A seemingly straightforward question, but what you’ll really get out of this is whether your candidate thinks ahead. Goals are usually a measure of a person’s foresight and ambition, as well as being an indicator of how much they can bring to the position, as well as to the team. Their answer will also reveal how motivated they are to stick around for the long haul, and whether their vision aligns with that which the company has for the job.

This is an important question to ask in a final interview because the answer indicates whether the candidate has a solid understanding of the position they’ll be hired for.

It’s also a good way to find out what their priorities are when they begin their job there, and most importantly, an actual indicator of how they would perform when starting their role.

Candidates often tailor their CVs to the position that they’re applying for. Because of this, there can be synergies relevant to the job that might otherwise be overlooked, even if they aren’t directly related to the position.

For example, a candidate might be proficient in video editing — expertise which might be useful if there are plans by management to expand their video marketing output. This can be extremely useful for smaller companies, or startups who are looking for employees with general skills to help the company through its early growth stages.

The biggest takeaway from this question is finding out whether the candidate possesses self-awareness, and whether the lessons from this failure can prevent a recurrence. Answers that push the blame usually indicate that the candidate is working from a victim mentality, and might not have the resolve to take on challenges and responsibility when the time calls for it.

On the other hand, individuals with grit and tenacity will tell of how, despite not succeeding, they didn’t give up. These candidates see failure as a temporary obstacle that can be mitigated with hard work and patience and should be the ones you want to consider for the job.