What Are Your Greatest Strengths
In your answer to this question, share your most relevant technical and soft skills. While it may feel uncomfortable to talk highly of yourself, remember that this is your opportunity to tell your interviewers what makes you a great candidateand they want to hear it. To answer, follow the formula below:
1. Share one to a few positive qualities and personal attributes:”Ive always been a natural leader…
2. Back them up with examples:”…Ive exceeded my KPIs every quarter and have been promoted twice in the past five years. I look back at those successes and know that I wouldnt have reached them if I hadnt built and led teams composed of highly skilled and diverse individuals. Im proud of my ability to get cross-functional groups on the same page…
3. Relate them back to the role for which youre interviewing:”…Ive also regularly honed my management skills through 360 reviews and candid sessions with my team, and I know continuing to build my leadership skills is something I want from my next role.
Read more: Interview Question: What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses?
And My Favorite Don’t Ask What’s The Culture Like
Ask, “Of all the places and groups you’ve worked where would this place rank?” You’ll get a more thoughtful and honest answer. One that you can use to make a better decision.
An honest answer would reveal what they like about working there, and perhaps expose an area the company is working on. An answer filled with nothing but stories of rainbows and puppies would be a red flag.
To be clear, these aren’t questions for the phone screen, or even the first interview with the recruiter since these folks won’t be your future team members.
Save these questions for the important interviews with your potential peers and manager the people you could end up working with. These questions are for when you want to understand the new team beyond the surface.
Rather than being put off, most interviewers and even recruiters will be impressed that you ask such great questions. And you’ll learn far more asking these types of questions than you would from meek questions that get pat responses.
When it’s your turn to ask questions, flip the interview. Because the interviewer won’t let you get away with mushy answers, you shouldn’t let them either.
Chris Williams is a leadership advisor, podcaster, TikTok creator, author, and former VP of HR at Microsoft.
Is There A Dress Code I Should Abide By
Dress code can be a touchy subject in interviews you don’t want to reveal that you have deal-breakers so early into a hiring process. But, it is an important aspect of the job for many professionals.
If you want to get an idea of the company’s dress code without suggesting it’s a big deal to you, simply ask HR what you’re expected to wear on your first day. It’s a harmless question that gives you the information you need at the same time.
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Top 30 Nurse Practitioner Interview Questions
Whats really remarkable is this between 2018 and 2028, the field will grow by 26 percent. About 62,000 new nurse practitioner roles will emerge. Thats about 517 people every single month. Talk about career potential.
But, even with that growth rate, that doesnt mean you can arrive ill-prepared for answering your nurse practitioner interview questions. Even the most skilled contender has to leave a good impression. Otherwise, you wont secure the hiring managers vote.
Questions To Determine A Good Leader
If youre hiring for a management position, determine if the candidate has the appropriate leadership qualities essential for the job. However, even if its not a management position, you may still want to look for such leadership qualities in a candidate. It means that they may have the potential to progress to a leadership position within your company in the future. These questions can help you ascertain whether they have leadership skills or, at the very least, leadership potential:
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What Is Your Teaching Philosophy
This isnt a question solely for those applying to teaching positions. Employers may ask this of anyone who might be leading or teaching others. Your response will allow employers to gauge your personal skills and if you would be a good culture add. A good answer will concisely identify what you think teaching should achieve and include concrete examples to illustrate your ideas.
Example answer:When it comes to managing people, my teaching philosophy is to start by asking questions that hopefully get the person to come to a new conclusion on their own. This way, they feel ownership over the learning rather than feeling micromanaged. For example, in my last role, I was editing an article written by a copywriter I managed. The story didnt have a clear focus or hook.
In a one-on-one meeting, I asked her what she thought was the main point of the article if she had to sum it up in a sentence. From there, I asked if she thought the focus was clear in the article. She didnt think it was clear and instead thought she should rework her introduction and conclusion. As a result, the article improved and my direct report learned a valuable writing lesson that she carried into her future work.
Read more: Interview Question: What is Your Teaching Philosophy?
Example: Content Writer Position
Lets look at the complete list of requirements for the role of Content Writer.
These exclude experience and education, which can vary considerably depending on the role and are elements you can evaluate directly from the job application phase.
Must-have skills
Some companies may have other or additional requirements, but this list covers the most important qualities.
Hard skills
- Problem-solving skills
The first three skills can be classified as hard, tangible skills and theyre the absolute minimum candidates should possess to be considered qualified for the job. Thats why you can evaluate them via an assessment or a work sample
You can ask content writing candidates to submit their answers to an editing exercise. For other roles, it might be a simulation or a presentation .
Assessments will give you a strong measuring stick to evaluate candidates: you can shorten your candidate pool to ensure that only the best candidates make it to the interview phase.
There, you can start evaluating the soft skills, along with culture fit, attitude, and other intangibles that arent as easily measured. Some skills can also be evaluated during initial screening calls.
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How Did You Hear About The Role
While seemingly innocuous, this question serves an important purpose. Your company is probably spending significant budget every year on employer branding, advertising and candidate attraction. Its important to understand what is working!
You need to know whether the messaging your company is investing in is resonating with the right candidates. Make a note of the answers to see whether specific trends emerge. For example, maybe high quality candidates all come across your brand on Twitter, suggesting you should invest more in that medium.
Its true that you can rely on analytics, providing you have them in place, to tell you where traffic is coming from, and that many applications have a how did you hear about us section. However, hearing the answer directly from candidates, and spotting correlations between promotional channel and candidate quality, will give you deeper, more useful insights.
If We Dont Select You For This Role What Are Your Professional Plans
Sample answer:
Since I always want to improve, I would aim to take the feedback provided from the interview and use it to enhance my copywriting skills. I would practice as much as possible and perhaps start blogging more often to hone my skills and then continue pursuing my goal, to become a junior copywriter, by applying for different roles.
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How Would Your Previous Employer Rate You From 1
Our favorite line of questioning is the following:
This line of questioning has several uses. One, can they even get a reference? If yes, great. If no, why? No usually indicates an issue and definitely something I want to know about before considering hiring someone. I dont care how many HR policies are in place to prevent me from learning something of substance about this candidate if they were a rock star, their previous supervisor would want me to know. Bosses like helping their former superstar employees succeed and do well, so theres really no reason the answer to this question should ever be a no if the candidate is worthy of a second look.
Secondly, probing about what the supervisor would say about their work performance and how they might improve digs into the candidates emotional intelligence and ability to take another persons perspective, which usually translates well on the job in any interpersonal situation. It also challenges them to consider their weaknesses in front of an interviewer whom theyve typically been trained to only speak of their successes and accomplishments.
Founder and CEO of The Hire Talent, Fletcher Wimbush, has interviewed over 8,000 applicants.
What Single Project Or Task Would You Consider Your Most Significant Career Accomplishment To Date Walk Me Through The Plan How You Managed It How You Measured Success And What The Biggest Mistakes You Made Were
Lou Adler, one of the worlds foremost recruiting thinkers, considered this question to be the most important and useful of all. He believes its the best indicator of whether you should, or shouldnt, hire someone.
Interview questions like this are the whole package. Candidates have an opportunity to give you a behind the scenes tour of the professional accomplishment that theyre most proud of. Youll get insights into how they plan and run projects, as well as how high they set the bar for success.
Top candidates will also use the biggest mistakes part of the question to display a sense of ownership for any weak points in the project.
Read Also: What Questions To Ask An Employer During A Phone Interview
Tell Me About A Time You Really Screwed Something Up How Did You Handle It And How Did You Address The Mistake
In one fell swoop, this question tests for humility, self-reflection, problem-solving and communication skills, says Chad Dickerson, former Etsy CEO turned coach-to-other-CEOs at Reboot.
He notes that it also provides greater insight into scope of responsibility in prior roles. The bigger one’s scope, the bigger the mistakes and the more complex the remediation of those mistakes, says Dickerson.
Do You Have Any Questions For Me
If you pose this question to interviewees, the more interesting and more passionate ones will most likely have a wide variety of questions they wish to ask.
The ones who are more thoughtful and are interested in the job will be the most likely ones to ask intelligent, informative questions which will enrich the interview process.
Interested in additional interview questions? Check our post link for a list of behavioral interview questions.
If you are about to have a second interview with a candidate, we list some significant questions you can ask during a second interview here
Strategic interview questions are also important when speaking with potential candidates.
As one of the leading engineering staffing agencies, we help employers recruit engineering, design, and IT Talent. Contact us about our Engineering recruiting services or IT staffing services
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If You Could Have One Superpower What Would It Be And Why
While Im sure we would love to claim them all, the single superpower a candidate chooses can show their most comfortable state. A candidate who chooses to be invisible may enjoy observing more than engaging. A candidate who chooses telepathy may be deeply empathetic and want to understand those around them.
Example:If I could have any superpower, it would be the ability to fly. I could quickly travel from place to place without mobility limitations. I want to see the world and have the world see me.
How Do You Handle Tasks When The Requirements Change
Sample answer:
I first use communication and active listening skills to determine the new requirements and make sure I understand them. After that, I make a plan to incorporate those requirements. I try to remain in contact with the project manager while I implement the requirements and then ask for feedback and advice if I encounter any problems.
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How Do You Work Under Pressure
Many jobs involve moments when, for varied reasons, there are unexpected situations that require swift action. The ability to stay calm, think logically and act correctly in such a scenario is a major asset.
This is another good instance of when to use the STAR method to talk about a specific time you were faced with a challenge, might have succumbed to stress but managed to calmly find a solution.
Example answer:Throughout my career, Ive discovered how to embrace working under pressure. I find that routine can make us complacent, so I try to look for challenges that push me to grow.
One time, I was supposed to deliver a project to a client in five days. A colleague who was working with another client had the same deadline, but he had to take a leave of absence due to personal reasons. I was forced to take up both projects at the same time. While I felt an initial sense of panic, I tried to reframe it as an opportunity to see what I might be capable of. Instead of letting the stress get to me, I came up with a very detailed time management plan and found new ways to boost my efficiency that enabled me to deliver both projects on time.
Read more: Interview Question: “How Do You Work Under Pressure?”
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.
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‘is There Anything I’ve Said That Makes You Doubt I Would Be A Great Fit For This Position’
“If you can find the courage to put your interviewer on the spot, it can help you get a quick read on the situation, provide you with valuable feedback on your candidacy, and give you the opportunity to address any objections the hiring manager may have while you still have that person’s full attention,” Amanda Augustine, a career advice expert for TopResume, previously told Business Insider.
If I Gave You 50000 To Start Your Own Business What Would You Do
Hold on a second, I thought we were trying to hire them, not invest in them! Relax: this question is a great way for candidates to illustrate business acumen and creativity.
£50,000 is not to be sniffed at, but when it comes to starting a business its not loads. As a result, candidates should think carefully about how they would spend it and what early hires or decisions would give them the best ROI.
The best answers will get specific. They might touch on logistics, hiring, product decisions and services. Youll also be surprised at how creative candidates can get when you challenge them like this. Again, the ideal answer will depend on where someone is likely to be placed in the company, and what skills you need from them when they arrive.
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Final Thoughts: Interview Questions For Internal Candidates
Interviewing internal candidates for your open jobs is a delicate process. If you dont handle with care, you could end up needing to hire for two roles instead of one. Make sure to create an even better candidate experience for your internal candidates, and also leverage these top interview tips for some basic information. Dont forget to track all of your candidates through your applicant tracking system, regardless of whether theyre internal or external.
Further reading
What Is Your Favorite Part Of Being A Manager
Including this as one of your manager interview questions helps reveal the candidates knowledge of the position. Do their answers use common business and managerial terminology? Are they familiar with the nuances of managing a team?
Do their answers touch on why they want to work as in your business? Candidates responses can help you gain a better understanding of the person underneath the veneer they show at the interview.
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