Sunday, March 17, 2024

How To Interview A Person For A Job

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Prepare Specific Examples Of Your Work

How To Interview Candidates For A Job

The interviewer will likely want to see examples of your work, so it’s helpful to be prepared. Have physical examples ready, such as a portfolio, or think of specific work you can describe. Use numbers to give the interviewer a better perspective of your work. For example, you could say you lowered customer wait times by 20%. If you have an online portfolio, add the link to your resume so hiring managers can review it before the interview.

How Do You Deal With Pressure Or Stressful Situations

Heres another question you may feel the urge to sidestep in an effort to prove youre the perfect candidate who can handle anything. But its important not to dismiss this one . Instead, talk about your go-to strategies for dealing with stress and how you communicate and otherwise proactively try to mitigate pressure. If you can give a real example of a stressful situation you navigated successfully, all the better.

What Do You Think We Could Do Better Or Differently

This question can really do a number on you. How do you give a meaty answer without insulting the company or, worse, the person youre speaking with? Well first, take a deep breath. Then start your response with something positive about the company or specific product youve been asked to discuss. When youre ready to give your constructive feedback, give some background on the perspective youre bringing to the table and explain why youd make the change youre suggesting . And if you end with a question, you can show them youre curious about the company or product and open to other points of view. Try: Did you consider that approach here? Id love to know more about your process.

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What Excites You Most About This Position

Skills can be taught, but theres one thing that cant be: enthusiasm. When an interviewee is truly excited about an opportunity, that typically translates into excellent work and greater longevity with your company.

Ask that potential employee about what initially attracted him to the position. What makes him most excited about the prospect of working there?

Doing so will not only once again confirm his grasp of the duties of the role, but also give you a chance to figure out what aspects of the job interest him most.

Reread Your Resume Or Application

Getting a Job on the First Try: Tips for a Successful ...

Reread your resume? Why would you need to do that? After all, you know your own background, right? Well, sort of.

If you tailor your resume to each job , and youve applied to more than one recently, you may not remember which details you included. That could spell trouble.

You can almost guarantee that the hiring manager is going to talk about your resume. If you forgot which accomplishments you mentioned, you might not prepare to discuss them. Then, if the hiring manager asks which they almost certainly will you might give a stumbly answer.

Review your resume! Know what you said! Remember, your resume might be all the hiring manager knows about you, so make sure you can discuss those points with ease.

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Where Do You See Yourself In Five Years

A job candidate who has professional drive and lofty career aspirations is valuable. Look for someone who is engaged in their career and has clear goals, and consider mentioning how your organization can help them achieve those objectives. Finding a prospect who is interested in career advancement and sees opportunity with your company increases the chances that theyll be happy in the long run.

Does Your Company Track Diversity And Pay Equity Among Different Races Or Gender Groups

Woodruff-Santos recommends saving this question for your first official interview, whether its with the hiring manager or with someone from human resources, rather than a screening phone call with a recruiter. As a career expert who is especially passionate about advocating for women of color, this is one of her favorite questions to ask.

At this stage in my career, where Im coming in at a senior level, I feel like I can be more direct without having any social penalties in an interview process than someone whos entry-level, Woodruff-Santos says. But if youre interviewing for an entry- or mid-level role and are feeling nervous about broaching this topic , she suggests expressing how excited you are about not only the role itself, then noting that youre looking for opportunities specifically at a company that values diversity in various ways. After that, you can ask about the companys demographic breakdowns and what they do to support workers of different identities. According to Woodruff-Santos, that information speaks volumes about the company as a whole.

So does the hiring manager or HR representatives response. If they act defensive, refuse to answer, or change the subject, thats a sign that they likely are not transparent with employees, Salemi says. It can also tell you a lot about how they treat issues of diversity and equity as a whole, Woodruff-Santos adds.

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Never Underestimate The Need For Good Lighting

An online interview is a great chance for employers to put a face to the name and application, but they cant do that if they dont have a clear view of your face. Getting good lighting is relatively simple but needs a little preparation.

Avoid sitting with your back against a bright window where you will be backlit. Instead, use a bright light source that is aimed at your face. This light source can be either natural sunlight or an artificial one like a table lamp.

Its also important to note that the light source should be shining from the front of you. Lighting that shines down from above you will cast unflattering shadows on your face. It also tends to make you look different and you do not want to be remembered as someone else at your job interview!

Another great trick is using your computer screen as an additional light source for your face. Just increase the brightness of your screen and let it shine bright.

If you have the means, you can also invest in a ring light that will ensure well-lit video calls for any time of the day. Theyre easy to set up and you wont be tied to a particular location for good lighting.

Are You Planning On Having Children

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Questions about your family status, gender , nationality , religion, or age are illegalbut they still get asked . Of course, not always with ill intentthe interviewer might just be trying to make conversation and might not realize these are off-limitsbut you should definitely tie any questions about your personal life back to the job at hand. For this question, think: You know, Im not quite there yet. But I am very interested in the career paths at your company. Can you tell me more about that?

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More Questions About How To Conduct An Interview

Interviews are definitely a challenge for candidates, but theyre just as challenging for the employer. You need to know the right questions to ask to find the job seeker that will best fit your needs. But theres good news. Monster has decades of experience helping employers like you. With ongoing free access to the latest hiring resources, including recruiting tips, job market trends, and management strategies, we can help you get to your next terrific hire.

What One Skill Makes You The Most Qualified For This Position

While things like culture fit are important, your focus first and foremost is to find someone who possesses those necessary cut-and-dried qualifications to fill that open position.

Thats why a question like this one is so important. Not only do you get to hear more detail about what that candidate considers to be his core competencies, but its also a chance to confirm that he has the appropriate understanding of everything the role entails.

For example, if he touts a skill thats impressivebut totally irrelevantthats a red flag that youre not on the same page about the major duties of that job.

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The Curious Case Of Past Performance

The ideal employee for an organization is one who is equanimous to external factors and solely driven by the responsibilities of the job one is expected to perform.

Life, after all, cannot be fair to everyone at the same time all the time – thus, the need to put ones head down and get the job done all the time.

In a world of constant flux where nothing is permanent from macroeconomics to peoples behaviour, what option does one have but dig the hole and forget the sun.

This is the reason why recruiters should assess the emotional responsibility of candidates of how in spite of trying odds, one has completed the job that was required to be done.

Maybe, an incompatible Manager gave a bad rating once in a while but how none could ever raise a finger on the ownership and the sense of duty of the individual.

Interview Questions To Get The Right Person In The Right Job

How to Ace a Second Interview

Have you ever hired someone who, despite a great resume and interview, lacked passion or just couldnt do the work? You probably had a square peg in a round hole.

Its all about having the right person in the right job. With a few tweaks of your interview style, you may not have such a hard time finding your next great employee.

Step 1: What are you looking for?

Determine the top three or four competencies that are needed in the person you hire. When you know what youre looking for rather than relying on gut feeling youll have an easier time determining who is the best fit for the job.

To figure out the ideal competencies, look at your high performers. What do they have in common? What is it about their work that shows you theyre a good fit?

Step 2: Questions that mean something

With top competencies in mind, develop interview questions that speak to them.

Behavioral questions, where you ask, Tell me about a time when, are very effective. The job candidate wont be able to prepare beforehand, so youll likely get a genuine answer thats not coached.

During the answer, you can tell a lot about the person: What does their body language say? Are they searching for an answer? Do they look you in the eye? Are they earnest and leaning in or are they fidgety and nervous?

Step 3: Be consistent

Step 4: But go with the flow

But dont get so far off course that you dont get the answers you need to make a good decision.

10 questions to get you started

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Questions To Ask Yourself

Interviews may be done by you alone or with the help of a team. In fact, your entire interviewing process requires you to think through how youre going to assess the candidate in total.

As youre scheduling interviews, ask yourself these questions:

  • Who is the best person or persons to interview candidates for this job? You might consider someone experienced in the role to assess technical skills, for instance.
  • What other ways can we determine if this person is a good fit? For example, after the interview, you may make a job offer contingent upon a successful background check.
  • How quickly do you need to hire someone? That may dictate who and how many people interview the candidate, as well as how quickly those interviews are scheduled.
  • In addition to phone, video, or in-office interviews, you may want to assess a candidates interpersonal skills in a social setting, like a group lunch with your team.
  • How will you decide on the best candidate? Will it be the person best-liked by the manager? Or the one who completed the best sample assignment?

Do You Establish Rapport

Do you and the interviewee establish a rapport? If your gut instinct says this person doesnt fit in, then dont give them the job. You might have to modify your hunch-making ability, if you have a larger business.

If so, then ask yourself whether this person is going to establish rapport with the other employees theyll be working with. You dont want personality clashes and office politics to get out of control, so before hiring someone, ask yourself whether theyre going to become a part of the team.

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How Do You Prioritize Your Work

Your interviewers want to know that you can manage your time, exercise judgement, communicate, and shift gears when needed. Start by talking about whatever system youve found works for you to plan your day or week, whether its a to-do list app you swear by or a color-coded spreadsheet. This is one where youll definitely want to lean on a real-life example. So go on to describe how youve reacted to a last-minute request or another unexpected shift in priorities in the past, incorporating how you evaluated and decided what to do and how you communicated with your manager and/or teammates about it.

Let Them Know Your Decision

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For those who came in to interview, give them the callback to let them know you did not hire them. This lets them get on with their search for a new job. You dont have to tell them why you didnt hire them, but its a basic courtesy to let them know it didnt work out.

Those prospective employees who just missed the cut are good to keep in the back of your mind, because they might be options later. Theres even the chance that your courtesy pays off some years down the line, when youre looking for a new career and this person is sitting behind the hiring desk.

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Have You Applied For Any Other Positions

If the interviewee has been applying for other positions, is a good idea to see what types of positions they have applied for. Are the positions similar to your opening or totally different?

If you speak to a candidate who is applying for many different types of positions in many different fields it may give you an indication that the candidate does not really know what kind of job they want and are just seeing whats out there.

How To Invite A Candidate To Interview: An Email Template

Youve agonized over the job description and finally posted it into the world, and now its time to narrow that stack of resumes on your desk down to a select few.

When youve picked those lucky candidates to invite in for an interview, use our quick-and-dirty email template to get them in the door.

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Why Do You Want To Work At This Company

Beware of generic answers! If what you say can apply to a whole slew of other companies, or if your response makes you sound like every other candidate, youre missing an opportunity to stand out. Zhang recommends one of four strategies: Do your research and point to something that makes the company unique that really appeals to you talk about how youve watched the company grow and change since you first heard of it focus on the organizations opportunities for future growth and how you can contribute to it or share whats gotten you excited from your interactions with employees so far. Whichever route you choose, make sure to be specific. And if you cant figure out why youd want to work at the company youre interviewing with by the time youre well into the hiring process? It might be a red flag telling you that this position is not the right fit.

What Motivates You To Work

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It is a simple question but requires the interviewee to exhibit a great amount of thought and often unlocks valuable discussions from a candidate looking internally for what truly motivates them.

If they only answer at the surface level with something like I relish a challenge, this can convey that they are a less-than exceptional candidate.

You may need to probe further do extract a deeper understanding of their motivations.

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Editor’s Note: Looking For Employee Background Checks For Your Company If You Would Like Information To Help You Choose The One That’s Right For You Use The Questionnaire Below To Have Our Partner Buyerzone Provide You With Information For Free:

How to Conduct a Job Interview: Ask the Right QuestionsBy using the criteria you have decided on, you can form pointed questions that make the most of your time with the candidate. Tom S. Turner, a Vancouver-based independent consultant who designs selection systems, uses a list of about seven to 12 criteria and develops four questions for each factor he is looking for. Two questions are positively worded, meaning they ask the candidate to speak about something he or she did well. One question is negatively worded, meaning it asks the candidate to think about a time when they made a mistake and how they dealt with it. And the last question serves as a backup in case the candidate draws a blank on one of the other questions.

There are many different approaches to creating job interview questions:

Fact-based or general questions: “How many years did you work at Most interviews include some questions that clarify information listed on the candidate’s resume. Questions that ask about why the candidate wants to pursue a job in a specific field or with your company also fall into this category.

Because they are generally accepted to generate the most accurate responses, most professional recruiters dedicate the majority of each interview to these type of questions.

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