Best Interview Questions To Ask Potential Employees

Talk Me Through A Bad Professional Relationship Youve Had Why Didn’t It Work

Everyone has had a boss that got on their nerves or a colleague that irritated them. Offices are high pressure environments, and emotions often run high.

Ask this question to understand the root cause of the bad relationship. What was the bad feeling based on? Did the candidate work to overcome the issue and recover the relationship?

Most candidates are hesitant to badmouth their bosses and colleagues, so this question always prompts a few interesting answers.

Watch out for weaker candidates who will cite problems like being passed over for a promotion or blame for project failure as the reasons for bad relationships. This kind of blame culture is probably not something that you want in your organization.

Questions About The Specific Job

Describe A Time When You Had To Work With Someone Whose Personality Or Work Style Was Very Different From Yours

Being able to work well with other people with different backgrounds, communication styles and personalities is an important part of nearly every job. This question gives the candidate a chance to show off their teamwork, interpersonal and problem-solving skills, including how they compromise, communicate and collaborate to achieve a goal or task. It can also give you deeper insight into their personality and work style.

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What Was One Of Your Favorite Jobs And Why

This question will reveal what motivates a candidate. They might describe a position where they ran their own crew, signalling that they value autonomy and can handle responsibility.

Maybe their favorite job involved working alone with minimal customer interaction, and the position youre looking to fill requires a lot of customer face time. That might be a red flag.

Dont be afraid to dig a little deeper if the response is minimal. Ask them why they feel they did a great job leading that crew, or if they have any other experience interacting with customers.

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Top Strategic Situational Questions You Can Ask Your Candidates

What would you do if you were almost finished with a project that you had worked hard on when suddenly the goals or priorities were changed?

The response you are looking for to this question depends on the role the candidate is interviewing for.

For example, if this is for a lower-level position, youll mainly want the candidate to show that they are flexible and are willing to work hard to get the job done.

If the candidate is interviewing for a higher-level position, you may want someone who is able to use their problem-solving skills to come up with a way that they can meet those priorities without redoing the entire project.

You want someone who can meet the expectations of the company while also being resourceful.

What would you do if you were assigned to work with a colleague on a project, but you two just couldnt seem to agree on anything?

This question allows you to see your candidates conflict resolution skills working in real-time.

Youll want to hire someone that tries to see the situation from their colleagues point of view and who would try to talk it out with them first.

Open communication is key, so you want the interviewee to demonstrate that they would be able to openly discuss the issues in a solution-oriented way, as opposed to getting defensive or emotional.

How would you handle an instance of receiving criticism from a superior?

Youll want your candidate to view criticism as an opportunity to learn from their mistakes.

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What Is An Hr Interview In A Company

At the start of the hiring process, a human resources generalist will usually conduct an interview with candidates. HR interviewers are seeking general information about your previous roles, core competencies, significant strengths and weaknesses, and anticipated salary during this initial screening.

When compared to other types of interviews, like those with your potential manager, it is simple to minimize HR interviews. Even some people have the impression that the HR round is merely a formality. The hiring process, however, really depends on the outcome of this interview. You are able to make a good impression right away. You must demonstrate your competencies and build rapport because your HR contact will decide whether you advance.

There is a chance to make a good impression. A candidate can frequently say things during the initial phone call that arent included on their resume. We use that information so that we can advocate for them and offer suggestions to hiring managers at various stages of the procedure.

Candidates can assess their interest in the company and learn more about the position during the initial interview screenings. A candidate is prepared for success by learning about the requirements of their job and giving feedback at every stage of the interview process.

Which Part Of The Position Has The Steepest Learning Curve What Can I Do In Order To Get Up To Speed Quickly

For some jobs, learning the technology or the internal company procedures is the most challenging aspect of coming on board. For others, it is about understanding the human network. Any guidance on how to speed up the learning process and make you effective and productive quicker can give you a significant advantage.

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A Disruptive Line Of Questioning

• How much is eight times nine?
• Can you write cursive?
• How long can you go without checking your cell phone?
• Name a state you have never visited?
• Name three cities located in that state?

As a behavioral and marketing psychologist, my approach is totally different from the same old same old ones from HR. Plus, many hiring managers have never been formally trained to interview qualified applicants.

Do the above questions and tasks appear easy? They arent. Try them yourself. Ask a coworker, one of your best employees, your spouse, even a neighbor, etc., to imagine they are a job applicant for any position of their choice. Administer the questions above to see how well they fare. The results may surprise you.

Would you hire a person who checks their cell phone every 12 minutes? Not me!

Give the applicant a pen and pad with the following directions, Using aminimum of five sentences. Yes, you may use more than five. Why do you wantthis job?

I want to see how the applicant organizes his/her thoughts, uses grammar and punctuation, etc., as he/she is going to be communicating with clients/customers.

Dr. Elliott B. Jaffa

Questions To Ask In An Interview With Hiring Managers Across Multiple Industries

Not all hiring managers are the same. Their requirements mostly depend on the industry theyre working in. Here are the best questions to ask hiring managers across multiple industries.

Top questions to ask hiring manager before taking a medical sales job

Medical sales job interviews usually go like this: you talk to a medical sales recruiter via phone and then you go to a face-to-face interview. Before that, however, you should research the companys website, product lines, press releases, and news mentions. Once you reach the end of the interview, here are the most important questions you should ask the hiring manager:

9. What would you say are the biggest challenges your sales team faces?

Youll probably get a clear answer once you get the job, but nonetheless, the hiring manager should provide some examples of specific obstacles that members of the sales team have overcome over the years.

10. Typically, what is the ramp-up period for new sales representatives?

The job ad probably states the base salary, but what youll really be asking is how soon youll be earning enough commission for all your hard work to pay off. If theres a formal training process youll also want to know how soon a new sales rep usually goes out in the field and potentially closes sales.

Top questions to ask the hiring manager before taking a Customer Success Manager job

Here are the best questions to ask a hiring manager if youre serious about getting a Customer Success Manager job:

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Prepare Your Interview Questions

We cant talk about how to conduct an interview or interview questions if we dont know the specific skills we want to assess.

Interview questions will determine whether youll get enough useful insight to judge candidates suitability for the job. This means that your questions must be directly related to the job requirements. Otherwise, it will be challenging to compare one candidate to another on the criteria that really matter.

To do this, first determine what qualities you want to see in your new hire. Start with the job description . Ask yourself:

• Which requirements do I want to assess during the interview? Make a comprehensive list and select those qualities you can assess through interview questions. Some of your requirements can be evaluated more effectively at previous stages .
• What requirements carry the most weight? For example, you definitely want your salespeople to have great communication skills, but they might not need to have extroverted personalities. So, your interview questions should focus on communication skills, instead of extroversion.

What Do You Hope To Learn From This Role

The answers to this question can reveal if there is a job-skill match and if a linear career progression is expected.

As you listen carefully and mind these answers from candidates, you begin to see trends in responses that help you refine how you develop roles, responsibilities, how employees see themselves, and what they want their career to look like.

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What Would Your First 30 60 Or 90 Days Look Like In This Role

The goal for every new hire should be to hit the ground running. The best answers will be well thought out.

Before diving in, top candidates will talk through the things that theyll require to get ramped up. In the first 30 days, theyll need to familiarize themselves with your process, sit down with key employees and stakeholders, and get acclimated to their new surroundings.

60-90 days should give them time to make key contributions in a number of different areas and bring at least one major initiative through to fruition. This is a pretty complex question, so feel free to break it up into 3 separate questions if you prefer.

Creative Questions To Ask About The Culture

You dont want to end up at a workplace where all socialization happens at happy hour if you dont drink or you need to get home to your kids, or where everyone is focused solely on their own work if you thrive in a collaborative environment, for example. So make sure you ask about whats important to you when it comes to company culture.

• How would you describe the work environment hereis the work typically more collaborative or more independent?
• How does the team form and maintain strong bonds?
• Can you tell me about the last company event you did together?
• Whats your favorite office tradition?
• What do you and the team usually do for lunch?
• Does anyone at the company or on this team hang out outside the office?
• Do you ever do joint events with other companies or departments?
• Whats different about working here than anywhere else youve worked?
• How has the company changed since you joined?
• How has the organization overcome challenges with remote work?
• How does the company make sure that remote and hybrid employees are given the same opportunities and standards as in-office employees?

Regina Borsellino also contributed writing, reporting, and/or advice to this article.

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Preparing To Ask Questions In An Interview

The questions above are great to have on hand at the end of the interview. However, you simply wont have time to ask all of them. You wouldnt want to extend the interview by another half hour because for an interviewer time is of the essence. Who knows how many more candidates they need to talk to?

Choose about 5 or 6 questions that you really want to be answered, write them down, and start practicing your delivery. You can either record yourself on your phone as you speak or go old-school and practice in front of a mirror.

Remember to speak clearly, and try to avoid using too many filler words such as anyway, like, you know, or basically. Youll also want to limit your pauses and keep a constant pace of speech.

There are plenty of ways to practice asking questions like a pro including Big Interviews Mock Interview Simulator. Its easy to use and it has a cool Artificial Intelligence Feedback feature that analyzes your videos.

Just log in to Big Interview, click or tap the Practice button, and select Practice Interview to use the Mock Interview Simulator.

Then choose what you want to practice. Lets begin with General. Its the best place to start.

You have a ton of interviewers to choose from but for now, well go with Stacey.

Limiting your filler words to 0, utilizing a lot of power words, and avoiding long pauses is recommended as well. You should also try sounding authentic, and using a positive tone of voice.

Best Questions To Ask About The Job

Make sure you have a handle on exactly what the day-to-day responsibilities of the job will beboth now and in the future. This will help you make an informed decision if and when that job offer comes and avoid Shift Shock.

• What does a typical day or week look like in this role?
• What are the most immediate projects that need to be addressed?
• Can you show me examples of projects Id be working on?
• What are the skills and experiences youre looking for in an ideal candidate?
• What attributes does someone need to have in order to be really successful in this position?
• What types of skills is the team missing that youre looking to fill with a new hire?
• What are the biggest challenges that someone in this position would face?
• What sort of budget would I be working with?
• Is this a new role or will I be taking over for an employee whos leaving?
• How does this position contribute to the company overall?
• Do you expect the main responsibilities for this position to change in the next six months to a year?

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How Not To Answer

Candidates often make the mistake of saying too much when answering this question. Dont ramble, be brief, says Buj. A one- to two-minute summary is the right length.

According to McLeary, theres no need to go into detail at this early point in the interview, as the employer will dig deeper into specifics later on.

Abby Blackmore, head of operations at Impero, says: Often the biggest turn off in a candidate is when they say what they think interviewers want to hear and it just doesnt ring true.

Finally, as with all interview questions, dont give a generic answer. Ensure your points are tailored to the position youre applying for.

Questions To Ask A New Employee

These interview questions are less about gauging skill and more about personality. As we heard from Katrina Teeple in the hiring and training employees panel at Jobber Professional Development Day 2021: I hire people for their attitude first and their skillset second.

You can teach a skill, whether thats through training or a certification course. But you cant teach attitude. Were strong believers that one coachable and enthusiastic person is better for your business in the long run than a highly skilled bad fit.

Read through these questions to ask a new employee with that in mind.

READ MORE:How to hire your first employee

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Tell Me About A Difficult Situation You Had To Overcome

All companies ask behavioral questions. Although some doubt their value in predicting job performance, they are here to stay.

Despite the endless variations, they have become abstract and predictable. So much so, that candidates are advised to come prepared with a bunch of stories whether they are true or not that can fit any number of behavioral questions. More often than not, these stories are trotted out.

Alternative:Have you ever had to deal with a customer while having another one on the phone?

Since behavioral questions may be sometimes your best bet, why not focus on something specific? Dont let the candidates choose their difficult situation. Find an issue that you expect to happen often and ask if they have encountered it in the past. If they havent, you can turn to asking a situational question instead.

6. How many golf balls can you fit in a school bus?

The brainteaser family of questions was once a big deal at companies like Microsoft and Google. Many expressed doubts as to their effectiveness until Googles data showed they had no predictive ability for job performance. Whats more, they sometimes stressed and annoyed qualified candidates making it more likely for companies to miss out on talent. Many interviewers though, still use them since they may find it useful in assessing quick thinking and analytical ability.

Ask The Same Questions To Every Candidate

Asking the same strategic interview questions to every candidate is the only way to ensure that youll make a fair decision.

If you ask candidates different questions, you wont have all of the same information about all of your candidates. Also, some candidates may find some questions easier to answer than others, so you wont get an impartial view of all of your interviewees.

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