As someone who has spent years hiring talent and is also a certified coach, I’ve learned firsthand how easy it is to mistake a polished interview for a perfect fit. The truth is, candidates are more prepared than ever. With access to social media, YouTube videos, LinkedIn thought leadership, and a host of “Top 10 Interview Questions” blogs, they’ve studied the playbook. Many even hire their own coaches to help them prepare.
So as a hiring manager, why don’t you bring a coach into the process, too?
Your goal isn’t to be impressed by a script; it’s to get to the truth of whether this person is right for the role, the team, and the organization. And coaches are uniquely skilled at helping you do just that.
This isn’t about turning interviews into coaching sessions. It’s about leveraging the coach’s strengths—deep listening, skilled questioning, and objectivity—to help you hire more effectively. Here are three reasons to bring a coach into your interview process, plus a bonus tip that can transform how candidates experience your hiring process.
1. Coaches Are Trained to Listen Beyond the Surface
Most interviewers listen with a purpose: they’re trying to validate qualifications, assess fit, or check off a mental list. That’s understandable, but it also creates blind spots. When you’re only listening for what you want to hear, you can miss what’s actually being said.
Coaches are trained to listen differently. We listen not just for content but for patterns, tone, contradictions, values, and what’s left unsaid. This kind of deep listening can uncover subtle signals—strengths, doubts, motivations, or misalignments—that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Bringing that kind of listening into the interview process helps you go beneath the polish and get closer to who the candidate really is.
2. Coaches Ask Better (and Deeper) Questions
It’s easy to rely on standard interview prompts like “Tell me about a time when…” Those questions still have a place. But what happens next is just as important.
Coaches are trained to follow up in ways that invite reflection and reveal depth. For example, after a candidate shares a story, a coach might ask:
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- “What strengths were you leaning on in that moment?”
- “Where did you feel out of your depth?”
- “Who did you turn to for support, and why?”
- “What would you do differently now?”
- “What strengths were you leaning on in that moment?”
These kinds of questions reveal not just what the candidate did, but how they think, grow, and navigate complexity. That’s the information you really need to make a smart hiring decision.
Here’s a quick real-world example: In one interview, we asked a candidate to share an area of work she found demotivating. She gave a polished, politically correct answer about how Excel isn’t her favorite although she understands its value, and so on. While it sounded reasonable, Excel wasn’t relevant to the role, so the response didn’t offer any meaningful insight.
A better approach? Present the candidate with three real job-related tasks and ask them to rank them from most to least enjoyable. Then explore the one they ranked lowest. That’s where you’ll uncover potential areas of demotivation, skill gaps, or friction—and where a coach’s deeper questioning can really shine.
3. Coaches Bring Objectivity When You Need It Most
Hiring can be exhausting. You’ve reviewed dozens of résumés, had multiple rounds of interviews, and there’s pressure to make a decision quickly. At this point, it’s easy to rely on gut instinct, chemistry, or confirmation bias.
Coaches bring a much-needed layer of neutrality and discipline. We’re trained to keep the focus on the other person, not on our own preferences, assumptions, or timelines. We’re not trying to fill a seat—we’re trying to understand. That impartial presence can be especially valuable when stakes are high or when team consensus is proving difficult.
Just as you might bring in a subject matter expert to assess technical skills, consider bringing in a coach to help assess interpersonal fit, growth potential, and alignment—things that are harder to measure but matter just as much.
Don’t Have Access to a Coach? Use a Coach Approach
By now, you understand how a coach can elevate your interview process. But let’s be honest: not everyone has easy access to a coach who can join their hiring team. The good news? You can still bring a coach mindset to your interviews by adopting a few core practices that coaches rely on every day.
Here’s how to take a coach approach as an interviewer:
Ditch the Script: Having prepared questions is important, but don’t let them become a rigid checklist. Great coaches know how to follow the energy of a conversation. If a candidate says something that sparks curiosity or reveals a new thread, explore it. Your follow-up question might reveal more insight than anything on your list.
Listen to Your Instincts: Did something in the candidate’s answer feel too rehearsed or overly polished? Trust that little voice in your head—it might be pointing to a red flag or something worth probing further. The interview is your chance to ask the hard questions. Don’t miss the opportunity to dig deeper.
Listen for What’s Not Being Said: Coaches pay close attention not just to words, but also to tone, energy, and shifts in mood. If a candidate lights up when talking about one topic but becomes flat or disengaged when discussing another, name it. For example, you might say: “I noticed your energy dipped when you talked about that part of the job—can you tell me more about that?” These observations can reveal motivation, hesitations, or alignment you might otherwise miss.
Even without a coach in the room, taking this kind of intentional, curious, and responsive approach can lead to more meaningful conversations—and better hiring decisions.
Bonus Tip: Be Crystal Clear About the Job
This one’s not about coaching—it’s about respect.
You owe it to every candidate to be clear and honest about the job they’re interviewing for. Job descriptions can be vague or overly curated. It’s your job to fill in the blanks and tell the candidate:
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- What the role really involves, day-to-day
- What the pressure points are
- What kind of team and environment they are stepping into
- What the opportunities for growth are
- What the role really involves, day-to-day
When you’re clear, you empower candidates to make an informed, enthusiastic decision. And when someone chooses you with eyes wide open, they’re far more likely to thrive.
Final Thoughts
The two most essential skills in any interview? Listening and questioning. And those just happen to be the core of coach training.
Bringing a coach into your interview process isn’t about changing the process—it’s about enhancing it. Asking smarter questions. Listening more deeply. Staying curious longer. These are the tools that uncover the right candidate, not just the most prepared one.
If you’re serious about hiring well, consider the impact a coach could make.
About the Author
More Content by Lindsay Ray
