Near the end, the interviewer always asks "Do you have any questions for me?"
What we want to do here is learn their criteria and values for hiring.
Values is the name they give to what they're looking for.
Criteria is the checklist they use to determine whether they have it.
The way to elicit them is by asking "What's important to you about . . .?"
"What's important to you about the perfect employee for a job like this?"
Whatever they answer, echo it and agree.
"And when you meet someone like that -- have you ever had someone like that, who was the perfect fit for the job and you couldn't wait to hire them?"
"Yeah, yeah, he had perfect chemistry and knew what to say in a way that was clear and precise . . . I couldn't wait to bring that person on board and felt good about it . . . It felt good for me and my business." [or any similar answer]
We use softeners (statements like "I'm curious" or "Just so I understand better") when asking questions and drilling down to avoid seeming too abrasive.
"I'm curious: what's important to you about somebody who embodies those characteristics?"
Go back and forth doing a basic Criteria & Values elicitation ("What's important to you about X?" until you get to a feeling/emotion.)
Keep feeding their own Criteria and Values back to them.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
Finally, "OK, great, what's the next step we need to take to get started?"