1. How would you make your first year at this company a success?
This question can help you gauge how knowledgeable an interviewee is about your company, as well as determine what success looks like for them. While many interviewees at least take a cursory look online to figure out the bare bones of what you do, this question helps you see how in-depth their research is. It may also help you figure out if their priorities are a fit for the position.

2. What motivates/frustrates you?
Asking these questions back to back can help you uncover how a candidate works best. For example, if they get caught up in “petty” irritations without talking about solutions, they may not be the most positive person. Learning what motivates a job candidate early on can help you determine if they’ll work well on your team. An employee who is motivated by new situations may not like a job where the work is largely the same, for example.

3. Tell me about a time that you failed, and how you dealt with it.
It’s less about the failure here, and more about how they answer the question. A job candidate who talks about making proactive steps and learning from their failures may be the better choice. This question may also help you find people who aren’t afraid to fail and can learn from their mistakes.

4. What challenges are you looking for in your next job?
This question can help you see what the candidate wants in their next job, but also, which challenges they believe they’ll face. You may wish to follow up here with a question about how they’ll deal with these challenges. Moving jobs is always hard, but finding a candidate who knows how to rise to the challenge is critical.

5. When I get in touch with your previous supervisor, what will they say your biggest weakness is?
If you’re looking for an honest answer to a question, here’s where you’ll get it. This is a fantastic way to find out how your job candidates believe that other people see them. Plus, it’s a performance-based question – a job candidate may believe they’re organized and productive, but if their supervisor never saw that side of them, then was it really there?

6. Who do you most look up to?
Finding out an interviewee’s role model can help show you what skills and personality traits they aspire to. For example, a job candidate who looks up to, say, Seth Godin is going to be very different from one who aspires to be Bill Gates.

7. What are your least favorite work-related tasks?
This simple question can help you uncover a mismatch between what the job requires and what the candidate likes. For example, if you need an office manager candidate to not just help with finances but also answer the phones, it doesn’t make sense to hire somebody who loathes a ringing telephone.

8. What would you do if you were suddenly given $100 million?/Describe an orange without saying “orange”. Why are manhole covers round?
These so-called “oddball” interview questions can actually be an important part of the hiring process. When you ask them, pay attention to how the candidate responds. By shaking up the regular interview process, you can get a feel for how quickly a job candidate can think on their feet. Really savvy interviewees will figure out a way to work your company back into their response.

Interviewing a potential job candidate is an important part of the hiring process, along with background checks and reviewing resumes. The next time you conduct an interview, try asking these questions to help uncover more great information.

The post 8 Interview Questions That Pack A Punch During The Hiring Process appeared first on JDP.

Do Your Homework

Before the interview, you should already be vetting your potential hire. By doing your homework and investigating a candidate you not only make sure that you will get the most out of an upcoming interview but also save yourself time and problems in the long run.
As soon as you receive your applicant’s resume, be sure to note any red flags that might appear. These include:

• frequent job changes
• irregular salary history
• gaps in employment
• questionable or non-existent references
• vague qualifications or jargon

Hire a reputable pre-employment screening company to do some of the heavy lifting for you. A professional company specializing in background checks can shed light on some of these red flags or find discrepancies in what may look like a solid resume.

Ask Strong Questions

If you find a discrepancy or unexplained gap in a candidate’s resume, the interview is the time to ask about it. You shouldn’t be accusatory (as this might turn off a potentially excellent employee), but be direct. You may discover there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for what at first seemed like a red flag.

But pay attention also for behavioral tells. If the interviewee obfuscates or redirects the conversation, this might be a sign that the candidate is being dishonest. Don’t be afraid to ask follow-up questions or press for more detail. Good questions will force your candidate to disclose information not only about his or her qualifications, but how he or she would handle themselves in a work situation. How open and honest a candidate is in an interview can predict how forthcoming and honest they will be in the workplace.

Check Your Work

Even if you have already screened for discrepancies in a resume, new information may come up in an interview. If a potential hire discusses previous employment experiences or credentials not listed on his or her resume, it may behoove you to verify these new facts. A reputable pre-employment screening company will help you with this service as well so that you can feel completely comfortable and confident in the person you are hiring.
Contact us to discuss employment background screening!

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