Whats Your Favorite Project Youve Been A Part Of And Why
In hearing an applicants response, you can determine if they enjoy projects and challenges that align with the job description. If their all-time favorite assignment used a totally different wheelhouse of skills than required by the role, it begs the question of why theyre currently applying for this type of job.
Do You Like Working With A Team Or Working Alone
This really depends on what opening the job seekers are applying for. Is it a desk job that only requires them to be by themselves self or is it work that demands coordination and communication with others?
If you analyze that the applicants are people who are flexible, willing to do multi-tasking, and wouldnt be bothered if at times they work alone or with a team, these could be the best professionals to hire.
This question has more importance at this time due to the current remote working environment.
The Biggest Question Of All In An Interview
When the interview is over and all the other questions have been asked , its time to ask yourself the biggest question of all, Do I want to work for this company?
Only you can answer that question, but if you know the best questions to ask an employer in an interview then youll be able to get all the information you need to make the right decision.
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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.
What Do You Like To Do Outside Of Work
This isnt one of the most common interview questions. But, its important to remember that youre hiring an entire person. You want someone who will be able to connect with you and your teamnot a robot who is incapable of forging bonds, sharing interests, and building relationships.
If you feel uncomfortable asking a question like this one in the formal setting of the actual interview, work it into small talk before or after your sit-down. Youll have the opportunity to connect with that candidate on a more personal level, while also getting a more holistic view of what makes her tick.
While the job seeker is on the far more nerve-wracking end of the table, job interviews are enough to inspire some anxiety in you as well. You want to make sure you ask the right questions to really zone in on the best candidate for that open job.
While there are plenty of interviewer tips out there, you want to have some handy prompts in your back pocket that you can use to get the most valuable information out of that short conversation. So, remember these 10 interview questions to ask, and youre that much more likely to find the perfect fit.
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What’s The Biggest Decision You’ve Made Over The Past Year Why Was It Such A Big Deal
This shouldn’t be seen as a way of delving into a candidate’s personal life, you don’t want to find out why they’ve just broken up with their partner!
Instead, interview questions like this are designed to show you how the candidate approaches the decision making process. Do they make choices impulsively or do they conduct painstaking research. Did they make a plan, or did they talk it through with friends?
The answers to this question will if they’re style of decision-making and their thought process fits the way you do things at your company.
Determining if a candidate has the relevant skills and experience is only half the battle. You need to make sure that they’re a good cultural fit for your company if you want to make good hiring decisions. Here are a few questions that can help you find this out:
Now Consider These Factors To Help You Evaluate Candidates:
Now that you have a complete overview of the best interview questions to ask, theres one last thing to do: be prepared to answer common questions from candidates. Theyre interviewing you too, after all. That way, candidates can also get useful insight on whether your company is a good fit for their skillset and motivations and hopefully, youll get to convince the best among them to join your team. Happy interviewing!
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Why Are You Qualified For This Job
You want to hire someone who has the skill level to perform the tasks required for the job you are seeking to fill. Its possible that candidates will give a concise answer thats along the lines of I have experience. Consequently, you need to be prepared in a conversational, non-threatening way to ask follow-up questions that seek to ascertain whether the candidates accomplishments at their previous jobs are relevant to the job opening.
How Has Your Role Changed Since You Have Been Here
Your interviewer and the other people you meet in the organization might have interesting stories about where they came from and how they ended up where they are. Ask how long your employer has been in the position and how their role has grown and expanded since they started. Their answer will also tell you more about career growth and opportunities in the company.
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What Project Would You Consider Your Most Significant Career Accomplishment To Date
Hopefully, the project they describe is somewhat similar to the projects your company works on or that the role they played in the project will at least be related to the position you need to fill. The candidate’s answer should also reveal the scope of the projects that theyve worked on and how much responsibility they had.
What Do You Know About Our Business
The candidates answer to this question should indicate some prior knowledge about your business. They may have conducted research to find the information they need. They may have first-hand experience as a customer, client, or even competitor.
Either way, any detailed response reveals that the potential managerial hire likes what your business has to offer and is motivated to be a part of it.
If they know nothing about your company, other than that they want a job, they havent done their due diligence and shouldnt be high on your shortlist of possible hires.
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Why Are You Leaving Your Current Employer
Here it isyet another question that is sure to make every job seeker cringe. Nobody wants to seem like theyre bad-mouthing a previous boss or employer, which makes this one tricky for applicants to answer.
However, posing this question will give you some greater insight into that persons professional historyas well as help you to identify any red flags that might indicate that candidate isnt the best one for the job.
What Are The Benefits Of Asking Behavioral Interview Questions
When conducting onsite interviews these types of questions are a verified way to gauge a candidates potential and ability to communicate adapt, lead, and reinforce a companies culture.
When an employer looks at candidates past behavior, skills, and critical thinking experience they can reveal if a candidate has the attributes necessary to match job description requirements.
What is a good response length for behavioral interview Questions?
Answers to behavioral interview questions should last between one and two minutes on average, with factual answers being even shorter.
We list 50 behavioral interview questions to ask candidates that will help you evaluate a candidates work experience, customer service skills, communication style, and leadership principles under real situations to make informed hiring decisions.
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How Do You Deal With Conflict Between Colleagues
Almost every breakdown in relationship is caused by miscommunication or lack of effective interpersonal skills. But a solid indicator of how well a person communicates is how they manage interpersonal conflict.
Conflict management skills is no longer something required only for corporations who wish to settle million-dollar lawsuits. Its an essential skill that every worker ought to possess and can make or break an organization.
Tip: Ask for a time when they didnt get along with a co-worker and how they resolved the conflict.
What Is Your Current And Expected Salary
If their current salary is more than you can pay, or their expected salary is much more, you know theres no point in going further. End the interview early, because people will rarely accept a job that pays less than what they currently make, or well below what they expect, and when they do, they dont last long.
This question also gives you an instant gauge of where they are in their career and how to interview them. Someone making entry-level wages is probably newer to their career. A candidate making something nearer to the top of the pay scale is probably more senior and should be interviewed accordingly.
The question will also give you a sense of how much their previous employer valued them. As you can see, the answer to this one question really packs a lot of info.
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Whats One Fact Thats Not On Your Linkedin Profile
Heres another open-ended question to ask an interviewee that can help you uncover some interesting insights. Similar to asking, What do you think I need to know that we havent discussed? it could spark some conversation about a hobby outside of their 9-to-5 life or even a compelling story that reveals more of their strengths and motivations. This question can help you understand not just what a job candidate has done, but why.
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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What Does Being A Manager Mean To You
This manager interview question helps you understand how the candidate views their role as a manager.
If they see it mainly as a give-orders-and-demand-results position, they may not fully understand what your business needs from a manager.
Being part of a successful team means leading and following as necessary. It goes without saying that being able to step up to work in any capacity in order to better the business is a big part of a managers duties.
An answer that reflects this team ideal can help you determine if the managerial candidate is right for your company.
If necessary, take the time to delve deep into this question so you get a full sense of how well the candidate understands what it means to be a manager.
What Are Your Salary Expectations
At this point in the interview process, the candidate shouldnt answer with a specific number. Rather, you want to hear that the individual is focused on finding the best fit for their skills and abilities.
Talking dollars should come at the end of the face-to-face interview or even in a second interview if thats what it takes.
This kind of trick question can tell you a lot about whether the candidate is right for your company.
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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.
What Excites You The Most About This Position
After establishing how passionate they are about this position, its not unusual that you would want to know what tasks and responsibilities excite them most. With this knowledge, not only are you aware of their sense of ownership, you help nurture these skills by encouraging and facilitating the discovery of hidden potential in your employees.
For example, a hospital nurse might detest inserting intravenous catheters in patients but jump at the task of motivating colleagues and initiating stress-reduction activities on hospital units. An office employee might cringe at the thought of public speaking but excel at creating world-class presentations.
While you cant exempt your employee from every task in the role because they favor one thing over another, you are more aware of how rich your existing talent pool is in your organization and can utilize your talents effectively.
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What Kind Of Performance Benchmarks Do You Look For
Ask about performance benchmarks for the first 30, 60 and 90 days of your employment. Your potential employer will tell you what they will expect from you during the first three months, including training and onboarding. This will give you an idea of what you can do from the start if you get the job.
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What Do You Do If You Dont Agree With Your Managers Decisions
Conflict not only happens between employees. According to a study of conflict in the Canadian workforce, about 81 percent of people leave the organization as a result of conflict.
The purpose of this question is to determine how adaptable an employee is to different communication styles, what they consider deal breakers, and how they model desired behavior when conflict arises.
The responses to this question allows you to manage expectations and an indication for leaders to continuously work on their communication and conflict management skills.
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Have Questions Ready To Ask During An Interview
Asking questions is a great way to dig into the company culture and the specific day-to-day responsibilities of the job so that, should you be hired, your first week or so in the position won’t be accompanied by any major surprises.
Asking questions can also give you the opportunity to further highlight some of your qualities, skills, and experience, and show the employer why you’re a terrific match for the job.
Melissa Ling / The Balance
Describe The Most Interesting Project You Worked On In A Past Position
This is one of the most important interview questions to ask employees you may hire to assess whether the person would be a good long-term fit. The response should indicate what types of tasks they enjoy the most. Do these align with the job description you posted? Or given their interests, would they be unhappy with either the job or the organization? Look beyond skill sets when evaluating candidates. Make sure theyll not only be productive, but satisfied, employees.
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Phone Screen Interview Questions
Your first contact with a candidate beyond their application and your email request to interview is the phone screen. This should be a short call between you and the candidate where you can assess their education and skills for the position, their knowledge of your company, and if you feel they may be a good fit to move to the next stage in the interview process. Ask the following questions during the phone screen interview:
- What was it about the job description that caught your eye?
- Why do you want to work for our company in this role? What do you know about the company?
- Tell me about your skills in . How many years of experience do you have, and how would you rate yourself on a 1-10 scale, with 10 being an expert?
- Can you walk me through your resume and explain your employment background?
- What are your salary requirements or expectations?
- What is your ideal work schedule?
These questions will help you learn more about the candidate, what motivated them to apply for the open position, and if they have the experience required to fill the role. Be sure not to ask the candidate any illegal interview questions, such as how much they currently make .
For a more in-depth look at phone screen interview questions, review our Phone Screen Interview Questions & Examples article.
