Teach Me Something Interview
Reveal creativity and clarity by asking candidates to teach a personal topic
- Difficulty
- Starter
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 96%
The Teach Me Something Interview is a compact hiring exercise that moves candidates away from rehearsed career stories. Ask them to teach any topic they care about, provided it is unrelated to the role or normal work discussion. Give them room to choose and explain, then evaluate two signals: creativity in what they select and how they frame it, and clarity in whether another person can understand and remember the lesson. The topic itself is not scored for prestige. A practical lesson such as cooking a steak can reveal as much as an academic subject. Use the result as one piece of interview evidence, especially for roles requiring people to explain ideas across functions.
Origin
In the lightning round, Laura Modi named 'Teach me something' as a favorite interview question. She uses non-work topics and looks for creativity plus the ability to explain, recalling candidates who taught her how to cook a steak and the foundations of Latin.
Core principles
- 01A personal topic reveals more than another rehearsed work answer
- 02Good candidates can make something they understand clear to someone else
- 03Creativity appears in both topic choice and explanation
- 04Teaching ability is a useful signal of communication strength
How to run it
- 1
Set the prompt
Ask the candidate to teach you something from life or personal interest. Make clear that it should not be about the job they are interviewing for.
Pro tip Keep the prompt broad so the candidate's choice becomes part of the signal.
- 2
Observe the framing
Notice whether the candidate chooses a meaningful topic and creates an accessible starting point. Look for originality without rewarding obscurity.
Watch out Do not score candidates on whether you personally share their interest.
- 3
Test explanatory clarity
Follow the lesson and ask a natural question. Judge whether the candidate can sequence ideas, adapt, and leave you with a usable understanding.
Pro tip A memorable explanation is stronger evidence than a sophisticated topic delivered unclearly.
- 4
Combine the signal
Record specific evidence about creativity and clarity, then combine it with job-relevant interviews rather than making the exercise a standalone verdict.
Watch out Do not let charisma in one short teaching exercise outweigh weak evidence elsewhere.
In the wild
One candidate taught Laura how to cook the perfect steak. The explanation was memorable enough that she still returned to the method whenever she cooked one.
→ The answer demonstrated an ability to turn personal knowledge into a clear, lasting lesson.
Another candidate chose the foundations of Latin, showing that the prompt can surface very different interests while testing the same explanatory skill.
→ The interviewer received evidence of how the candidate structures and communicates unfamiliar material.
Common mistakes
Turning it into a trivia test
The exercise measures creativity and explanation, not whether the candidate chooses an impressive or familiar subject.
Using one answer as the verdict
A teaching prompt is a useful signal but should remain one component of a broader, job-relevant process.
Is it for you?
Best for
Hiring processes where communication, curiosity, teaching, or cross-functional influence matters.
Not ideal for
Roles where a single spontaneous explanation would be treated as a substitute for job-specific assessment.
From the episode
How to build a cult-like brand
Laura Modi (Bobbie)