With the recruiting process in full swing, and you’ve chosen your first batch of promising resumes, you now have the sometimes daunting task of interviewing. What should you ask them and what should you look for in their answers?
Sometimes it is the simplest questions that you ask in an interview that can reveal the best candidates.
- Tell me about yourself.
This is the oldest interview question in the book, but the answer can tell you a lot about your candidate. A clear, strong answer shows that a person is ready for the interview and confident in their ability. Someone who is prepared for the interview will use this opportunity to let you know that they have studied the job description and have experience that relates to the position you are hiring for. A candidate should tell you about their educational and professional experience without giving their life story. A good interviewee will keep their answer short and sweet and touch upon things that you can ask them about in more detail later on in your conversation.
- Do you prefer to work independently or in a team environment?
The trick with this question is you really won’t be able to tell if the person is just telling you what fits best with the position. Look for clues in their work experience that tell you about the environments they have previously worked in. If they say they prefer a team environment follow-up by asking for an example of a positive experience they have had working with others and if they prefer independent work find out why. In most situations, the ideal candidate is someone who will work well when placed in either situation.
- What is your greatest weakness?
Everyone has at least one, and anyone who tells you differently could probably use some critical self evaluation time. Not being able to come up with a weakness shows an inability to see personal flaws and could result in an employee who has too much confidence to take direction. Steer clear of the person who answers with a personal flaw rather than a professional one, you do not want to hire someone for a 7AM start whose weakness is waking up in the morning. A good answer to this question should be backed up by a way they are working to improve or how this weakness could actually be beneficial.
- Why do you want this job?
This question will let you know how much research the candidate has done on your company. A detailed answer shows both commitment and interest. Also, look for candidates who relate your company’s mission and goals to both their professional and personal experiences.
- What are some things that you disliked about your last job?
If the candidate says that they disliked all the traveling they had to do and the position their interviewing for also entails a heavy travel schedule then they obviously won’t last too long if you do decide to hire them. Also be weary of people who bad-mouth their former company or co-workers. This does not show strong character or a person who works well with others. Similar to the weakness question, look for candidates who have taken something that they didn’t like and turned it into a positive experience that they have been able to grow from.
Interviewing is never easy and most of the time you probably won’t get all of the answers you are looking for. You can always send a follow-up email. The most important thing is knowing what to ask to get the most (and best) information that you can out of your potential candidates!
