The best interviews are always the ones where you can find common ground and rapport with a Candidate immediately and they are very open about sharing their work history, their achievements and even some of the low points in their careers, the answers they give can really allow you to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses and whether this Candidate can be a good fit for your team. What happens though if nerves have got the better of the Candidate and they aren’t opening up as quickly as you would like and you can see that their true self is not coming out? Sometimes this can make information really hard to extract, so its best that you ask very open ended questions that are designed to be able to get you the information you are looking for. Below are some questions we have put together for you which will allow you to really get what you need from your next interview.
- "Tell me about your greatest achievement at work to date?" - This allows you to see what they classify as an achievement and the type of environment they work best in
- "What level of oversight and interaction would your ideal boss provide?" - This allows you to see if they are reactive or proactive, do they need to be micromanaged and are they going to take your instruction well
- "What prompted you to apply for this role?" - This will get a sense as to what they are looking for in a role & why they are choosing to leave where they are which can uncover what motivates them
- "If I was to call your current or last boss and ask them to describe your work & contribution to the office what would their answer be?" - This will show how the candidate perceives their current boss and their interaction with the team
- "What are the top 3 things that make you the best at what you do?" - See where they value their self-worth and what areas they excel to see if this is a match for your business
- What goals have you set for yourself both personally and professionally over the next 3 years – this will show you if they have given serious thought to how they want their life to look in time& if this fits your team
Just remember the best questions are always open ended ones that require more than a yes or no answer and don’t answer for the Candidate. Ask the question and then zip it! Give the Candidate the time to answer the questions on their own – only then will you know if they are right for your business.
