The job interview stage of applying for work is one of the most nerve-wracking times.

It's something we all face at various points in our careers, and no matter how old and experienced you are, you still get that pang of anxiety right before the interview.

One explanation for the anxiety is often the fact you haveno ideawhat the interviewer will ask you, leading you to prepare dozens of answers and reading over your notes vigorously.

Be thankful you're not going for a job with Elon Musk. According to a biography on the tech billionaire, he reportedly asks all candidates a maths riddle.

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But to help you out with job interviews everywhere but Tesla, we asked some of the most fabulous female bosses and business owners in Australia to share with us the one question they always ask candidates in a job interview.

Here's what they had to say.

Jane Lu, CEO and founder of Showpo.

"I do love the classic 'what's your strengths and weakness' question, but you always get the usual answers like 'I'm a perfectionist', 'I care too much, it's hard for me to let go' (eye roll).

"So what I normally ask is 'when we call your manager for a reference, what would they say you need to work on?' Not only does this ensure a more honest response, but is a good reflection on their level of self-awareness."

Mia Freedman, co-founder of Mamamia.

"I rarely ask 'proper' interview questions because by the time I meet someone it's usually the second or even third interview and they’ve been pretty well vetted by other people in our business. I tend to just ask whatever I'm curious about. 'Why did you leave your last job?' or anything really because I like to get a sense of someone. Are they engaged and engaging? Do they seem like someone I could communicate easily with?

"I've learned that anything that you really notice in an interview – if someone is quite cold or if they have little self-awareness and just talk incessantly without reading the room – these are the things that amplify a thousand times when you're working together and rarely in a good way. You have to look past the nerves that are understandable in an interview situation, which is why I try to just get them talking about different things.

"And then I will always look at their socials to get a sense of the face they present to the world. If someone is very inflammatory or rude or always getting into arguments online, that’s a huge red flag."

A registered nurse/manager in QLD.

"Given the profession we work in, I know firsthand just how stressful the health sector is. But we each have things in the job we don't enjoy. So my favourite question to ask is 'what is something about your current or most recent role that you particularly didn't enjoy?'

"By asking this question, it's essentially a test to see if what they say they hate is something that will be a major component of their job at our organisation. And if things don't align, then we've saved them and us a lot of time and hassle."

Laura Thompson, founder of The Koori Circle and co-founder of The Clothing Gaps.

Laura says that she and her team love getting the chance to meet and understand new people throughout the interview process, while making sure it's chilled and comfortable.

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"We usually start by asking people 'have you purchased from Clothing The Gaps before?' and if they reply 'yes', we are intrigued to hear what it was they selected and then delve into a question about their experience. They get bonus points if they turn up to the interview in our merch!" she toldMamamia.

Laura said this question is particularly important for her and the company, as it speaks to the applicant's awareness of the campaigns they run to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

"We want people to be familiar and have experienced our brand personally. Our favourite question to also ask is 'tell us about a campaign or cause you care about?' We are a values-led social enterprise, so it's nice to know what people care about in the world and the difference they would like to make."