Succeeding in a job interview requires you to offer strong answers, but you can't do that unless you're also listening intently, says Gillian Munson.

Failing to listen to the question asked, and answering with an inappropriate response, is the top, "absolute" red flag she sees in candidates during interviews, says Munson, Vimeo's chief financial officer. 

"Sometimes folks are in such a hurry to get through the conversation that they don't carefully listen to the question and answer it," she tells CNBC Make It.

Even in instances when a candidate is trying to skirt around a question they don't want to answer head-on, it's important to acknowledge that the question is there and relate your answer back to it, advises Munson, 54, who has more than 30 years of experience in the finance industry.

How to be a better listener

High achievers distinguish themselves from others in the workplace with their strong active listening skills, according to Sarah Sarkis, a psychologist and Exos' senior director of performance psychology.

"Few people know how to be fully present in a conversation and respond thoughtfully to what another person is saying," she told Make It last year. People often "enter the conversation prepared for where you want it to end, or distracted," Sarkis added.

To become a better listener, Sarkis recommended asking your peers for feedback on your conversational behavior. You should also practice reflective listening — which involves summing up what the other person tells you — and asking open-ended questions in conversations, she said.

Active listening is "like having a superpower," Sarkis said. "There's so much more you can accomplish when the people you work with feel seen, heard and supported."

Illuminating interview questions

Beyond checking that a candidate is actively listening, Munson also poses a go-to question in interviews that she finds revealing: If I could hypothetically speak to your last boss and ask them what they think of you, what would their answer be? 

The question prompts people to consider their strengths as well as weaknesses, and can provide an opportunity to demonstrate their authenticity, according to Munson.

In an effective response, Munson looks for a candidate who is "fairly transparent" about where they have room to improve. That awareness can help you "connect to the interviewer in a way that helps them actually understand whether you are a fit or not," she says.

Munson also likes to ask interviewees why they either chose the school they attended or a previous job. Answers to this question can give "a sense of how you make decisions," she says, adding, "How you make decisions ultimately gets reflected in how you work every day."

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