Can You Tell Me About A Time When Things Didnt Go The Way You Wanted At Work Such As A Project That Failed Or Being Passed Over For A Promotion
Everyone deals with professional setbacks at some point in their career. What you want to know is how people handled and what they learned from those situations. The best employees are resilient, using setbacks as a springboard toward positive changes. So listen to not only the problem they mention, but also what they did after the disappointment.
What Are You Passionate About
My favorite interview question to ask a candidate is, Other than your family, what are you passionate about? Whether its their Sunday night bowling league or their sons Boy Scout group, they need to be passionate about something. If the candidate is not passionate about anything, he/she will not be passionate about working for my company.
Gene Caballero Co-Founder YourGreenPal.com
What Are The Hallmarks Of A Strong Team
There’s no right answer here – it all depends on how your company operates. The candidate might say a strong team needs a strong leader, or a strong team is one that understands compromise, or the strengths of each of its members. This question will provide an insight into the type of team that the applicant would like to work in.
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Why You Must Ask Questions After An Interview
Nearly every interview ends with the same exact question. And yet many candidates make the same mistake when answering it.
So, what is this frequently mis-answered query?
Do you have any questions for me?
This may be the most important interview question you answer. And youd be surprised at the number of people who reply, Nope!
Thats a huge missed opportunity. You should never reply no to this question. Its your last chance to make a good impression, and its the interviewers way of gauging your level of interest in the job. If you dont have any good questions, it shows a lack of curiosity and engagement. After all, theres no way you could know everything there is to know about a new company and job opportunity after only one interview.
On the other hand, if you do have a few well-thought-out queries, you end the interview looking great. It lets them know youve done your research. Additionally, it gives the interviewer a chance to get to know you because the types of questions you ask can reveal a lot.
So, dont disappoint them. Its time to get asking.
Has The Company Ever Made A Decision That Prioritized Its Values Over Revenue
Most companies have a list of values but whether those values actually leap off the webpage and are reflected in the day-to-day work can be a whole different story. Sean Byrnes, CEO of Outlier, gets down to brass tacks and separates hand-waving from harsh reality with this question.
Jiaona Zhang, VP of Product at Webflow, also wants to learn more about the companys values in action. It’s definitely true that most companies have core values and that it is often hard to know what they really mean and whether they are upheld, she says. To get a better signal, I ask about the history of the core values specially, I ask for how the core values have been interpreted, whether they’ve had to be revisited over time, and if there have been situations where they’ve been weaponized.
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What Are The Top Three Responsibilities Of A Pastor
For the most part, every pastor will do similar work: preach, disciple, and lead your church.
Although this is the case, your church may have a unique philosophy of ministry or characteristics you want to ensure the pastor you call to readily embrace.
To know whether or not a pastoral candidate is a good fit for your church culture, be sure to ask this ask and compare his or her answers with your priorities. If the priorities they share significantly differ from what you and your church need, then this may be a sign that you need to pursue a different candidate.
What Sort Of Person Would Be Successful In This Role
In an interview, youâre probably already wondering whether youâre the type of person the company is looking for. Asking this question allows you to know for sure . Plus, it provides you with more information than whatâs in the job description alone.
âIt helps give the candidate some color as to what the team is looking for,â Wallace shares. And again, it gives you the chance to show how youâre the right fit â â also may give them an additional opportunity to showcase how they meet those characteristics that they may not have realized were valuable,â Wallace adds.
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Great Example Questions To Ask At The End Of An Interview
Weve prepared 14 solid explanations below for you to help kick start your creative juices as well as included why theyre good questions to ask the interviewer.
Of course, as always, these are example questions meant to help you write your own.
What Questions I Should Ask The Interviewer
Asking questions of the interviewer shows that youre interested in them as a personand thats a great way to build rapport.
- How long have you been with the company?
- Has your role changed since youve been here?
- What did you do before this?
- Why did you come to this company?
- Whats your favorite part about working here?
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B Technical Interview Questions To Ask Candidates
These questions are at the core of technical interviews. If youre the hiring manager or a team member who does a similar job as the position youre hiring for, youll want to ask these questions. Note that technical does not mean tech-related in this case, it means specific and job-related.
To find the best technical interview questions to ask potential employees, search for the role youre hiring for in our vast library of 350+ interview question samples. Here are examples of jobs companies are often looking to fill:
Technical questions are usually part of the second interview questions to ask candidates who have been shortlisted after the initial interview or screening call. In this stage, youre evaluating the candidates ability to actually do the job.
What Are You Working On To Improve Yourself
Outside of work, whats a new skill or habit youre currently working on to improve yourself?
In my experience, people who are self-motivated, proactive, and productive are always doing things to improve their lives. Go-getters are not stagnant and satisfied with the status quo they are active and enjoy challenging themselves to learn new things, develop beneficial habits, and achieve goals.
Robin Salter, Owner of two businesses, seasoned freelance writer, and CMO of a tech startup called KWIPPED
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How Does The Team Deal With Two Urgent Projects With Conflicting Deadlines
This is especially important for candidates interviewing for leadership roles, because resource and time constraints are common in startups, says Todd Sundsted, CTO of Odeko. The answers, and how the interviewer backs it up with experience, help me understand their tactics for balancing conflicting demands. I want to understand how they weigh these priorities or when they push back. It’s almost always an equal-parts entertaining and valuable conversation.
Why Do You Want To Work With Us
This question is an ideal follow-up to, What do you know about our business? because it goes directly to the candidates motivation for applying for the job.
Asking this question and the answer the individual provides gives you insight into the benefits they perceive theyll gain by working for your company.
If they reply with something about your stellar customer service or your business strategy, thats a good sign. If they indicate that their interest is because your business pays the highest wage of all your competitors, thats a bad sign.
If the candidates answer is vague, ask a follow-up question or two to get to the heart of the matter.
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Great Interview Questions To Ask A Hiring Manager
Add these questions to your interview checklist.
Whether you’re looking for your first job or are a seasoned professional, a positive impression during the interview is key to getting an offer.
When you ask a hiring manager insightful and good questions during a job interview, it’s a great way for you to demonstrate your professionalism, thoughtfulness, and commitment. Unfortunately, many candidates trail off when it comes to questions to ask a hiring manager or interviewer.
In my experience, that blunder is due to either lack of preparation, or the stress of the interview. How do you set yourself up for success during the hiring process? Keep in mind that the best interview questions are ones that emerge naturally from the conversation. You may find it helpful to jot down notes that can prompt questions to ask in an interview. Brainstorming beforehand and coming in with a few prepared questions can be effective, as well.
I want you to end the interview in a powerful and impactful way. Asking questions should be a two way street. Here are some sample questions to inspire your own brainstorming session.
What Will My First 30 60 And 90 Days Look Like Do You Have An Idea Of The First Problems You Want Me To Help Solve
Folks usually ask something like, What would a typical day look like? but you can also take the opportunity to get much more specific and sketch out a picture of how the early days will work in a new role and the milestones you should hit as you pick up steam. Everyone wants to know what they will be working on, says Alphonso “Fonz” Morris, Lead Product Designer for Global Conversion at Netflix. But this particular question may give you another critical cue: It shows the candidate that the company has thought really clearly about onboarding.
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Can You Describe How You Handle Tight Deadlines
Does your team frequently face challenging time constraints? Do you need someone who can work quickly and accurately while under pressure? Ask this interview question of a potential employee and youll at least get their opinion as to how they handle stress and whether they can keep up with the pace of work at your organization. You could also follow up by asking if theyve ever missed a deadline and, if so, how they handled the situation.
What Kind Of Working Environment Do You Excel In
Press candidates for details about the type of coworkers they like to work with as well as the physical office environment. This question is extremely telling and can quickly show you whether the applicant will work well at your business.
Still not finding the right people? Read: How to Hire Better Candidates
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What Would You Do If There Is Office Gossip Even If It Was A Fact And You Agreed With It
The key here is even if the gossip was factual and the candidate agreed with it. In a professional setting, there should be no place for gossip. Thats the ideal setting but unfortunately there is gossip in many workplaces.
By hiring candidates who have a strong ethical stand against gossip, companies can better their work environment and overall reputation.
Company Questions To Ask The Interviewer
- What do you like best about working at the company?
- Are there any challenges to working at this company you think I should know about?
- Can you please describe the company culture in more detail?
- What is the dynamic like between the companys board of directorsStaggered BoardA staggered board of directors, also known as a classified board, refers to a board that consists of different classes of directors. In a staggered board of, shareholders, executives, and employees?
- Can you please share some information about the companys financial position and performance
- What type of people typically succeed at this company?
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What Have You Been Watching/reading Recently
The answer could be a novel, a newspaper, a Netflix boxset it doesn’t really matter. It’s easy to judge the candidate if they’ve been reading Hello! magazine or a terrible newspaper, but try to ask follow-up questions to ascertain the reasons for their choice.
You could also ask the interviewee to try to ‘sell’ their reading/viewing material to you with a gushing review.
What Was The Last Presentation You Gave
Todays tech workers cant be lone wolves. They have to discuss changes with teammates, coordinate with other departments, advocate for platforms they prefer and much more. While not everyone has to love public speaking, your new hire should be able to conduct research, put together a solid presentation and persuade stakeholders why X is better than Y.
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What Opportunities Will I Have To Learn And Grow
Does the company offer formal or informal mmentoring and coaching to boost your career potential? Does it invest in continued education or professional training to advance your career? Great companies want to hire people who are dedicated to personal and professional growth. Show your hiring manager that ccontinued development is essential in the job market and is important to you.
Tell Me About A Time When It Was Hard For You To Do Your Job What Did You Do To Resolve The Problem
Even the most skilled manager will find it hard to do their job once in a while. Maybe they had a problem with their superior. Maybe they had a conflict with a direct-report.
Asking this question can help you get a better idea of how the candidate will react when their job doesnt live up to their expectations.
Did they exercise their problem-solving skills and figure out a way through the issue? Did they make excuses and push the blame off on someone else? Or did they prioritize their responsibility and resolve the problem as quickly as possible?
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What Online Resources Do You Use To Help You Do Your Job
Most IT workers turn to websites such as StackExchange or Github when they need help with something. Serious professionals will have their own selection of websites, online communities, social media feeds and other resources specific to their interests. The answer to this question will give you an indication of how engaged the candidate is with the broader IT world.
Why Do You Want To Work For Us
Individuals who truly want the job will have done their research and be able to talk about your companys values, products and services, and approach to technology. If they cant articulate at least a few reasons your company would be a good match for their skills and ambitions, then they havent done their due diligence to properly prepare for the interview.
Remember to allow time at the end of the interview for candidates to ask you questions. This is not only beneficial to applicants it also clues you in to what matters to them. For instance, you may reconsider your interest in a prospect if they seem overly concerned about salary and vacation accrual during the first interview. Or you may be impressed when someone asks questions that demonstrate their business acumen and thorough understanding of your companys strengths and weaknesses.
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How Is The Feedback Process Structured
Asking this question in an interview has been critical for me as a candidate. Performance feedback is how humans get better. Excellence and mastery have always been important to me, and I am aware that they are impossible without knowing how and when to ask for regular feedback. Does this company limit its feedback cycle to the annual reviews? Does the hiring manager make it a priority to deliver just-in-time acknowledgment and suggestions for improvement?
