Interviews are one of the surest ways to find a hardworking employee that will fit in perfectly with your company. Asking candidates the right questions during interviews can not only save time and allow you to make informed decisions, but will also encourage strong candidates to accept offers at your company. The best questions prompt conversations and allow you to evoke genuine and unscripted responses. Here are some of the most important questions that you should ask in your next round of interviews.
Which one of your skills makes you most qualified for this position?
This question is more specific than the typical “what are your greatest strengths?” Asking this question in an interview encourages job candidates to really focus in on their greatest skill or strength that make them qualified for this position. Ideally, a candidate will choose one of their greatest attributes and will go into detail about why this skill is relevant and how they’ve used it in the past. This allows you to gain insight into their potential when working for your company and can inform you of tasks they can handle well.
What are three words to describe your ideal work environment?
Asking this question during an interview can provide insight into how your interviewee’s values align with those of your company. Responses to this question also allow candidates to inform you of their intentions and goals if they were to accept this position. Your ideal candidate should have work-life balance expectations that align with your own, to avoid miscommunication down the line. Asking this question can be the first step into understanding whether or not your candidate is a good fit aside from their qualifications.
How would you intend to grow within this position?
This question is one that allows your job candidate to go in-depth about their future goals and any ideas they have for your company even before accepting the position. This can prompt candidates to think outside the box and brainstorm ways that they plan to grow individually within and generally with your company. Asking this question allows you to compare and understand the ambition of your candidates, and can even give you ideas to grow your company and this position in ways you hadn’t previously thought of.
What about our company makes you most excited to work with us?
It’s beneficial to ask job candidates not only about why they applied for this position, but what specifically makes them excited to be a part of your team. On one hand, this question gives your interviewee an opportunity to show enthusiasm for this position. On the other hand, a question like this allows you to identify how much research your interviewee has done about your company before applying, allowing you to evaluate their dedication to the position and likelihood to accept an offer. This question also provides insight on outside perceptions of your company. Knowing how you are perceived externally can help you make changes to your branding so that you stand out more as a company in the future.
How would your previous coworkers and boss describe you?
If you want to offer a position to someone you know will work well with others in your company––make sure to ask this question. This question is useful in interviews to determine the type of worker your interviewee will be. Understanding perceptions from others of this candidate and their ability to work well with others can ensure that you will have a good work relationship with this candidate. Maintaining a positive work environment will positively impact employee, so making sure you have a candidate that is not only qualified but also easy to work with, is imperative.
What’s one thing we should know about you that we haven’t learned from your resume or cover letter?
Asking a question like this can really give you a unique perspective on your job candidate because it is open-ended. Each job candidate could perceive this question differently and come up with varied answers, all of which may contribute to your decision on whether or not to make them a job offer. Addressing information from a candidate’s resume is useful for further explanation or clarification but asking for information not already provided allows you to understand your interviewee as an individual, not just an employee.
Do you have any questions for me?
This is a question that commonly wraps up interviews––and for good reason. Giving candidates the chance to ask questions gives you an insight into their interview preparation. Did your candidate genuinely research your company before they applied?
Leaving room for questions at the end of an interview is courteous and creates an opportunity for your interviewee to extend the conversation during their interview. You can tell a lot about each candidate by the questions they ask, and your answers to these questions can be an opportunity to make a good impression of your company.