10 TOP INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
by Susan Martin
One of the biggest mistakes for your business, causing problems with your company’s culture, performance and budget, can be making the wrong hire. So how do you get it right the first time?
Although it may seem an impossible task to get to know a job candidate beyond the interview facade and to get a glimpse of how he or she may truly perform on the job and contribute to the workplace, asking the right interview questions is the best place to start. Here, human resource expert and Small Business Monthly columnist Susan Martin reveals 10 of the most telling interview questions and why each can get you one step closer to choosing the best candidate for your business.
Note: The wording of Martin’s questions may reveal information that wouldn’t otherwise come out. Make sure to follow her open-ended format.
1. Tell me about a time when you learned a new job skill – not because you were required to but because you wanted to.
Why ask: The desire to be a lifelong learner can be a valued trait in a worker, especially in industries or positions that require adaptation to rapidly changing information, techniques or skills. The ability to seek and use learning opportunities is important not only for self-development but also for company growth and progress.
Follow-up questions: Describe how you have approached the need to learn something new in your job. What types of resources did you use for learning? After participating in a learning activity, how did you bring that knowledge back to the workplace? What types of unexpected obstacles did you face? Describe how you tackled the obstacles and succeeded. Tell me about a time when you used feedback from a supervisor or customer and turned it into a learning experience. What is a subject – related to your job – that you would like to learn more about? Why?
What to listen for: Does the candidate indicate an openness to change and new ideas? In what ways does the interviewee demonstrate self-motivation to learn? How easily does the candidate share examples of learning that occurred by choice rather than by requirement? Does the applicant struggle to give specific examples?
2. Describe how you uncover and nurture an underachieving employee’s potential.
Why ask: When interviewing candidates for executive and managerial positions, it’s especially important to know how the candidates nurture fellow team members’ strengths because the success of leaders often is measured by the success of their employees. When leaders empower employees to reach their full potential, the performance of the entire organization is elevated.
Follow-up questions: When an employee was falling short in skills or performance, how did you react as his manager? Describe how you have responded in the past when an employee made a mistake. How have you determined an employee’s strengths, likes and dislikes? Describe a situation in which you turned an employee’s weakness into a strength. How do you show confidence in a staff member’s abilities?
What to listen for: In the examples the candidate shares, how are an employee’s actions used as opportunities for growth? Does the applicant indicate ways he/she values the unique gifts that team members offer? Is the candidate’s leadership style authoritarian or empowering? Listen for ways the candidate allows others to lead, make decisions and solve problems. Is there a consistent thread throughout the responses that indicates the candidate has experience mentoring others?
3. How do you get others to listen to and accept your ideas? What’s your approach?
Why ask: The ability to effectively communicate is at the heart of almost any job. Leaders must persuade and rally others to support the company mission and goals. Salespeople are required to capture a customer’s attention and land the sale using persuasive communication skills. For co-workers to simply “play together in the same sandbox” day after day requires creative listening and speaking.
Follow-up questions: Give an example of when you had to explain a complex technical issue to someone who hasn’t had any technical experience. Tell me about a situation when you had to convince others of an idea that wasn’t necessarily a popular idea. What did you do when your approach failed? How have you used nonverbal communication strategies to get others to listen to you? How do you show an interest in what another person is saying? Describe how you have worked with a person whose first language was not English or a person with a disability that inhibited communication.
What to listen for: In the examples the candidate shares, how is a good rapport established with the listener? How easily does the applicant recall examples of past situations? During the interview, how does the applicant establish a good exchange and flow of information?
4. Tell me about a time when you spoke up at work, knowing that by doing so you were taking a risk.
Why ask? In 1985 Reuven Bar-On first coined the letters “EQ” to refer to emotional intelligence that measures social and relationship skills. Emotional intelligence often is just as important in the workplace as talent and mental intelligence (or IQ). It’s well-known that all the “smarts” in the world don’t necessarily guarantee a new hire’s success.
Employers should look at a combination of mental as well as emotional factors during the hiring process. Standardized tests are certainly available for assessing a prospective hire’s EQ as well as IQ. However, carefully constructed interview questions also may yield valuable EQ insights.
Follow-up questions: Tell me about a time when your awareness of your own emotions caused you to change your plan of action. Describe a critical action you took in the workplace without being directed to do so. What does “good attitude” mean to you? Tell me about a time you had to “choose your battles carefully.”
What to listen for: Of course, certain occupations may require specific social and relationship skills. However, generally listen for examples of how gracefully the candidate responds to workplace situations. Is it in an emotionally intelligent manner?
5. Tell me about a project for which you had budget responsibility.
Why ask: Budget management is a big deal to most employers. If budget management is an important job function, then it’s essential that the candidate shares his/her experiences. Ask questions that reveal the real scope or extent of responsibility.
Follow-up questions: How do you estimate expenses and budgets? In your recent job, how did you stay on budget? How did you deal with times when you weren’t on budget? Tell me about an assignment you worked on in which you had to amass a huge amount of data and then analyze it. Describe a decision you made that affected the company’s finances. How did you assess its impact? What was the toughest budget issue you ever faced?
What to listen for: The applicant should be able to explain how he/she compiles facts and figures for preliminary analysis as well as derives relevant information from the study of the data. Listen for clues that indicate whether the individual was truly responsible for the budget or his/her role was assistive in nature. Does the candidate have the character to admit mistakes or unachieved goals? Listen for “lessons learned.”
6. Tell me about a time when you exceeded a customer’s expectations.
Why ask: A job candidate’s service orientation or attitude is important to your business. The prospective employee’s passion for service – to clients as well as co-workers – potentially can make or break the opportunity for repeat business as well as affect internal employee relations.
Follow-up questions: Describe a situation when you had to go out of your immediate job duties to help a customer. Explain the steps you would take if a customer or co-worker came to you with a problem that was beyond your knowledge or responsibilities. Tell me about a time when a customer came to you angry and how you worked to solve the issue. Describe the steps you use to calm an angry customer. How do customers frustrate you? What is customer service follow-up, and why is it important? Describe ways that you have followed up with customers. Tell me about a situation when you took a stand for a customer.
What to listen for: Does the interviewee struggle to give specific examples? How do the candidate’s real-life examples show a passion for service to customers and co-workers? In what ways are customers engaged that make their day? Does the applicant imply that customers are sometimes an inconvenience? To what extent does he/she strive to make customers happy?
7. Tell me what you have done on a consistent basis to ensure that your direct reports feel valued for their contributions.
Why ask: The quality of the supervisor-employee relationship constitutes the fabric of any department. If relationships fall apart, the entire operation is weakened. The ability to build a good relationship with an employee is the best way to close the employee’s productivity gap.
Follow-up questions: Give an example of how you celebrated an individual’s success. Tell me about a time when you missed an opportunity to recognize a direct report’s accomplishment. What did you do? Describe how you handled a time when you realized one of your direct reports was overburdened with work. How did your actions affect the situation? How have you integrated new members into your team?
What to listen for: No matter how many responsibilities a supervisor may have, one must take priority over all others: the responsibility for the condition of any given employee relationship. What behaviors indicate how the candidate values and places importance on the supervisor-employee relationship? What initiatives does the job candidate take to build and maintain productive relationships with employees? Does the interviewee tend to blame the direct report in situations that fail – or assume responsibility?
8. How do you deal with change?
Why ask? In today’s business environment, there is no status quo – only continual change. Having employees who are flexible and adaptable in their approach to change is an asset to any business.
Follow-up questions: Give me an example of a time when you had to quickly adjust to changes over which you had no control. How did the changes impact you? Tell me about a time when you led a change effort. How did you prepare? Describe a time when you helped co-workers deal with changes at work that they viewed as negative. What skills did you use? Describe a situation when you – at first – resisted a change at work and later accepted it. What changed your mind? Tell me about a time when you felt that a planned change was inappropriate. What did you do and what were the results?
What to listen for: How does the candidate engage others and garner support during the change process? Do descriptions of how situations were handled show an organized, systematic approach? Are opportunities for success recognized and acted upon? How does the candidate demonstrate perseverance in the face of adversity? How often does the applicant refer to stress and in what ways? Does the candidate seem to have a sense of humor that is used amidst change?
9. Why have you had (X) number of jobs in (X) years?
Why ask: There is nothing inherently wrong with moving from job to job – the reasons why are what matter. By asking, you’ll get a fuller picture of the candidate’s work history.
Follow-up questions: Why have you jumped from job to job (if indeed the candidate has)? What was the key factor for your departure from each job? When have you been most satisfied in your life? What things do you not like to do? If you are hired and you loved everything about this job, including the salary, what kind of offer from another company would you consider?
What to listen for: What keeps the candidate motivated? Does he or she become bored easily? What signs of loyalty are expressed? Is someone else consistently blamed for the changes from job to job (e.g., manager, co-worker)? Or do the answers show responsibility, accountability and an eagerness to grow from “lessons learned”? Listen for indications that the candidate is a good match not only for the position but also for your company’s culture.
As always, thorough background and reference checks also should be part of the selection process.
10. How will you fit in our work environment?
Why ask? Nearly one-third of newly hired employees leave their employment (voluntarily or involuntarily) before the end of their first year – not because of their inability to do the job but because “the chemistry is wrong” (Saratoga Institute survey). An employee mismatched for the position as well as the company’s work environment (or culture) can be a costly and time-consuming HR experiment for any employer. To identify candidates who will fit your company’s culture, it’s important to understand your work environment. First ask top management what it is about the work culture that makes your company successful. Then ask nonmanagement employees the same question. In addition, be an impartial observer of your culture in action. Notice any similarities or disconnects in the values, beliefs, attitudes or behaviors that are mentioned or observed?
Follow-up questions: Based on your organization’s cultural characteristics, ask behavioral interview questions that reveal how the applicant has approached a variety of past work situations as well as whether the candidate’s style and behavior are a good fit. For example, a person who prefers to work independently may not find a good cultural fit in a team-oriented workplace.
Cautions: To minimize hiring discrimination claims, be sure to link the cultural factors to job competencies so you can support your employment decisions.
Hiring Secrets Exposed • Case Study: GL Group
by Julia Paulus Ogilvie
As the human resources director for GL Group, a company focused on children and education that includes Booksource, Lisa Whealon is in charge of hiring for all four divisions of the 40-year-old company. With continued growth from new divisions and within Booksource, Whealon has added 20 employees in the last year and is filling seven new positions today.
What may sound like an overwhelming task Whealon takes in stride with a structured plan to hiring. GL Group’s hiring process begins with seven steps:
Post the job internally. “We have a strong employee referral base and process,” says Whealon. “We were founded as a family-owned business and are today. Hiring family members or friends works for our culture.”
Post positions externally.
Review résumés.
Do phone screens.
Perform the first interview – the skills interview. “This involves the hiring manager and a peer,” says Whealon. “They are checking if the candidate fulfills the skill level the job requires.”
Give online assessment. “This is an online test, which is based on aptitude, potential, skills and characteristics needed for certain departments,” says Whealon. “We compare results to benchmarks set by current team members and also see which candidate can fill talent gaps we have identified.”
Perform the culture interview. “An HR person and someone in the business who has a real grasp on our culture are involved,” Whealon says. “We use our core values as a guide. It’s less about job specifics and more about company culture.”
Depending on the position, that may be the entire interview process. However, if the open position is in leadership or management, Whealon and her counterparts may add steps. “An example of this is with the director of IT,” she says. “We added a culture component where the candidate talks with six folks who work with IT regularly. It was a sort of speed dating, where the candidate is interviewed and also gets to ask questions.”
Another step to further get to know interviewee’s is to have the candidate tour GL Group’s facilities. “This is when we check them for engagement,” says Whealon. “Are they interested, saying hi and shaking hands? This speaks to our particular culture. We may have 220 employees, but we want everyone to know each other’s names. We want a small-family feel. We don’t want barriers or a feeling that anyone is above anyone else.”
Overall, Whealon emphasizes the importance of finding cultural fit. “We feel that we can train a role, but it’s hard to find a cultural fit,” she says. “We have turned down many applicants who have the experience but aren’t a cultural match even with background. If they can’t meet cultural standards, they will be damaging. I am a big believer in hiring slow for that reason.”
To truly discover whether someone will be a good fit with the culture once on board, Whealon relies on getting multiple people involved in the interview process. “Slow down,” she says. “Insert more people and assessments throughout the process. Don’t just rely on a standard interview.”
Hiring Secrets Exposed • Case Study: Essex Industries
by Julia Paulus Ogilvie
Since its founding in 1947 by Harold and Sidney Guller in their father’s basement, Essex Industries has grown by leaps and bounds. Today the company has four facilities with more than 180,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 360 employees providing innovative and quality engineered products in the aerospace and defense, first response, safety, and medical markets.
Today the company’s growth is led by Harold’s son, Keith Guller. With long-running success and a growing number of employees, the company’s hiring process follows a step-by-step formula with the help of technology. Essex starts by posting positions internally. “If suitable candidates are not found, we post externally,” says Guller. “We use a number of external sites, as well as our own, and all of them link back to our applicant tracking system (ATS).”
After résumés and applications are submitted through ATS, the system prescreens the applicants based on a set of prerequisite parameters set by the hiring manager. “A pool of qualified candidates is then selected by the hiring manager and our recruiting manager,” Guller says. “If the pool is large, we conduct phone interviews to reduce the field to a manageable number. Once that pool has been identified, we schedule face-to-face interviews.”
Depending on the level of the hire, Essex will begin to develop an evaluation matrix and appropriate interview questions related to the evaluation. “At the manager level and above, we produce a formal weighted evaluation matrix where each candidate is asked identical questions and scored on their answers,” says Guller. “Areas of interest during the interview process include functional job skills, cultural fit and interpersonal skills.”
These evaluations are gathered by the company’s HR department, which determines the best candidate based on the predetermined weight of the appropriate skill/aptitude and average score from the panel.
While a candidate is initially judged to be an A-player if she exceeds expectations for skills and aptitudes, she must also be a perfect cultural fit for the organization. “Cultural fit is important,” says Guller. “If a person appears suited for the position but is not a strong cultural fit, we will not consider them a viable candidate.”
Guller warns that without consideration of cultural fit and people skills, major hiring mistakes can be made. “Ignoring those aspects can create issues that exceed the value added by someone’s additional skills,” he says.
For overall hiring success, Guller encourages other business owners to build a robust process that objectifies the evaluation as much as possible and takes cultural fit into consideration.
Submitted 10 years 27 days ago