Which type of structured interview question focuses on hypothetical situations?

Situational interview questions are designed to assess how a candidate might handle hypothetical situations relevant to the job they are applying for. These questions often present a scenario that the candidate could encounter in the workplace and ask them to describe how they would respond or what actions they would take. This approach allows interviewers to gauge a candidate's problem-solving abilities, judgment, and interpersonal skills in contexts that reflect potential real-world challenges.

In this format, the emphasis is placed on future behaviors and responses rather than past experiences, which distinguishes situational questions from behavioral interview questions that focus on how candidates handled actual past situations. Open-ended questions, meanwhile, seek more elaborate responses but do not specifically focus on hypothetical scenarios. Technical questions assess a candidate's knowledge and skills related to specific job-related tasks and concepts, rather than exploring their thought processes in response to theoretical situations.