These are the top questions managers are asking in job interviews

That means workers applying for jobs better come prepared with compelling stories about challenges they've faced and what they've learned, according to a new study by AI-based career tool Kickresume, which studied 250 interview questions being posed by a host of companies, including the likes of Apple, Accenture and Google.

Among the findings, 22% of companies asked about a candidate's previous mistakes or failures.

“Getting asked about it can feel a bit awkward, but don’t stress: It’s really about showing how you solve problems and bounce back from tough situations," said Peter Duris, CEO and co-founder of Kickresume, in a statement. "We’ve all messed up at some point; it’s how you handle it that really matters."

The study also found that:

54% of companies were extremely likely to ask applicants to share stories from their previous work experiences.
16% asked questions about deadlines.
10% asked about performance under pressure.
10% asked about how workers dealt with a problematic or difficult co-worker.

In some cases, workers also were asked about the company itself, with 16% asking applicants to name a favorite thing about a company product or what interested them about the company.

But perhaps the single biggest question hiring managers are asking in job interviews comes from a new study by Final Round AI, which analyzed tens of thousands of questions among companies with more than 10,000 employees.

The top question was simply why the candidate wanted to work at the company, according to Final Round AI. Similar questions “Why should we hire you” and “Why do you want this job” were also frequently asked.

Other top questions and discussion prompts included:

Where do you see yourself in five years?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Questions about the candidate's resume
Do you have any questions for me?
Tell me about yourself.
Candidate salary expectations and availability

“Interviews can be incredibly stressful, as failure can often mean a return to the job-search grind at best and unemployment at worst. In these high-stakes situations, preparing for the likely questions that will be asked can be a game changer,” said Michael Guan, CEO of Final Round AI. "Companies want enthusiastic and knowledgeable candidates first and foremost. This shows in the question types that appeared most often, which allow candidates to demonstrate enthusiasm and knowledge about the interviewing organization and how their skill set will benefit the company."

Social media creates pitfalls for applicants

Some workers are finding the job-search process increasingly frustrating, with 62% of workers surveyed by collaborative workplace management company Wrike saying they have been ghosted after an interview. Hiring platform Greenhouse similarly found that 61% of workers it surveyed late last year said they had been ghosted after an interview, up from 52% in April.

Job applicants might also want to take a look at their social-media accounts to ensure their online presence is not holding them back from getting work, said Guy Thornton, founder of Practice Aptitude Tests, who pointed to a survey last year that found 70% of employers use social-networking sites to investigate job candidates.

“Go through any social-media platforms you are on and delete any posts, photos or comments that may be seen as unprofessional, offensive or controversial. As you go through and vet your socials, remember to also look at your tagged photos and untag yourself or ask the user to delete any that do not reflect well on you,” Thornton said via email.

He also offered a checklist for workers worried about their social-media footprints, including adjusting the privacy setting on their social-media accounts to ensure employers cannot snoop on their profiles. Workers should also present themselves professionally on any public social-media profiles, monitor their digital footprint to see what comes up when an employer does an online search for their name, and try to keep a clear line between professional and personal digital personas.

"If you’ve managed to secure your dream job, be mindful of giving out your private and more-personal social-media pages to other workplace professionals," Thornton said. "Instead, create a platform with other like-minded career individuals on sites such as LinkedIn to avoid mixing business with pleasure."

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