Interview Questions To Avoid
Weve looked at what to ask in a job interview and what the answer tells us in each case, but it is also important to highlight questions that are prohibited in any selection process. Generally, these are all related to the candidates personal life and therefore irrelevant in a work context.
These are:
- Do you have or plan to have children? Asking this question, whether you are interviewing a woman or a man, is utterly inappropriate. Personal questions are not a topic for discussion.
- Are you married? Do you have a partner? Asking about a persons marital status is also an intrusion into their personal life.
- Do you have any illness or disability? Medical details are private, and the candidate is not obliged to share them.
- What is your political affiliation? Politics should not be dragged into a professional interview situation.
- What religion are you? Religion is another no-go interview subject and one that must not be considered when selecting a candidate.
Questions Hiring Managers Can Ask During A Candidate Interview
When filling their job openings, hiring managers need to conduct a series of interviews to find the most qualified candidate for the role. Throughout an interview, they ask candidates a series of questions that assess each candidate’s experience and qualifications for the role. Prior to an interview, the hiring manager needs to think of smart interview questions that help them learn how a candidate may function in their role. In this article, we share 36 interview questions hiring managers can ask during a candidate interview and provide quality sample answers to a few of them.
Questions About The Post They Are Applying For
We cant complete an interview without asking relevant questions about the post they have applied for.
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What Are The Main Things Hr Does To Assist The Department I Would Be Working For
Similar to the first question on this list, this question shows you know HR is more than just the company’s first line of defense during the recruitment process.
Take your phone screening as an opportunity to become acquainted with the human resources department and find out how you’d interact with them on a regular basis from your department. It’s a friendly question and one that shows your interest in how the whole company operates — not just your own team.
Ready To Use The Best Interview Questions
Asking the right questions is the best way to get to the right hire, but first you need to make sure youre bringing in the right candidates. Thats where we can help. At Monster, we know what makes for a good hire and we have years of experience matching qualified candidates to jobs, across the globe. Find out how you can post a job with Monster for free and start reaching the candidates you need.
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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.
What Attracted You To Apply For This Position
By asking this question you, as the interviewer, should be able to gauge if job seeker has an enthusiasm for the job opening or if they just applied blindly to the position.
You could also review the experience in their resume with the job opening and ask them how they would react to specific situations.
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What Should I Expect To Wear On My First Day
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. Sometimes business wear just isn’t your thing, but you still want to maximize your chances at getting a job offer.
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.
What Fictional Character Are You And Why
What fictional character do you feel best represents you, and why?
When new hires answer this question, they are demonstrating quick and analytical thinking, creativity, and the ability to have a little fun. Their answer also provides insight into how they see themselves and their personality.
Claire Shaner manages the HR Software Blog at BestCompany.com.
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What Was The Last Movie That Made You A Little Emotional
Some people will tell you about a tear-jerker such as Forest Gump or A Walk to Remember, others will say they dont watch movies, a few will just rattle off the last movie they saw whether it was emotional or not.
Then there are those who will share something truly insightful about a movie that touched them and speak passionately about it making themselves vulnerable by sharing in this way.
Candidates that can show vulnerability in this way can become some of the most engaging and communicative employees you have.
Best Interviewing Questions To Ask Candidates During Recruitment
Hiring a candidate for a job is not to be taken lightly. Why? Well, itâs simple. Your employees determine how successful your business will be. From the front desk person to those in executive positions, every one of them represents your company in some capacity-no matter how small. Therefore, bad hiring could cost you not just money but a lot more.
The Recruitment process must shine the spotlight on the skills and the abilities of each job applicant. One of the finest ways to do that is by interviewing every candidate. Unfortunately, without asking the right questions, the whole process is likely to yield bad fruits .
If this is your first rodeo conducting interviews, donât go about it blindly. We are going to share with you a few best interviewing questions to ask candidates. For those planning to attend interviews, be sure to go through these questions as well so you are not caught offline.
Note to interviewers: Because of personality differences, it is ideal for interviewers to ensure they come up with unique questions and approaches in order not to miss out on potentially worthwhile candidates.
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Interview Questions To Ask Every Sales Candidate
Content Marketing Manager at LinkedIn
65% of hiring managers in sales agree that a lack of soft skills among candidates limits their companys productivity. Of course, soft skills are notoriously difficult to screen forand theyre also central to the act of selling. A great salesperson is emotionally intelligent, quick on their feet, and eager to improve.
But you cant just ask candidates if they have those soft skills: theyll all say yes, obviously. Unless you can get a hold of Wonder Womans Lasso of Truth, direct questions will be a dead end.
Thats why many turn to behavioral interview questions . While they shouldnt be your only tool and there are other ways to screen for soft skills, they can still be super useful: , behavioral questions are the single most effective way to assess a candidate’s soft skills.
For those hiring in sales, the most important behavioral qualities are:
- Adaptability
- Culture fit
- Potential for growth
Read on for the three best interview questions to assess each soft skill in candidates according to sales managers plus a few bonus questions from a seasoned sales recruiter.
Testing Their Knowledge Of Your Organization
Finally, youll want to make sure that the candidate is serious about the position and that they are seeking a long-term position with your company. You can do this by asking them questions that test their knowledge of your organization. Candidates who arent able to answer satisfactorily probably didnt do enough research into your company. Not only does this show a lack of preparation, but it shows that they must not care that much. It means that this is just another job to them and nothing more.
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Career Goal Interview Questions
Finally, get a sense of where your job candidate sees him or herself going in life. What is their required salary for the current position, and tentative career trajectory? What are their big-picture dreams?
Answers to these questions will reveal a lot about your interviewees longevity as an employee, and their long-range goals. If they mention that theyd like to move up within the company, that could signify that theyre ready to work hard and could potentially be built into your business as an integral, foundational memberbut what if you dont have a vacancy for them to grow into?
Again, the right answers will depend on your business and the role you are hiring for, so keep that in mind and have a sense beforehand of what the deal breakers arefor example, if you know youd rather hire someone for the long haul, and they tell you that their five-year plan involves starting up their own company within the next few years.
Tell Me About An Initiative That You Conceived And Were Responsible For Executing What Challenges Were Expected What Challenges Did You Not Foresee And How Did You Overcome Them
This is similar to the problem solving question above, but it will also help you see how the candidate can take a project from ideation to completion. Itll give you a real example of how the candidate strategically thinks through planning and problem solving rather than giving the expected answers they feel like they should give.
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What Is Your Management Style Preference
This line of questioning will give insight into the type of managerial style they prefer working for and if it matches your current managers personality type and workflow.
Remember just because they may prefer a laid-back management style doesnt mean they wouldnt succeed under a more demanding type of manager.
Learning About Their Experience And Skills
Youve melted the ice, and youre both as relaxed as possible time to get specific.
While some nannies hold a Masters in Early Childhood Education, most dont.
Think beyond formal education to what other life skills they bring. Maybe theyve worked in a nursery and can help your kids start a veggie garden. Or maybe they have a drama background and can spearhead a play with your kids as the leads.
You might ask:
- Tell us a bit about your background.
- Tell us about some of your other jobs. What skills did you learn?
- Are you fluent in more than one language? Which ones?
- Do you have CPR and first aid training? If not, are you willing to get them?
- Have you taken any courses, or do you have any other certifications?
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The Importance Of Asking The Right Questions
We usually consider three key elements when deciding whether or not to recruit someone.
At the end of the process, the person who has outperformed their rivals in these three areas is normally selected.
As we can see, the interview, and the questionnaire in particular, is a core piece of the decision-making puzzle. Drafting a thorough list in advance helps us steer the interview towards the information we need to make the right choice.
If we stick to the typical interview questions, even without going into depth, we will be able to pick out candidates who are clearly unsuitable. But to find the best fit, we need to dig much deeper, and for this, we need to spend time beforehand preparing a comprehensive question plan.
If not, we run the risk of making the wrong decision and discovering after a few months that our candidate does not live up to expectations.
How Do You Deal With Tight Deadlines
For interviewees, their most ideal answer should be a version of this: I review a list of tasks and analyze what are the most urgent and critical matters. I put the most urgent ones on top of the list.
Next, I focus on each task with complete concentration until I finish it before moving on to the next urgent task.
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+ Questions To Ask In A Job Interview
Job interviews should feel like a conversation, with two people asking and answering questions. You should follow the lead of your interviewer and prioritize giving them information about yourself, but know that interviewers expect you to ask questions, too. When you do, it shows that you have enthusiasm for and genuine interest in the job.
In this quick video, Indeed recruiter Linda gives examples of questions you can ask your interviewer.
Your opportunity to ask these questions typically comes at the end of the interview. Its a chance to learn more about the company culture, the challenges and opportunities the organization is facing, and what being in this job is really like.
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What Are You Currently Working On To Improve Yourself Professionally Or Personally
All candidates know that saying nothing, I am perfect the way I am is the wrong path to take. So, they could offer some fluff answers revolving around some vague skills or personal projects. After all, you cannot verify the validity of such information. If you want to go deep, you should ask them for examples or a concrete demonstration .
The idea here is to keep an eye on people who self-motivate them and aim for self-improvement. Companies need active people who can take any challenge or who can challenge themselves to be better.
From learning a new technical skill to developing beneficial life habits, self-improvement knows no boundaries. A small example of what and how they do might create a long-lasting impression and factor in your hiring decision.
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Understanding What They’re Looking For
You dont need eloquent responses to every question.
Keep in mind a good nanny might not be a good interviewer and vice-versa.
Are they personable? Do they make eye contact? Do they light up when they talk about kids?
Examples of targeted interview questions to ask a nanny during an interview:
- What are the most important qualities of a nanny, babysitter, or childcare worker?
- What are you looking for in an employer?
- What are your future goals?
Now, add a series of follow up questions to dive deeper:
- What did you love about working with this position?
- What was tough about working in this position?
- Why did you stop working in this position?
Walking the walk
Professionalism, responsibility, and dependability come with the role. Did the nanny arrive on time? Did they come prepared with a resume and some references?
If they have child care experience, include your job requirements as you ask questions about their past roles to check for fit:
- Routine is important in our house. Can you describe your everyday routine or bedtime routine with the kids youve taken care of?
- We both work long hours. How have you managed the added responsibilities like cooking and cleaning?
- Our youngest has a tough time with goodbyes at daycare. How have you handled tough goodbyes with other families?
Whether they have experience or not, consider asking the following questions for a nanny interview:
How Do You Deal With Stressful Situations
Thereâs diversity at the workplace and your employee is going to work with people who have a different way of doing things or expressing themselves. Thereâs definitely going to be some friction. You want to be sure the candidate can navigate those little workplace storms without compromising productivity.
A good employee doesnât bottle up everything. Instead, they should be proactive communicators, problem solvers and have positive ways to deal with challenges at work . Avoid perfectionists who claim that they donât get stressed. We all have limits and it would be pretentious to imagine ourselves as formidable at all times.
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What Made You Want To Apply For This Position
Learn whether the candidate is qualified for the position by finding out if they read the job description. If the candidate did, they should be able to tell you why they think that they are a good fit for the role. For instance, they may see themselves as a good fit due to the specific skills or experiences that they have.
