Walmart's chief people officer shares her go-to interview question

"Donna Morris has one go-to question that helps determine whether she'll hire you - and knowing it in advance won't help you script the perfect response, she says. The question is: "If I was to ask people who've worked for you before, what will they tell me?" As executive vice president and chief people officer at Walmart, Morris oversees the largest private workforce in the US."

"She told Business Insider she likes this question because it's open-ended. "You can't really rehearse for it, even if you knew the question," Morris said. The reason why, she explained, is because the candidate's response naturally leads to a larger discussion. Morris, who spent more than 17 years at Adobe before joining Walmart, said once the candidate answers, she probes them further to find out more about how they position themselves in the workplace and interact with others."

Donna Morris uses a single open-ended question to evaluate candidates: "If I was to ask people who've worked for you before, what will they tell me?" The question limits rehearsed answers and prompts deeper conversation about workplace behavior. Responses reveal self-perception, team orientation, humility, and interpersonal patterns. Morris probes answers to assess alignment with Walmart's culture and values. Walmart employs two million associates globally across varied roles and emphasizes career development through programs like Walmart Academy. The company values purpose and internal mobility exemplified by leaders who began in hourly roles.

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