What are the ten best questions to ask when conducting job interviews?
The best interview questions are those that allow you to gather as much information as possible about a potential candidate within a short period of time.
Good interview questions will give you a clear understanding of the skills and experience of the applicant and if they will be a good fit for the position and the company as a whole.
Asking the right questions can provide an opportunity to assess conversational skills, problem-solving skills, and the candidates ability to think and respond quickly.
Tip: To assess the skill fit and culture fit of a potential applicant, ask questions that are specific to the company and role as well as questions that give them an opportunity to show their personality.
1. What accomplishment are you most proud of in your professional life so far?
While it is important to hire someone qualified, you also want an individual who takes pride in their work. This question gives the applicant an opportunity to share a highlight of their career and will give you insight into the type of work that fulfills them and if it aligns to the position applied for.
2. Tell me something about yourself that is not on your resume but you would like to include.
Resumes provide a summary of professional experience and qualifications but they do not tell you everything about an applicant. By asking an open question like this, it allows the applicant to decide whether they want to share something job-related or something more personal. How they choose to respond will tell you a lot about what kind of employee they will be.
3. Why do you want to work for this company?
This question will let you know how much an applicant has researched your company as well as give you a better idea of what they are looking for in an employer. The applicant should provide a good reason and not a generic answer. Listen for connections they make between your company and their career aspirations.
4. What made you apply for this position?
This is one of the best interview questions to ask. It will show how carefully the applicant read the job description and gives them the opportunity to share why the feel they are qualified for the position. A well-crafted answer will outline their skills and experience as well as any skills they may want to develop or improve.
5. What do you consider are your greatest strengths?
With this question, applicants have an opportunity to show their level of self-awareness and humility. It also provides them an opportunity to align their best qualities with the job requirements and demonstrate how their strengths will be useful to the position. This is a common question so the applicant would likely provide more than a generic answer.
6. What do you consider to be your challenges?
This is one of the most popular interview questions. You can learn a lot about an applicant based on their answer. Will their weaknesses or challenges conflict with the requirements of the role or their ability to succeed? Are they self-aware without having to think too long before giving an answer? Is the applicant working on improving on their shortcomings?
7. Describe a difficult work situation and how you overcame it.
Everyone has experienced challenging situations at work. The applicant should be able to describe a real problem and the specific steps they took to resolve it, and any processes they put in place to avoid it from potentially happening again. It also provides the applicant an opportunity to illustrate how they perform under pressure and manage stress.
8. Why do you want to leave your current employer?
Pay close attention to how the applicant talks about their employer, supervisor, and co-workers. Respect demonstrates professionalism and civility. The applicant should focus on the positives about how the position they are applying for offers better learning or career opportunities, more chances for advancement, and aligns with their long-term goals.
9. What motivates you?
Asking this question will help gauge the applicant’s level of self-awareness and ensure their sources of motivation align with the company and the position. This type of open-ended question will also give you a better idea of their personality, work style, and qualifications. The applicant should be able to tie in their answer with the position they are applying for.
10. What is your ideal work environment?
The applicant’s answer to this question will help you determine if they will be a good fit for the position and the company’s culture. If they describe a work environment that is similar, they are more apt to be happy, and complete work more efficiently and with greater quality. If what the applicant describes differs from your work environment, ask them how they plan to adjust.
It is important to ask pertinent questions and to ensure that they are legal and compliant.
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