Which of the following is an example of an open-ended questioning approach during interviews?

• A. What are the forklift inspection procedures?
• B. Do you drive the forklift with under-inflated tires?
• C. Why did you drive the forklift with under-inflated tires?
• D. Is the forklift inspection procedure documented?

Answer: (A)

Open-ended questioning aims to elicit detailed information, descriptions of processes, and perspectives rather than a simple yes-or-no answer. It typically starts with words like what, how, describe, or tell me about, inviting the interviewee to share steps, context, and reasoning in their own words.

The best choice asks for the forklift inspection procedures, which requires a descriptive response about the steps involved, who carries them out, how often they’re done, and what standards are followed. This kind of question encourages a complete picture of actual practice, revealing how things are performed and where gaps or inconsistencies might exist.

The other options lead to limited or more narrowly scoped information. A yes-or-no question about driving with under-inflated tires stops at a simple affirmation or denial and misses the opportunity to gather detailed context. A why-type question about a specific action focuses the response on justification for that event, which can constrain the breadth of information beyond the immediate cause. Asking whether a procedure is documented is another yes-or-no check, not a description of how things are actually done.