Are you asking the right interview questions?

Are you asking the right interview questions?

If you’re a recruiter, you likely have a list of your favorite interview questions. But do the questions you’re asking really help you learn more about a candidate and their potential fit to the role you’re recruiting for?

Gone are the days of asking candidates why manhole covers are round or how many ping-pong balls fit into a 747. These brain teasers are a complete waste of time and can make an interviewer look like a jerk.

Most often, candidates will have rehearsed answers to prototypical questions such as “tell me about yourself” or “what’s your greatest weakness?” before the interview.

Some goals for an insightful interview question are: get candidates out of their comfort zone, make them think on their feet, put them in real-world situations, or reveal something about them and their ability to perform the role you’re recruiting for. Here are a few ideas:

  • What book are you presently reading and what is a key takeaway message so far?
  • What is a cliché in the XYZ industry that you dislike?
  • We have an issue with XYZ situation. How would you think about approaching a resolution to this?
  • At times you may be asked to do many things at once. Tell me how you would decide what is most important and why.

What are your favorite interview questions? Let us know in the comments below.

If you’d like some help with this and to understand how you can overcome some of these issues, please contact us.

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Adriana O'Docharty

Human Resources Consultant

1 年

What would you delegate if you could? This is a question that gives many candidates pause.

My favorite for technicians: A colleague comes to you saying they just dissolved a platinum electrode because they used the wrong reagent specified in the work instruction. What would you do? I'm looking for Honesty and a response that escalates the issue not hide it. The benefit is that you demonstrate to the candidate that your work culture is not punitive and encourages open dialogue without recriminations.

Mike Brown (he/him)

Leadership Coach, Leadership Trainer, DEIB Trainer, Career Coach, Team Development Expert & HR Consultant

1 年

I completely agree with you, Don, about the Brain Teaser questions. Two of my favorite interview questions are: "What is the most significant thing you have learned from someone else's mistake?" and "Why should we hire you for this role?" ln the second question I am looking for the candidate to connect the dots on our conversation and "close me" on why they are a great fit.

Katie Schwartz, CCC-SLP

High-Impact Speech Coach @ Business Speech Improvement | MA, CCC-SLP, CEO

1 年

Don, those are some excellent questions! I like the question a recruiter once asked me: What kind of a job would make you smile?

Kay James-Merritt

Proven leader focused on building relationships, strategic alliances and maximizing revenue

1 年

This article is great not only for interviewing but I can see other applications as well. Great perspective and problem solving insights.

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