Business Consulting for Startups: Interviewing Tips
Apr 25, 2025
Over the past 10 years or so, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside owners and leadership teams. They learn how to build discipline, structure and accountability into their organizations so they can achieve their goals and ultimately, build a valuable (and one day sellable) business.
On a recent trip to Tampa for a client session, I was sitting in the airport when I overheard a phone interview take place between the owner of a startup and a candidate. The startup owner began the conversation with, “So tell me a bit about yourself.”
In my experience working with startups and established businesses alike, I believe this is a horrible question to ask. I could take the answer in 1,000 different directions. I have a cat, would you like to know about that? I play hockey, I cook, I love conspiracy theories. Are these topics you’d like to know more about?
The fundamental problem? It’s one of the laziest questions you could ask and ultimately, harmful if used in an interview scenario.
When you hire someone new to your business, you’re taking on a huge risk. Too frequently I witness a lazy hiring process, then hear complaints about how poorly the new hire performs or how much they’re a misfit for the company’s culture.
All of which could be avoided by asking better questions.
Below are a few examples of questions clients ask who have successfully hired the right-fit teammates.
Example Interview Questions:
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What’s the most important outcome of this call for you?
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If we’re having a conversation three years from now, what would you be telling me about your career?
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What’s been a memorable challenge you figured out how to overcome? What about one you haven’t overcome yet?
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What’s the worst question you’ve been asked while interviewing?
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How would you handle being fired? Being promoted?
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What does work/life balance mean to you?
In both business consulting for startups and existing businesses, I've seen the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people. But don’t just take my word for it — take it from one of our clients, Rick Sutkiewicz:
“We highly value the relationship we have established with Preston over the past five years. He’s a fantastic facilitator and advisor who has enabled our leadership team to hire the right people, achieve far better alignment, and significantly enhanced accountability throughout our entire organization. As a result, the company has achieved financial results far exceeding forecast and expectations”. - Rick Sutkiewicz, President of ThermalNetics
To hire the right-fit person, you must be willing to challenge candidates, and yourself, rigorously. Remember, hiring the wrong person costs 20 times the amount of time you think you might save by just skimming the surface.
It’s also important to define your company’s core values. Many organizations simply don’t know how to create the right core values, how to integrate those values and how to mentor for success. Providing clarity for your team on what is expected is a must. The culture of your business is what drives your success with your people.
Learn how to define a winning culture with a complimentary preview into Get Fit Biz Academy:
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Preston True
Preston True is the founder of Get TPA Fit, a rapidly growing business coaching and value-building firm. Based in Detroit, Michigan, TPA has worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs and leadership teams on day-to-day problem solving, business culture and long range vision, so they ultimately learn how to delete chaos, earn more and build value.
