Hot Interview Topics in 2024 to Help Your Career Move in 2025 

23 January 2025

Throughout 2024, Metaview's intelligence platform was used by more than 2,000 companies in their recruitment processes. Metaview collated and analysed data from over one million interviews across different departments, companies, and locations worldwide.  Their year-end analysis, published in December 2024 is now available and offers insights into trending themes discussed at job interviews. They have also created a free online tool Metaview Trends to help you analyse topics and key words in job interviews by sectors and job roles.

Amongst the most common themes discussed at interviews are: AI, workplace flexibility, organisational culture, and adaptability.

AI
In May 2024 PwC published the inaugural 2024 Global Jobs AI Barometer, which highlighted that AI can not only increase productivity by up to five times, but predicted that workers who embrace and use AI would remain more relevant and competitive in the job market.

The analysis of the interviews in 2024 revealed that there was an 35% increase in discussions around AI.  ‘Prompt engineering’ was discussed not only in interviews for technical roles, but also those related to product management and marketing, while conversation around ‘Python’ overtook ‘JavaScript’ mentions.

At interview the term ‘AI Assistants’ was replaced by ‘AI Agents’, leveraging AI to optimise processes and make decisions. AI Agents will be the next big thing in 2025. 

  • Top tip: If you are looking for jobs or transiting into a new career in 2025, focus on developing AI-related skills. Embrace AI proficiency with knowledge of prompt engineering and Python, both of which will enhance your competitiveness and productivity in the evolving job market.

Flexible Work
While many companies are bringing employees back to the offices, candidates are still looking for flexible work arrangements.  In more interviews now it is the candidates who bring the discussions around less stringent in-office working pattern.  The report suggests that flexible working will remain a topic of interest to both employers and candidates.

  • Top tip: If you enter discussions around flexible working options, be prepared to discuss how you can maintain productivity and contribute effectively in a flexible working environment. Look out for opportunities which will offer the right balance for you at this point of your career.

Organisation Culture and Values
The analysis of the interviews suggests that DEI discussions are decreasing in frequency, there is a growing emphasis on organisational culture and values.  More and more questions are asked to identify how candidates’ work ethics and values match to those of the organisation.

  • Top tip: Thoroughly research and understand the organisational culture and values of potential employers and be prepared to articulate how your personal work ethics and values align with theirs during interviews.

Adaptability
In 2024 ‘adaptability’ emerged as a top skill and the report suggests that the demand for adaptable candidates will continue to grow.  Alongside it, there are the related core skills of ‘resilience’ and ‘problem-solving’.

  • Top tip: Prepare specific examples of how you navigated significant changes (adaptability), complex problems that you have solved, and situations where you bounced back from setbacks. Use the appropriate framework (STAR) to structure your stories and remember to emphasise your learning from these challenges. 

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