On this page
Key takeaways
Good task analysis interview questions ask about the work, not the job: what you did yesterday, what arrives the same way every week, what you redo, what you chase and what piles up when you are away. A 30-minute structured conversation, with the person's diary open, turns a vague role into a list of real tasks you can screen.
- 30 minutes, one person, diary and inbox open.
- Ask about yesterday, not 'a typical day'.
- Ask what repeats, what is redone and what is chased.
- End with: what would you hand over tomorrow?
Want the interview question sheet? Message us on WhatsApp.
Chat on WhatsApp →Why do interviews need structure?
Because open questions get job descriptions. 'What do you do?' produces 'I look after accounts'. Specific questions about recent, concrete work produce tasks: 'Yesterday I coded 40 invoices, answered six supplier queries and rebuilt the aged debt report.' Structure also makes interviews comparable across a team.
Which questions work best?
Ask these in order, with the diary and inbox open.
- What did you work on yesterday, in order?
- What arrives the same way every week?
- What do you redo, correct or check twice?
- Who do you chase, and for what?
- What piled up during your last holiday?
- If you could hand over one task tomorrow, which?
How do you avoid people feeling threatened?
Say clearly at the start what the interview is for: finding work that could move off their plate so they can spend more time on the parts of the job that need them. Share how the list will be used. Never use interview answers to judge performance. People list more honestly when they trust the purpose.
What does this look like in practice?
A pattern we see: an open conversation with a sales administrator produces 'orders and customer queries'. The structured version produces a long list of specific tasks, including a weekly price file update, re-sending invoices and chasing proof of delivery, most of it repeat work.
Task interview checklist
- Book 30 minutes with diary and inbox open.
- Explain the purpose first.
- Ask about yesterday, then about repeats.
- Ask about rework, chasing and holiday pile-ups.
- Close with 'what would you hand over?'
Next step
Run the six questions with one team member this week. Write each answer as a task with a verb and an object.
Message us on WhatsApp for the question sheet, or book a 30-minute consultation.
Chat on WhatsApp →Sources and further reading
- User research · GOV.UK Service Manual
- Investigations at work · Acas
Frequently asked questions
What questions should I ask staff about their tasks?
Ask about concrete, recent work: what they did yesterday in order, what arrives the same way every week, what they redo or check twice, who they chase and for what, what piled up during their last holiday, and which task they would hand over tomorrow if they could.
How long should a task interview take?
About 30 minutes per person, with their diary and inbox open as prompts. Longer interviews drift into opinions; shorter ones miss weekly and monthly tasks. Follow up with records for anything they mention only vaguely.
Should managers or someone external run the interviews?
Either can work. Managers know the context but may get guarded answers. An external facilitator often gets more candid replies. In small firms a trusted manager, clear about the purpose and not judging performance, is usually fine.
Written by
Global Bridge Labs (GBL) is a UK–Sri Lanka partner for social media, websites and BPO. Everything here comes from client delivery, not theory.
