How to Interview with Intention

Consider the topic of management experience. Starting a question with, "Tell me about a time when you handled a difficult employee situation..." is a reasonable attempt to move beyond abstract answers and explore actual situations.  But if every question is about the past, then your questions will be biased against candidates who've never been a direct supervisor.  Every interview question should be intentionally crafted, but more importantly the overall suite of questions should solicit responses from different starting points.  As you do this, you'll come to realize that your choice is not binary.  In the above example, what about asking for commentary on an observed situation, analysis of a case study, or participation in a role play?  The more you diversify the framing and perspectives of your questions, the more insight you’ll have when it's time to make tough elimination choices later on.