Conducting job interviews can be tricky. It's not always easy to judge someone's fit for a role after a few brief meetings, especially considering that nearly all applicants are trying to place themselves in the best possible light. How do you avoid hiring mistakes?

There are no guarantees, but knowing which interview questions to ask can mean the difference between selecting an underachiever or a star performer for the job. The following three open-ended questions will help you elicit more useful information from creative job candidates:

#1: Describe the most difficult work environment you've encountered. Knowing the candidate's pet peeves can give you an idea of what it will be like to work with him or her. Do the applicant's concerns relate to company policies? How does the individual characterize his or her interactions with coworkers and management? Such answers can lead to further questions that help you assess the individual's work preferences.

#2: Tell me about a stressful situation at work. How did it occur and how did you handle it? The response should give you an idea of how the person defines stress: Is it juggling one too many projects, or last-minute design changes, for example? Note whether the individual's answer demonstrates an ability to solve a problem independently and whether the issue came to a reasonable resolution.

#3: What is the greatest compliment you've received on the job? With this question, you are trying to determine what is most motivational and meaningful to the candidate – in other words, how the person defines success. Is it receiving a promotion or special reward, or setting objectives and accomplishing goals? If a candidate for a copywriting position says the best compliment received at work is never missing a deadline, you know you'll be hiring someone who is organized. But perhaps innovation is more important for the job. Consider how your best employees would answer the same question to help you assess what qualities are most essential.