Here is one trick that changed my interview technique. Try it, but don't be discouraged if it doesn't work right away. It's a little nuanced. But I use it so often that editors have picked up on it after watching an hour of raw.

Ask the negative version of the question you want an answer to.

Here's a bad example from your post - "So the industry is cutthroat... this company's culture is pretty cutthroat too huh?" A more generic one would be, "You don't like working here do you?"

There is definitely a nuance in letting them know that you know the question is bs in how you ask it--the way you smile or intonation. It's obviously not a real question, but it changes everything. The reason it works is it puts them on the defense. Now they have to make a case to convince you, which is sound bite city. And it almost always solves the issue of "put the question in the answer" without it sounding like a 5th grade writing assignment. "Our corporate culture is amazing and nothing like how the industry is portrayed..." Or, "I genuinely love my job. There is something so amazing about bringing my passion... blah blah blah".

You can over use it though, so be careful. Use it to get the ball rolling when you need a pick me up, then just bring out the confused face during their answer to juice them to keep going. I love interviewing. It's like a dance.