In order to learn more about your potential employee, you have to ask the tough questions.
Open-ended interview questions can help you with that, but that’s just a start.
In this article, we will cover some very insightful interview questions that will help you vet the best of the best.
Keep reading to discover the best interview questions.
What Skill Makes You the Most Qualified for This Role?
Even though things like culture fit are important, you must focus your attention on finding a person who has the necessary qualification to fill the open role.
Not only do you get to learn in detail what the candidate considers his core competencies, but you can also understand if they understand the semantics of the specific role.
If they tout a skill that’s completely irrelevant but impressive – that’s a red flag. You’re not on the same page.
What Professional Success Are You Most Proud of?
Potential employees show up to impress you. Chances are, they are armed to the teeth with some major accomplishments.
Whether its a certification, award or large project that went well – asking about their professional history that they are most proud of will give you a sense of their strengths.
Also, you get a chance to expand on something they feel good about. Ease their nerves and boost their confidence.
Tell Me About a Time When You’ve Overcome a Challenge?
Most job seekers hate behavioral interview questions. That doesn’t change the fact that they are effective.
This question is popular, and for a good reason. A new job is not a piece of cake. After an employee has become established, they will come across challenges – whether its conflict on a project or with a team member.
Getting a sense of how they will cope and resolve a challenge will help you zero in on the best possible candidate for that open role.
Describe Your Own Working Style
Even though you don’t need to build a homogenous team, you need to make sure that the new employees can work in a way that doesn’t throw things off in the operating segment.
For that reason alone, it’s equally important to ask the candidate for their working style. Do they take the collaborative approach or they like to work on their own?
Do they perform well with direction or are they a self-starter? These insights will help you understand how an applicant handles their work, and help you determine if they are the right match.
Describe Your Ideal Work Environment In Three Words
Another thing to consider is a question on the premise of the atmosphere. Ensure that they can not only survive, but thrive within your company culture.
Perhaps, they like a quiet company with heads-down work. If your office is fast and high-energy, that can be an issue. Or maybe they like predictability and structure – that might be an issue if you run a laid-back startup.
In any case, this question will help you determine if they will be comfortable working in your environment that you have already fostered to become a certain way.
When Hired, What Is the First Thing You Would Tackle?
A great question for the final rounds. It is effective for various reasons. First, it’s another opportunity to determine that the applicant has the right understanding of the role, while it also helps you understand their priorities. What do they believe is at the top of the importance list?
Finally, a question like this allows you to extend beyond the generalities that come with interviewing and getting an insight into how a candidate would perform in a specific role.
Why Did You Leave Your Current Employer?
Another question to make them cringe. Nobody wants to bad-mouth a previous boss or employer, making this a tough question to answer.
Posing the question as an insight into their professional history will help you identify red flags that might indicate they are not the best for this job.
What Skill Would You Like to Improve and How Would You Do It?
If you’ve been relying on the weakness question, try this one instead. Rather than asking about their flaws, turn the tables on areas of improvement.
The first part points out their flaw, the second allows them to redeem themselves. By explaining the action plant they have to continue to grow, you can see if they’ve thought about this question before and really want to improve.
What Excites You Most About This Role?
Skills can be learned, enthusiasm cannot. If an applicant is excited, it will translate into great work and longevity for your company.
Ask the applicant about what attracted them. What makes them excited about working here?
Not only will you help understand the comprehension of the duties, but give you a chance to figure out what they like most about the work.
For more advice on HR, make it plain consulting.
What Do You Enjoy Outside of Work?
Not a very common question, but it’s important to know nonetheless. You want a real person who is capable of origin bonds, sharing interests, and building rapport.
If you feel uncomfortable asking the question in a formal way, work it into the small talk before or after your sit-down with them. You’ll have the opportunity to connect while getting a better view of what makes them tick.
Open-Ended Interview Questions Done Right
That’s about it! Now that you possess all of the necessary open-ended interview questions, you can finally start asking them. We assure you that with these questions you will achieve a better grasp on your applicants, and understand their character from a fuller perspective.
If you are interested in similar topics, check out the rest of our blogs.
You must be logged in to post a comment.