5 Great Interview Questions

You only have a short time during an employment interview to evaluate a candidate's suitability for the position and your organization.  Asking the right questions can offer important insight and help you make the right hiring decision. Here’s a list of my top 5 favourite interview questions.

1.)    What have you done to prepare for this interview?

Evaluates: Ability to take initiative

It is an immediate turn off for me when a candidate hasn’t done anything. In my opinion if they cannot put the effort in when they are trying to make a good impression and put their best foot forward how much initiative are they going to take on a day-to-day basis on the job?

At the very least I expect that the applicant  to have visited the organizations website and has an understanding what the organization does.   Candidates that put the extra effort in to research competitors, complete tutorials and conduct other research immediately rise to the top for me.

2.)    Tell me about a situation where meeting a deadline meant sacrificing quality.  How did you handle it?

Evaluates: Problem solving skills and ability to prioritize

Provides an insight into how a candidate approaches a difficult situation and what steps they take to solve the problem. Behavioural questions like this ask candidates to describe situations that they have experienced in the past.  The theory is the way an individual has acted in the past is a good indication of how they will act in similar situations in the future.

Follow – up Question: If a similar situation were to happen in the future would you handle it the same way?  This evaluates a candidates ability to self reflect and commitment for self improvement and growth.

3.)    If I was to speak to your previous employer what area do you think he or she would say you needed to further develop?

Evaluates: Self awareness and identifies areas needed for improvement

No candidate is perfect and  there are areas where everyone can improve.  This question evaluates the candidates self-awareness as well as identifies area for future development and improvement.

Follow- up question:  What steps have you taken to improve in this area?  This demonstrates candidates ability to take initiative for self improvement.

4.)     Where do you see yourself in 5 years?  What steps are you taking now to ensure you achieve your objective?

Evaluates: Goal setting and ability to plan

This question serves two purposes not only does it evaluate a candidates ability to set goals but it  also measures if the candidates goals are in alignment with your organization and the position.  If the candidate desires a top management position within five years but this position doesn’t offer room for growth it probably wouldn’t be a good fit.  Identifying this now can prevent high employee turnover or employee dissatisfaction.

5.)    Do you have any questions?

Evaluates: Values

The questions that candidates ask whether  the candidate asks about holiday time, opportunities for advancement or  the companies objectives gives you a good indication of what the candidate values.   Ask yourself: How well does the candidates values align with the organizations?

I would love to hear from you.  What are some of your favourite interview questions?