Understand What Youre Looking For
As you consider the questions youll ask for your next interview, what youre really trying to get at is whether this person would be a good fit for your organization. Actually the process is fairly intuitive.
First, youre trying to see if a candidate can self-assess and articulate how they could make a positive contribution to your organization by virtue of their emotional intelligence. Second, youre looking for compatibility with communication skills and work styles. And third, youre trying to determine the candidate desire factor which typically serves as the ultimate swing factor in determining whom to bring aboard.
Now, lets break these concepts out a little further, with specific questions you can ask throughout the process.
How Recruiters & Hiring Managers Create Positive Interview Experiences
Your hiring process is moving forward. You found some great candidates, put them through phone screenings and other assessments and its now time for face-to-face interviews. Its a big day for the candidate and youre in charge of managing their experience. Follow these tips and your interviewee will feel like you were a nice host and your company is a great place to work:
You should want every candidate who comes in for an interview to blow your hiring team away. Set them for success so they can be the best version of themselves.
How Do You Measure Quality Of Hire
This is a classic theres no right answer question because the top minds in the industry have no right answer yet. In fact, talent leaders agree that defining and accurately measuring quality of hire is one of their biggest challenges, with no one clear solution out there yet.
That said, theres near universal agreement that quality of hire is the most important metric in recruiting . So a promising recruiting candidate should have a perspective, or at least a theory, on how to measure it.
Their answer should provide insight into both their thought process and their commitment to taking on the industrys biggest challenges. Who knows, maybe theyll actually have the solution.
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Showing Your Personality And Culture Fit In A Recruiter Interview
You need to find a way to show a recruiter that youd be a good fit with the hiring organization. It starts with knowing your own work personality.
* Recruiters are screening for culture fit. A lot of things can be learned on the job or trained, Jen says. But you cant train somebody to have the right personality fit. Know yourself and apply with organizations that align with your values. * Show your culture fit in the interview. Do your research on the hiring organization and talk about how your own traits align with their priorities. * If the employer is confidential, learn everything you can from the recruiter in the initial interview. Jen says recruiters can share lots of information without naming the company, so ask about the industry, department, types of skills they want to see, and background about why theyre hiring. * Follow up. Especially when the market is competitive, its essential to communicate quickly and clearly with a recruiter youve just met. Tell them how you feel about the position youve applied for. If its not a perfect fit, Jen says, be honest about it! That will cement your relationship with the recruiter and theyll be better equipped to find you a good fit.
What Is The Latest Recruiting Trend You’ve Seen
Example:“I noticed that many companies started to integrate video and virtual reality in their interview process. From the feedback I received from both parties, this new trend facilitates interviewing and provides a positive experience. Candidates are more engaged, and hiring is more efficient. Personally, I think this trend will continue to grow.”
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Describe A Time When You Had To Work With A Challenging Hiring Manager
The interviewer may ask this question to see if you can work with a team and promote a collaborative environment. Remember that they’re probably a hiring manager themselves, so try to be as general as possible and stay positive in your answer.
Example answer:“I’ve worked with hiring managers in the past who were quite demanding, but it was often a matter of a difference in recruiting style. I remained results-oriented by communicating my thoughts and presenting data that supported my opinion. For me, it was more important that we were working in our best interests rather than if I was sure that I had the right answer. Hiring is usually a collaborative effort, so I believe it’s important to be courteous to everyone.”
Understanding That Youre Happy In Your Current Position What Factors Would You Consider If You Were To Make A Career Change At This Time
I always like to ask a broad, open-ended question to gauge my candidates motivation for seeking a new position. Each person is motivated by different things money, work-life balance, new technology, etc.
I find its imperative to determine their motivators, so I dont waste time selling aspects of the job that my applicants dont care about.
Michael Deeb, 4+ years of recruiting experience, Twitter:
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Outline The Interview Process
In this final step, youll design the actual interview plan. This is where youll match each stage of the interview to a particular set of criteria. The number and types of interviews you conduct will vary depending on your organization and the specific role, but heres a general framework you can work from:
Questions About The Recruiters Experience
You need to learn about the individuals recruiting experience. These recruiter interview questions should give you insight into the candidates professional background.
1. Describe your relationship with your last four clients.
2. About how many candidates did you communicate with for your last job order? Tell me about your process in narrowing them down.
3. Tell me each industry you have recruited for. Which do you think were the hardest, and why? Which industries do you feel strongest in?
4. Describe a time when you were unable to make a job placement. Why? Did you need to restart the process? Did you leave on bad terms with your client?
5. Are your clients happy with the candidates you are able to source? Was there ever a time when a long-term client no longer wanted your services? How did you react?
6. When you need to tell candidates they didnt get the job, what do you say? Do you remain on good terms with them?
7. What are some common challenges you face when working with a client? How do you handle these challenges?
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How Quickly Does The Position Need To Be Filled
This is a great question to ask as a recruiter before an interview. This is because it gives you a timeline on how soon the company needs someone. Do they plan to hire someone in a few days, weeks, or months?
This information will help you prioritize which interviews you should place more importance on. If they are just casually interviewing candidates with no deadline insight it could be months before they make an offer.
These types of positions can waste your time. Often times employers start the interview process without knowing exactly what type of person they need.
It is quite common for the employer to end up changing the job description several times before hiring someone.
Whats Your Process For Finding New Business Clients
Recruiters are often responsible for two primary recruiting tasks. First, they find business clients who need candidates to staff empty positions. Second, they find candidates who are qualified for jobs. That means, in some cases, recruiters have to be knowledgeable about the processes that allow them to do both. This question seeks to understand how you work with business clients. Answer it by defining your process clearly.
Example: One way I like to seek out business clients is by going to professional awards ceremonies where businesses are being awarded for things like being the fastest growing or largest in the industry. I find these kinds of events offer pre-qualified clients that have the needs and desire to work with staffers. Then I network with the company leaders and engage them in a discussion, before offering my business card and getting theirs for follow up.
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Strike A Consultative Approach That Emphasizes Their Career
We already established that they wont be immediately interested in another job. But they are immediately interested in their careers, specifically the growth, enhancement, and enjoyment thereof. Whatever you say about the opportunity during this cold call should be presented within the framework of their career. Tie the opportunity to what it means for that career. Anybody can say, Im not looking for a new job. Nobody is going to say, Im not looking for a great career.
Tell Me About A Time When You Had A Disagreement At Work And How You Handled It
You can expand on this further by asking about a disagreement with a superior and/or a colleague.
I like this question because it gives hiring managers insight into how candidates handle conflict at work. Are they naturally confrontational, quiet and secretly stewing or balanced when it comes to conflict? If they cannot give you an example, they may be hiding something.
Leslie Lockhart, 10 years of recruiting and management experience, Twitter:
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Tell Me About A Time When You Got It All Wrong
This question allows you to see how honest your candidate is. No one is perfect, and a dishonest answer should be a major red flag for any recruiter. When the interviewee extrapolates, ask them what theyve learned from the tough experience. Admitting to errors or blunders also shows that they can take ownership of situations and look for solutions rather than transfer blame.
Can You Tell Me About Yourself
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A popular interview question among hiring managers, recruiters use to this question to assess your communication skills, get your perspectives on your career trajectory, and gauge whether your skills align with the role theyre trying to fill. I look for an elevator pitch that not only tells me who the individual is at a high level but also what drives them and where they see themselves in their company or career long term, says Megan Blanco, a talent acquisition manager focused on healthcare and corporate recruiting at Loyal Source.
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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.
Show Candidates That You Value Them
One of the main reasons candidates withdraw their application is because they get ghosted during long interview cycles or receive no feedback, so prospects may be skeptical of success before submitting their application. But if you connect with them immediately via open, responsive, and authentic communication, theyll know that you appreciate them and value their time.
Ask questions.
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Preparing & Conducting Interviews
Being well prepared and then conducting an interview methodically will help you make the most of this important recruitment tool.
When interviewing job candidates, you want to determine what sort of people they are, how good their interpersonal skills are, how they might react under stress, whether they have the skills for the job, and whether they have been honest in their resumes.
Create A Distraction Free Zone
Choose a video conferencing space that minimizes distractions. People on both sides of the table are likely in unfamiliar territory, which inevitably creates an environment thats difficult to focus in. Eliminating as many distractions as possible is essential.
Whichever location you choose to conference from, make sure to eliminate all audio and visual distractions. This doesnt mean you have to sit in front of a blank white wall, but consider the background and whether or not it might attract some of the applicants focus.
The space you choose should be indoors and as quiet as possible. Wind from outdoor spaces or background noise from public spaces can only hurt the quality of the conversation.
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Good Questions To Ask At The End Of A Recruiter Interview
When your interview is drawing to a close, you usually get a chance to ask the hiring manager at least a couple of questions before everything wraps up. This is a great chance to not only express your enthusiasm for the position as smart questions make you seem especially engaged and excited but also gather some important details.
Its crucial to have at least a couple of questions ready. In some cases, youll discover something you want to learn during the interview process. However, it still doesnt hurt to have a few options in your back pocket, ensuring you have something to ask when the time comes.
If you dont know what you should ask the hiring manager, here are five great questions for the end of your recruiter interview.
Why Are You Interested In Moving On
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Recruiters want to understand your current situationwhether youre content in your role or not. If a job seeker can call out examples of what they like or dislike doing, I can try to customize the search based on their feedback, says Brandi Britton, district president at Robert Half in Los Angeles.
Scott McGowan IT and Digital Manager at Zenith People encourages candidates to be specific and transparent. Everyone has different reasons for wanting to leave a business, but the more detail they can give, the more I can get a flavour of their motivations and that makes them more marketable. Honesty goes a long way according to Sara Ferraioli, Partner & Managing Director at WinterWyman who focuses on HR recruitment in the New England region. Regardless of whether it was a simple reason like a relocation or a more complicated one like financial instability, candidates should be able to respond to this question honestly and efficiently.
Recruiters also emphasize that your motivations for moving on are critical. If a candidate is leaving a job due to ill-feeling towards their current line manager, you may be faced with a toxic candidate who will end up getting into the same type of feud with their next boss, says Andrew Fennell, a former recruiter in London and founder of Standout CV. Ideally you want candidates leaving because they no longer find the role challenging, and theyre looking to take the next step in their career.
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Dont Ask For Feedback On The Spot
Ive seen people recommend that you ask for feedback or concerns at the end of the interview. Something like this: Based on what weve discussed, is there any reason you wouldnt consider me for this job? Horrible advice. Never ask this. Ever. Or anything like it.
First of all, they just finished interviewing you. Give them time to think. Youre going to go home and decide whether youre interested, they need time to think too. Dont put them on the spot like this.
Also, youre bringing the negatives to their attention. Youre literally asking them if they can think of a reason thatd stop them from hiring you. Even if they do think of something, they wont tell you for fear of a lawsuit.
I like to say something like this instead: If you need any more info from me or have any questions later, dont hesitate to contact me.
Qualifying The Candidate’s Skills & Experience
Once the recruiter has qualified the candidates current situation and determined they want to pursue the candidate for an existing opportunity, they should transition the conversation to qualifying the candidates skills and experience. To make this transition, the recruiter might say the following:
< insert candidate name> , now that I have a good understanding of your current situation I would like to transition the conversation and talk about your work history and background so that we can determine if this is a good fit for you and the client company. Can we take some time to discuss that?
Communication like this is a great way to disarm the candidate and put them at ease because the recruiter is explaining to the candidate what information they need and why before they actually ask the questions.
When recruiters explain their rationale behind the questions they want to ask they disarm the candidate because the candidate knows the recruiter doesnt have an ulterior motive. The challenge for many IT recruiters with qualifying and screening IT candidates is that most IT recruiters dont have an engineering background.
In short, theyve never written code, designed a network or managed a project. So, how can IT recruiters with no IT experience or educational background in IT systems effectively screen and qualify IT candidates?
Lets assume as the recruiter youre screening and qualifying a candidate for the following position:
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