Questions to Ask a Candidate in a Job Interview

Questions to Ask a Candidate in a Job InterviewQuestions to Ask a Candidate in a Job InterviewWhen the screening of the candidates is done, you will bring the top two or three in for an interview. What questions should you ask them? What answers should you be looking for? How will you know which one to hire? Whether you work for a large company with a Human Resources department and volumes of procedures or are a small business owner with a few employees, the types of questions you want to ask are the same. The Questions to Ask You want to ask the kind of questions that, in increasing order of importance, tell you 1) whether the partie has the skills to do the job, 2) how they function under pressure, and 3) how well they will fit into the kollektiv. Can They Do the Job? These are perhaps the easiest questions. You have seen the persons resume, so you know they claim to have the necessary skills. Ask a few questions to verify what they claim. I see you managed the payroll for three subsidiaries. What was the most difficult part of integrating all of them?When you were the Marketing Manager for ABC company what were the steps you took when planning the annual marketing budget?I see you program in (whatever language). How would you link an indexed field variable to display on mouseover? Notice ansicht questions ask how or what. They can not be answered yes or no. Listen to the answer to see how quickly they answer, how complete/correct their answer is, and whether they answer what you asked or go off to something with which they are more familiar. How Well Do They Function Under Pressure? It may be the area where most managers have trouble asking good questions, but they are more important than the job competency questions above. We are reluctant to be the bad guy, to put someone under pressure. However, there are very few jobs that dont place the employee under stress from time to time. Anybody can do well in calm times. You want people who can functi on well when things get confusing or difficult. To identify which candidate will perform best under pressure, ask tough, stressful questions. What makes you think you are better for this job than all the other candidates?Tell me about a stressful situation that occurred repeatedly on your last job and how you handled it.Which co-worker at your last job did you get along with least well? What did you do about it? Again, the important thing here is how quickly, directly, and completely they answer your questions. If a candidate says, he has never been under stress, avoid that person. Either he is lying, or he is out of touch with reality. If a candidate says, she gets along with all her co-workers and never has a conflict with anyone, press for more information. She is either a saint or a doormat. One question I like to ask here is What did you think of our website? Ittells me whether the person has taken the time to visit our website to learn about the company, but it also tells me h ow they will respond to the pressure of being put on the spot. How Well Will They Fit In? Among equally qualified candidates, this is the most important attribute. You need someone who will fit with the team and be a productive member, someone who will add to the team and not be a distraction. Be careful, though. You arent looking for the nicest person. You are looking for the best fit. In addition to personality, you need to evaluate work habits, a complementary skill set, and where the team needs help. In a very low key office, a loud, boisterous new hire would probably decrease the teams production, because the team would be so busy staring at the newcomer and quietly discuss amongst each other why the person is so loud. On the other hand, someone moderately outspoken could be just what the team needs to get them fired up and producing again at top levels. If everyone in the group comes in between 830 and 9, but works until 6 PM or later, it will be difficult for a new hire t o fit in if they always come in at 630 or 7 so they can leave at 3.