Important Questions You Should Be Asking Job Candidates

The questions you ask job candidates in an interview can reveal a great deal about how they will perform if they’re hired and about what motivates them. The best questions should give you a firm sense of who the top candidates for a position are.

You should also make every effort to ask open-ended questions. These are the type of questions where a candidate can’t just offer a “yes” or “no.” Yes-or-no type of questions don’t reveal the candidate’s personality or choices. Open-ended questions do and will provide more information you can use during the hiring process.

Here are six of the most important questions you should be asking job candidates.

Tell me about your greatest achievement at work

This is a classic open-ended question. You will learn both about what the candidate considers their greatest achievement and their value system. What area does their greatest achievement fall in? Does it reveal anything about their working style or qualities? Does it tell you anything about how they would achieve in the workplace?

Tell me about a time you had to overcome a major challenge

In this question, too, you will learn not only about the candidate’s overcoming of a challenge but what they consider a challenge. It provides a window into their values and possibly past performance. You can use the information to estimate how they would deal with challenges in the workplace.

What interested you the most about this position?

This question is also open-ended and provides you with specific information about how the candidate views the position. It tells you what motivates the candidate in terms of values and goals. It provides information on how they might fit into your company. Are they eager to grow and looking for new challenges? Do they have any views of your workplace specifically?

Why are you leaving your current position?

This lets you know why the candidate is looking for a new position. It provides important insights into motivation, values, and goals. It can also provide insight into whether there are any issues at the current position.

What would your current supervisor say about your work and how you perform?

This question gives you insight into the relationship between the candidate and past employers. It can also provide information on how the candidate receives guidance, training, and criticism.

What would your current colleagues say about what it’s like to work with you?

You want to know how the candidate’s co-workers perceived them. This gives you information about how the candidate fits it and how they approach their co-workers.

Contact a Staffing Firm Today

Do you need advice on how to get information about and from job candidates, or what questions to ask? We can assist in developing questions for an interview. Staffing agencies are pros. We’re happy to help. Contact us today.