Interview questions
May 8th, 2023 8:18 AM Mr. Q Categories: Career
Interviewing prospective job candidates can be an onerous task. And, often, valuable time is wasted conducting interviews that leave you no closer to finding out anything useful about the people you’ve met. BusinessNewsDaily asked five hiring experts to tell us what questions they would ask to find out what they need to know before making the hire .
Question: When you finish your work, what do you like to do? — Michael Mercer, author of the new book: “Job Hunting Made Easy” (Castelgate Publishers, 2011)
“The question is artfully vague, in that the applicant is not told if the answer should focus on work or personal activities. Work-oriented applicants who possess fantastic work ethic will give an answer that is work-focused. For example, they may talk about how they ask their boss for more work, as co-workers if they need help or find another project to start. Applicants who are not work-oriented and have a lousy work ethic will talk about personal, non-work activities they would do, such as eating, going out or other entertainment, or playing with their kids, family or pet.”
Question: What’s the nicest thing you’ve done for someone? — Evan Carmichael, founder of Evancarmichael.com, which provides expert business advice to entrepreneurs
“At our company, we look to hire people who are ‘have a personality.’ It’s a personality trait that’s important to our company culture. The question usually catches the person off guard, and you usually get a pretty honest answer.”
Question: Tell me about yourself. –– Arlene S. Hirsch, career and psychological counselor
“The ‘tell me about yourself’ question is still one of the best ways for an interviewer to evaluate a candidate. Since it is a question that is often asked, it is also one that the interviewer would expect a candidate to have prepared and rehearsed. If the candidate is surprised or unprepared, it tells the interviewer that the candidate didn’t do their homework. The way the candidate presents and organizes the information is also important. Well-prepared candidates will have researched the company, analyzed the job description, and organized their presentation in a way that reflects a good fit between the candidate and the position or company.
Although candidates say they hate the question, I think they should embrace it. The employer is giving them the time and space to really talk about themselves in a meaningful and convincing way.”
Question: I’m interested in learning about a time when you were at your best. What was the situation, the actions that you took, and the end result? — Alan Carniol
“The candidate’s response should highlight what they consider their best attributes. If these attributes aren’t a match for what’s needed in the job, then this isn’t the right person. Also note that some interview candidates are great employees, but not interviewees. These are separate skills. For example, someone who is impressive on a first date may not necessarily make a good spouse. If the candidate struggles with providing a complete response to this question or others, the interviewer shouldn’t be afraid to follow up with questions, like ‘Were there any other actions that you took?’ or ‘What skills did you use?’ or ‘What were you thinking at that moment?’”
Question: What type of reference do you think your former boss will give you when I call? — Steve Penny, owner of Hiring the Best People
“It forces the applicant to answer questions from their former boss’s perspective. They want to get their two cents in before they think you are going to talk to their boss . You get them to reveal information you would never get as candidly if you called the boss who is afraid of saying anything that could lead to a lawsuit.”
Mind Your Business: Interview Questions That Tell All
A story on BusinessNewsDaily that got a lot of attention. It was called “The Best Interview Questions You Should Ask .” But, to be honest, I didn’t like any of them. If I were hiring someone to work for me, I’d ask a whole different set of questions that would tell me a lot more about what kind of employee I was getting than the standard “tell-me-about-yourself” stuff.
Here are my all-time-best, surefire, weed out the losers and pretenders interview questions:
Question: What’s your favorite restaurant? Who cares, right? Wrong. Everyone loves food. If your prospective job candidate can’t get excited telling you about his favorite place to eat, then you know you’ve got a dud on your hands. Whether it’s KFC or Le Bernardin doesn’t matter, if they can answer your question with enthusiasm, at least you know they have a pulse.
Question: What reality show do you watch? Maybe the candidate doesn’t watch reality TV or any television at all. Perhaps they will answer by telling you what movies they love or what they like to read. The point is that the ability to engage in a little friendly chitchat is essential. Ninety percent of succeeding in a job is having a personality and communication style that lets you get along with your customers and co-workers. The ability to answer a question like this without being dismissive, condescending, defensive or flustered will tell you that your candidate is personable and can function in a social setting.
Question: What’s your biggest regret? Boy, this one could really open a can of worms. Sob stories, dead relatives, broken engagements — who knows. If it does, you’ll know this job candidate doesn’t have the best judgment about what baggage to bring to work and what to write in her diary. It may be a painful few minutes if the interview goes awry, but imagine the hours and hours of TMI you’ll be saving yourself and the rest of your team later.
Question: What would you look for in an employee if you were hiring? Even if your new employee is going to be in charge of nothing more than a mop handle, knowing how they think about the manager/employee relationship is important. Odds are, the qualities they name as important in good employees are the ones they themselves value. If they say they’d hire someone who’d be fun to hang out with after work, you may want to keep looking.
Question: What company does a great job at marketing? I don’t care what business you’re in, the fact is you are trying to sell something to somebody. If your candidate pays attention to how other companies — be it Apple or Applebee’s — markets itself, you’ll know they’ve got sales on their mind. Even if they will be spending their days behind the help desk, they still need to have the company’s broader goals in mind. If they can tell you something about someone else’s marketing, advertising, branding or customer service, you’ll know they’re in the right mindset.
Question: What do you want to know about us? If this question leaves your candidate speechless, you’ll know they haven’t put a lot of thought into coming to work for you. If researching your company and learning about what you do hasn’t inspired a few questions, then they haven’t been thinking too hard about the job. And, that, right there, ought to send up a giant red flag.