Interviewing is a complex process. It can be hard to think of the right questions to ask a candidate to ensure that you’re hiring the right person for the job. But the questions you ask should provide an opportunity to gain important insight into a candidate’s background and skillset. So, beyond “Tell me about yourself,” what are the best questions to include in your interview process? Let’s take a closer look.
Why Are You Interested in This Position?
This gives the job seeker a chance to demonstrate what they’ve learned about your job and your company ahead of their interview. If they have a hard time with this question or only provide very generic information, they may not be prepared.
What you want to see is what they bring to the table. Why are they interested in your job versus any other job? You want to know they want to work with you for specific reasons, not just because they need any job.
Can You Tell Me About your Greatest Professional Achievement?
Humans are conditioned not to brag. We think we’re being boastful when we talk about what makes us special. But in an interview, you want to encourage them to do just that. They need to be able to communicate to you what they’ve done in the past.
They also need to be able to frame this information in the context of your job. This gives them a chance to tell you why you should hire them over their competition.
What Kind of Work Environment Do You Prefer?
When you interview for your position, you’re also interviewing to be sure that someone is a fit with your corporate environment. Not everyone will thrive in your company, it needs to be someone who is a match for your core values and fits in well with the current team.
By asking them what kind of environment they prefer, you get a sense of how they can fit in. For example, if you are a fast-paced, innovative company and they suggest they like to be “heads down and work alone,” they may not be a good match.
If We Asked Your Manager What They Would Say is Your Biggest Accomplishment, What Would They Say?
Here’s a chance to get some insight about their motivations. We all know that you shouldn’t talk about your past jobs or bosses in negative ways, but that doesn’t stop some job seekers. You don’t want to trap them, but you want to see how they would naturally respond.
This also gives you some insight ahead of calling their reference. If their self-assessment if way off, you may want to be cautious about the next steps you take with their employment.
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Are you prepared for your next round of candidate interviews? Contact CornerStone Staffing today to learn how a top staffing agency in Dallas TX can deliver the right candidates for your team.
