk incessantly without reading the room – these are the things that amplify a thousand times when you're working together and rarely in a good way. You have to look past the nerves that are understandable in an interview situation, which is why I try to just get them talking about different things.

"And then I will always look at their socials to get a sense of the face they present to the world. If someone is very inflammatory or rude or always getting into arguments online, that’s a huge red flag."

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A registered nurse/manager in QLD.

"Given the profession we work in, I know firsthand just how stressful the health sector is. But we each have things in the job we don't enjoy. So my favourite question to ask is 'what is something about your current or most recent role that you particularly didn't enjoy?'

"By asking this question, it's essentially a test to see if what they say they hate is something that will be a major component of their job at our organisation. And if things don't align, then we've saved them and us a lot of time and hassle."

Laura Thompson, founder of The Koori Circle and co-founder of The Clothing Gaps.

Laura says that she and her team love getting the chance to meet and understand new people throughout the interview process, while making sure it's chilled and comfortable.

Listen to this episode of Lady Startup Stories. Post continues after podcast. 

"We usually start by asking people 'have you purchased from Clothing The Gaps before?' and if they reply 'yes', we are intrigued to hear what it was they selected and then delve into a question about their experience. They get bonus points if they turn up to the interview in our merch!" she told Mamamia. 

Laura said this question is particularly important for her and the company, as it speaks to the applicant's awareness of the campaigns they run to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

"We want people to be familiar and have experienced our brand personally. Our favourite question to also ask is 'tell us about a campaign or cause you care about?' We are a values-led social enterprise, so it's nice to know what people care about in the world and the difference they would like to make."

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A food and beverage manager in the hospitality industry in NT.

"I always ask them to list their experience and then how it relates well to the job we're hiring for. Sure, I can read their experience via their resume, but I think it's valid to ask the applicant to speak off the cuff about their work history – I find it more organic.

"I then ask on top of that: 'what are you looking for from this role?' With their experience front of mind, I can then get a stronger idea of whether this job is well suited to them and if they're the right person for me and my team."

Sophie Cachia, co-founder of CACHIA and AISURU and director of BODA Hair Boutique.

"I always ask 'what are you looking for in this job / what do you want to achieve out of this position?'

"Finding out if they are right for you and your business is obviously important, but I believe equally assessing if WE are right for THEM. Are they looking to progress quickly, are we just a pit stop along the way to pay their bills, does the business' core values also align with theirs? I've learned to understand with employees that they need to be happy in their job in order to perform the best for you, so I need to figure out if we are also going to be able to meet their expectations in return as an employer."

Sophie also told Mamamia that she likes to ask applicants if they know how to crack the TikTok algorithm, because "at 31, I feel so old trying to figure out a new platform! I know how crucial TikTok marketing is becoming".

"It's always a good way to find out how much the candidates really know about your business too – if they've done their research, they will be able to list a couple of ways this position can benefit them."

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A HR manager at a prestigious high school in NSW.

"We receive lots of applications for the roles we recruit for. A great way to whittle it down in the interviews stage – or the short-answer questions component – is to ask 'why is it that you want to work here?'

"Teachers are such a valuable resource, and we need to make sure we hire the right people who feel passionate about their career, passionate about the students and passionate about the school they work at. Turnover can be a really big issue, and of course the industry is facing a mass exodus at the moment over issues of pay, workload and burnout. 

"So if we as a school can look after our teachers, we want to make sure they're willing to stay and build bonds with the students. Plus, you can really tell if someone is keen when you ask that question and put the emphasis on 'here'."

Melody Teh, editor of Mamamia.

"At the end of interviews, I always ask the interviewee: 'What questions do you have for us?' I think it's important that the candidate is able to ask questions they feel need to be addressed, as the point of an interview is for both us and the applicant to make sure that the role is right for each other. But it's also a really great way to see if the applicant has researched our organisation and knows what the company stands for, if they've prepared any prior questions and what more they can learn from us in the interview. A good question makes them stand out in my mind, and on the flip side, so does a bad question."

Anaita Sarkar, CEO and co-founder of Hero Packaging and host of Mamamia's Lady Startup podcast. 

"I always want to hire people who are a cultural fit for our team. No amount of skills or experience can justify someone who doesn't get along well with our staff or us. After asking some experience-based questions, I will always ask these two questions: 'What does a great company culture look like to you?' and 'What does your ideal weekend look like?'

"This gives me an idea of what they're looking for at work but also gives me a glimpse into what makes them happy on a personal level."

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