The One Interview Question I Ask Every Candidate (and What It Tells Me)
In my career, I’ve interviewed thousands of candidates from fresh grads to seasoned executives. And no matter the role, the level, or the industry, I end every single interview the same way:
“How do you define success for yourself?”
I’ve asked this question so many times that you’d think the answers would start to blend together. But here’s the thing: they never do. Not once have I gotten two identical responses.
That’s what makes it such a powerful question.
It’s open enough to invite honesty and depth, but specific enough to tell you what really matters to the person sitting across from you — their priorities, their values, their personal drivers. It gives you a glimpse into how they think about their life and their work, beyond the résumé bullet points. And just as importantly, it’s a reminder that “success” isn’t one-size-fits-all.
When I was just out of college, I thought success was landing a big-name job and a salary my friends would envy. These days? Success looks very different. It’s watching a team I’ve coached solve a challenge without me. It’s seeing a struggling manager grow into a confident leader. It’s knowing the work I do makes a tangible difference for people and businesses, and still allows me to take care of the people who matter most to me.
Success evolves as you do.
So when I ask this question, I’m really listening for how self-aware the candidate is, how their definition has evolved (or hasn’t), and what kind of culture they’ll thrive in.
What You Can Learn From Their Answer
This question opens a window into things you rarely get from standard interview fare:
What they value. Do they care more about impact? Recognition? Stability? Growth?
What motivates them. Do they light up when talking about helping others succeed? Being heard? Achieving mastery?
What they’ll champion. If someone says success means, “Knowing my voice is respected and my ideas are considered,” that tells you a lot about how they’ll advocate for themselves, and how you might need to advocate for them.
Some answers I’ve heard over the years:
“Seeing the impact of my work on real people.”
“Knowing I’ve built trust with my team and they come to me for help.”
“Providing my family with opportunities I never had.”
“Mastering something that once scared me.”
Each of these answers tells a story. You just have to listen.
How (and When) to Use It
A few pro tips if you want to try this yourself:
Save it for later in the interview. This isn’t an icebreaker question. You’ll get better, more authentic answers once you’ve built some rapport.
Share your own perspective. Before you ask, it can help to briefly share how you define success today, and how that’s changed for you over time.
Connect the dots. After they answer, reflect back how their definition aligns with your company’s mission, values, or culture. It shows you’re not just asking a gimmicky question… you’re paying attention.
At the end of the day, the best interviews are conversations, not interrogations. And good conversations always uncover what really matters.
If you’re looking for more thoughtful, high-impact interview questions —and guidance on how to build a hiring process that surfaces the right candidates — we can help.
Reach out to Compass and ask about our Interview Best Practices Guide. We’ll help you craft a process that doesn’t just fill seats, but finds the people who will truly succeed with you.