Interview questions that actually work
Skip the 'greatest weakness' theater. Ask questions that surface how they really work.
Ask about a specific past situation
'Tell me about the last time you had a customer yell at you. Walk me through what happened.' Real answers are detailed and a little messy. Rehearsed answers are clean and generic.
Ask what they don't want to do
'What's the part of this job you'd be least excited about?' If they say 'nothing,' they haven't thought about it. Honest candidates have an honest answer.
Have them do a small piece of the work
A 30-minute paid trial, answer this phone call, write this email, walk this job site, tells you more than an hour of questions. Pay for the time. It's the cheapest signal you'll buy.
Take your version of this question further
This is one operator-tested angle on the question. Your shop, your size, your trade, and your team change the answer. Ask your specific version inside Ask a Shop Owner to get a response grounded in how owners like you actually handled it.