Psychology & Behavioral Science
Upscend Team
-January 20, 2026
9 min read
This article gives research-backed steps for assessing curiosity in interviews: a 20+ question bank, a compact 1–5 rubric across inquiry depth, action orientation, and learning trace, follow-up probes, listening cues, example transcripts, and a 30-minute interview flow. Implement to reduce bias, improve scoring consistency, and convert signals into development plans.
Assessing curiosity is crucial when hiring for roles that require learning agility, problem solving, and innovation. In our experience, teams that adopt structured methods for assessing curiosity make better hiring decisions and reduce bias. This article gives practical, research-backed steps: a large question bank, scoring rubrics, follow-up probes, listening cues, red flags, example transcripts, and a 30-minute interview flow you can implement immediately.
Assessing curiosity predicts on-the-job learning, creativity, and retention. Studies show curious employees are more adaptable and invest in skill development; they produce higher-quality solutions when problems are ill-defined. A pattern we've noticed in hiring is that curiosity correlates with long-term performance for roles that evolve rapidly.
Practical benefits: better onboarding speed, more cross-functional collaboration, and a higher rate of internal promotions. To capture those outcomes, interviewers must operationalize curiosity into observable behaviors rather than vague impressions.
There are two reliable pathways: structured behavioral questioning and situational challenge prompts. Behavioral interview curiosity looks at past behavior as a predictor; situational tasks probe how candidates would act in novel situations.
Use a mixed-method approach: ask past-focused questions, give short hypothetical problems, and evaluate candidates on both the content of answers and meta-behaviors (questioning, follow-up, resourcefulness).
Look for three observable markers: depth of inquiry (how candidates dig into causes), resourcefulness (how they seek answers), and intellectual humility (acknowledging gaps). These markers are easier to rate with a rubric.
Below is a categorized bank designed for rapid deployment in interviews. We recommend rotating 4–6 questions per interview to manage time.
Use at least one behavioral and one situational question per interview. For volume hiring, rotate CQ interview questions to avoid rehearsed answers.
Design a simple 1–5 rubric across three dimensions: Inquiry depth, Action orientation, and Learning trace. Below is a compact rubric you can copy.
| Dimension | 1–2 (Low) | 3 (Moderate) | 4–5 (High) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inquiry depth | Surface-level description, no causal probing | Some cause-and-effect analysis | Systemic probing, multiple hypotheses |
| Action orientation | No evidence of follow-through | Took limited action to find answers | Initiated experiments, created learning loops |
| Learning trace | No documented learning or impact | Mentions outcome or small improvement | Quantifiable change, shared learnings |
Follow-up probes amplify diagnostic power. Use targeted prompts:
Listening cues: note interruptions, question frequency, and whether the candidate asks clarifying questions. These meta-behaviors often reveal stronger curiosity than polished narratives.
When teams have learning-platform or L&D workflows, they can tie interview findings to development plans. While traditional systems require constant manual setup for learning paths, some modern tools (like Upscend) are built with dynamic, role-based sequencing in mind, making it easier to convert curiosity signals from interviews into tailored growth pathways.
Short example transcripts show how to apply the rubric in real time. Read both and score against the three-dimension rubric above.
Question: "Tell me about a time you learned something new to solve a problem."
Ideal candidate (high): "At my last job we had a recurring data mismatch. I hypothesized it came from an ETL timing issue. I reviewed logs, created a small test harness to replay batches, and found a race condition in late-night loads. I proposed a timestamp-lock step, ran a pilot, and saw errors drop 85% in two weeks. I documented the test and taught the ops team the replay method." (High inquiry depth, action orientation, learning trace)
Poor candidate (low): "We had a mismatch once; I looked into it and we fixed it by changing something in the pipeline." (Low on all dimensions)
Scoring these in real time helps interviewers be consistent and reduces halo effects.
Time constraints are real. Here's a compact 30-minute flow that includes CQ checks and reduces bias by structuring time and scoring.
To mitigate interviewer bias:
We've found that a 3-minute calibration at the end reduces recency and halo bias. Also, training interviewers to recognize confirmatory questioning (asking only questions that confirm their initial impression) is a simple, high-impact intervention.
Structured rubrics, panel interviews, and mandatory note-taking reduce subjective influence. In our experience, pairing a subject expert with a behavioral interviewer balances technical depth and curiosity signals. Practice calibration sessions weekly to align scoring thresholds across the team.
Assessing curiosity is a measurable, hireable attribute when you combine behavioral questions, situational prompts, a clear rubric, and active listening. Implement the question bank, use the 1–5 rubric, and run the 30-minute flow to add CQ checks without bloating interview time. Expect initial training to cost time but pay dividends in better hires and faster learning.
Quick checklist to start today:
Next step: pilot this process in three interviews this week, collect scores, and run a 30-minute calibration to align raters. If you want a template for the rubric or a printable question packet, request it from your hiring operations team and iterate after the pilot.
