What are the key questions you like to ask and why? How would the proper answers to your questions look like?

Below you’ll find a sample of the questions I like to ask in interviews for demand generation roles. Why? They are telling regardless of the specialization of the role and can be tailored.

• How would you measure success in XYZ type of campaign? I’m looking for an answer that speaks to a strong understanding of performance and measuring impact.
• Describe to me your perspective on what the demand generation funnel looks like? This is dependent on the business model, but I’m looking for a unique blending of frameworks (e.g., growth marketing loops and community-led marketing) that aligns with the messiness of what is the modern day “funnel” in air quotes.
• Tell me about one of your least successful campaigns and what you did about it? I’m looking for a response that shows you are comfortable failing forward. If campaigns don’t “fail” you may not be making big enough bets that will really move the needle for the business.

One of my all-time favorites is "What is your biggest weakness?" The best answers are real, show that the candidate knows themselves well, and are structured in a way that also shows they are working on improving that thing. Don't just say "I'm bad at technology," say instead, "Sometimes I struggle with new technology platforms. I realized that this was slowing down my ability to launch campaigns, so now whenever we bring on a new platform I sign up for the onboarding program and watch all the training videos. Since I started this, I now find people asking me questions about how to do things!"

A newer favorite of mine is, "What is something Demand Generation related that you've always wanted to do?" The best answers show that the candidate is thinking ahead, keeps to with trends, and wants to try new things. Instead of, "I'd like to run more webinars/promote podcasts/try LinkedIn ads," say instead "I think there is so much potential in a really good webinar program! Today, we do a lot of one-off webinars. I've love to expand on that and run a recurring webinar series that engages the audience with polls, giveaways, and an integrated social and sales campaign."