Content writer interview questions

You can read a writer’s samples before the interview. What samples don’t show is how they got there: how they research a topic they don’t know, how they take an edit, and whether they think about the reader and the result.

10 questions for a content writer first round

Pick three to five that fit your role, rather than all ten: a short first round gets more finished interviews. All ten together take about 23 minutes to record. The time limits suit a one-way video interview, where each answer is recorded once.

  1. 1

    Tell us about a piece of writing you’re proud of. Who was it for, and what was it meant to do?

    Listen for: A clear reader and goal, and evidence they thought about both while writing.

    3 min to answer
  2. 2

    How do you research a topic you know nothing about?

    Listen for: Good sources, talking to experts where possible, and checking facts rather than rewording other articles.

    2 min to answer
  3. 3

    Describe a time an editor made big changes to your draft. How did you respond?

    Listen for: Openness, learning from the edit, and a sensible way to push back when a change made the piece worse.

    3 min to answer
  4. 4

    How do you write in a brand’s tone of voice when it isn’t your own?

    Listen for: Studying existing material, using the guidelines and adapting word choice and rhythm, with an example.

    2 min to answer
  5. 5

    Tell us about a piece of content that didn’t perform as you hoped. What did you learn?

    Listen for: That they looked at results at all, a believable reason for the miss and what they would do differently.

    3 min to answer
  6. 6

    How do you make a complicated subject easy to understand?

    Listen for: Concrete techniques: examples, plain words, structure, and cutting what the reader doesn’t need.

    2 min to answer
  7. 7

    How do you plan your work when you have several pieces due at once?

    Listen for: A realistic process and early warning when a deadline is at risk.

    2 min to answer
  8. 8

    What do you know about writing for search engines, and how does it affect your writing?

    Listen for: Writing for the person searching first, with an understanding of keywords and structure that doesn’t spoil the reading.

    2 min to answer
  9. 9

    How do you edit your own work before you hand it in?

    Listen for: A real routine: reading aloud, cutting, checking facts and links, taking a break before the final pass.

    2 min to answer
  10. 10

    What would you write about first for us, and why?

    Listen for: That they understand your audience and can suggest a topic with a clear reason.

    2 min to answer
Scoring

Signs of a strong candidate

  • Starts from the reader and the goal
  • Researches properly and checks facts
  • Welcomes edits but can defend a good choice
  • Looks at results after publishing

Agree what a 3 and a 5 look like for each question before anyone watches, and save your own rating before reading your colleagues’.

Use them

Run these as a video interview

  1. Save your chosen questions as a question set in AsyncView, with the minutes for each.
  2. Create an interview for the role, import the set and pick a deadline.
  3. Paste your candidates’ names and emails. Each gets a private link.
  4. Watch, rate and compare answers with your team, then shortlist.
How question sets work
More roles

Questions for similar roles

All roles
Keep reading
All guides

Send these questions to your content writer candidates today.

Candidates record their answers in their own time; your team reviews together. The Free plan includes 5 interviews and needs no card.

Start for free (opens in a new tab)See how it works