For hiring managers
AI interview questions for marketing candidates
Most marketing candidates now say they use AI. The interview has to find out how. Some candidates get generic copy and fix it by hand. Others get usable work quickly, keep it in the brand voice, and know which claims to check before anything ships.
The twelve questions below cover the six skills Emeri measures, two questions per skill. Each one comes with what a strong answer shows and what a weak answer shows, so two interviewers can score the same answer the same way.
How to use these questions
- Ask for a real example
- Each question works best when the candidate describes work they have done. When an answer stays general, ask what they did the last time, and what happened next.
- Ask every candidate the same core questions
- Pick four to six questions before the interviews start. The same questions make answers comparable across candidates.
- Score the behavior, not the vocabulary
- A candidate who names many tools or uses the right terms has not shown the skill. Score against the strong and weak notes under each question.
- Pair the interview with a short work sample
- If the job uses AI, let the candidate use it in the sample. Ask for the requests they wrote and a note on what they changed. An interview shows how a candidate talks about the work. A sample shows the work.
Asking well
Asking for what you need clearly enough to get useful results. What this skill looks like for marketers.
Question 1
A colleague sent an AI tool this request: "Write a blog post about our new pricing." What would you add before sending it, and why?
Vague requests produce generic marketing copy. This question shows whether the candidate knows which decisions belong in the request.
A strong answer
Names the reader, such as existing customers or prospects comparing plans. States what changed in the pricing and what the reader should do next. Sets a length and a tone, and lists claims to avoid. May ask for an outline first and the full draft second.
A weak answer
Adds adjectives such as "engaging" or "SEO-friendly" and nothing else. Or says they would regenerate the post until one version looks right.
Question 2
Tell me about a time an AI draft for a campaign missed the mark. What did you change in your request?
Strong marketers fix the request, not only the output. This question tests whether the candidate can say why a draft failed.
A strong answer
Describes the miss in specific terms, such as a generic angle or the wrong reader. Links it to something missing from the request. Explains the change they made and how the next draft compared.
A weak answer
Blames the tool. Or describes editing the draft by hand every time without any change to how they ask. Cannot recall what the original request said.
Giving good context
Giving AI the background, data, and limits it needs. What this skill looks like for marketers.
Question 3
We have a brand voice guide and a library of past campaigns. How would you get an AI tool to write in our voice?
A model knows nothing about a brand it has not been shown. This question tests whether the candidate chooses source material with care.
A strong answer
Picks two or three approved pieces that represent the current voice well, plus the list of words the brand avoids. Explains that examples teach voice better than adjectives. Tests the setup on a short piece before using it on anything long.
A weak answer
Tells the tool to "be on-brand" or names the brand and hopes the model knows it. Or pastes the whole library, old campaigns included, with no selection.
Question 4
You are writing a comparison page against a competitor. What would you give the AI before asking for a draft, and what would you keep out?
Errors on a comparison page carry legal and trust risk. This question tests whether the candidate controls the facts the model works from.
A strong answer
Supplies verified, dated facts about both products and the claims legal has approved. Keeps out rumors, old pricing, and unverified quotes from review sites. Knows the model may hold outdated information about the competitor and says so.
A weak answer
Asks the AI to research the competitor itself and uses what comes back. Does not mention dates, sources, or legal review.
Checking the work
Spotting mistakes, checking sources, and knowing what to trust. What this skill looks like for marketers.
Question 5
An AI draft of a customer story says the customer "cut onboarding time in half." Your interview notes do not mention a number. What do you do?
Invented figures are a common failure in AI-drafted marketing. This question tests whether the candidate treats a plausible number as unconfirmed.
A strong answer
Removes the figure or marks it as unconfirmed. Goes back to the customer or the account owner to get a real number with permission to publish it. Then checks the rest of the draft for other claims the notes do not support.
A weak answer
Changes "half" to "significantly" and keeps the claim. Or keeps the figure because it sounds reasonable and the customer is happy.
Question 6
How do you review AI-written content for search before it is published?
Search content is produced in volume, so review habits matter. This question tests whether the candidate checks substance as well as style.
A strong answer
Checks product facts against current documentation. Removes claims with no source. Cuts filler and repeated points. Confirms the piece answers the search it targets. Sends technical claims to a subject expert. Watches for passages that closely match a competitor page.
A weak answer
Runs a grammar tool or an AI-detection tool and stops there. Or skims for typos and trusts the facts.
Putting it together
Turning prompts, tools, and steps into a repeatable workflow. What this skill looks like for marketers.
Question 7
How would you set up AI help for turning one webinar into a blog post, three social posts, and an email, so a teammate could run it without you?
Repurposing content is recurring work. This question tests whether the candidate can build a process other people can follow.
A strong answer
Lays out steps, such as transcript, outline, then a draft for each channel. Saves the instructions for each step. Places a review point before anything is scheduled. Writes it down so a teammate can follow it, and names which steps stay manual.
A weak answer
Describes one long request that produces everything at once. Or the process lives only in their head and changes every time.
Question 8
When would you choose not to build a repeatable AI process for a marketing task?
Knowing where a workflow does not fit is part of the skill. This question tests judgment about cost and benefit.
A strong answer
Names tasks that happen rarely, tasks where the inputs change every time, and strategic work where the thinking is the point. Weighs setup time against time saved. Gives an example from their own work.
A weak answer
Says every task should be automated. Or says they never build processes and prefer to start fresh each time.
Getting real work done
Using AI to finish real work, not just make a first draft. What this skill looks like for marketers.
Question 9
Show us a piece of marketing work you produced with AI help. Which parts did AI do, and which parts did you do?
The work that ships is what matters. This question tests whether the candidate owns the judgment in AI-assisted work.
A strong answer
Separates the parts clearly. AI may have drafted options or summarized research. The candidate chose the angle, checked the claims, and made the final edit. Speaks honestly about how the piece performed, including what did not work.
A weak answer
Cannot separate their contribution from the tool’s. Or says AI produced the piece and they published it with few changes.
Question 10
You have two days to launch a landing page and email sequence for an event. How would you use AI to meet the deadline without lowering the standard?
Deadlines are where shortcuts happen. This question tests whether the candidate uses AI to save time on the right parts.
A strong answer
Uses AI for first drafts of copy, variants, and FAQ answers. Keeps the message, the offer, and the final review for themself. Plans time for checking facts and links before launch. Says what they would cut if time ran out.
A weak answer
Plans to generate everything and publish it. Or rules out AI because of quality concerns and has no plan to meet the deadline.
Keeping it safe
Protecting private information and using good judgment. What this skill looks like for marketers.
Question 11
What marketing information would you not put into an AI tool, and why?
Marketing teams hold customer data and unannounced plans. This question tests whether the candidate knows the limits before they are tested.
A strong answer
Names specific categories: customer lists and contact data, unannounced launches, partner contract terms, and anything under embargo. Says they would follow the company’s approved-tool list and remove identifying details when a task needs real examples.
A weak answer
Says "nothing sensitive" with no examples. Or assumes every AI tool keeps data private.
Question 12
An AI tool produces an ad concept that closely resembles a competitor’s campaign. What do you do?
AI output can echo existing work. This question tests whether the candidate recognizes the risk to the brand and the company.
A strong answer
Does not use the concept. Checks it against the competitor’s work. Raises it with the brand or legal owner if it came close to publication. Changes the direction of the request and keeps a record of how the final concept was made.
A weak answer
Uses it because AI made it, so they assume it is original. Or changes a few words and keeps the concept.
For what each skill looks like in this role at every band from E1 to E4, read AI skills for marketers. These questions are written for interviews. They are not taken from the Emeri assessment.
Questions
What AI skills should I look for when hiring a marketer?
Look for all six skills Emeri measures: asking well, giving good context, checking the work, putting it together into workflows, getting real work done, and keeping it safe. In marketing, give extra weight to checking the work and giving good context. Brand voice and factual claims are where AI output most often goes wrong.
Should marketing candidates be allowed to use AI in a work sample?
If the job uses AI, yes. Ask candidates to include the requests they wrote and a short note on what they changed and why. The note tells you more than the finished copy does.
Are these questions taken from the Emeri exam?
No. These questions are written for interviews and are never exam items. The Emeri assessment uses its own questions and scenarios, graded against the same six skills.
How do I confirm a candidate’s Emeri credential?
Every Emeri credential has a public verification page. It shows the band, the assessment date, and a profile across the six skills. The employers page explains how to read one. No account is needed.
Evidence beyond the interview
Emeri assesses the same six skills with graded work, and each credential has a public verification page. Read how to check a candidate’s credential, or see how teams use Emeri assessments.