As hiring managers, we use interviews to help us find the candidate that is going to take our team to the next level. You know, the individual to bring creativity and innovation to the table; the one who helps everyone rise to the occasion. What questions do we ask, and avoid, to help us determine if the candidate sitting in front of us is the right one? How can we ensure we get an accurate picture of their skills, accomplishments, and personality?
A great interview starts by asking questions that help you ascertain whether the employee can do the job. Sounds pretty straight forward, but that isn’t always the case. To really know whether a candidate can do the functions of the job, we really have to look at past performance and outcomes. Prior to the interview, and really before we’ve even posted the position, we need to know what the desired outcomes are. What will success look like? When we get into the interview, we need to ask the candidate in what ways they’ve already demonstrated the ability to be successful in the role. Utilize questions that let the candidate reflect on their past experiences – an area in which they’re an expert – to demonstrate how they’ll be successful in achieving the objectives of the role they’re interviewing for. Focus on the impacts the candidate has had in past roles and situations.
Of course, we want to avoid asking any questions about protected demographics such as age, religion, etc.. Those questions have no business use, not to mention they’re totally illegal. But, perhaps we also consider avoiding hypothetical questions such as, “What would you do if there was a conflict on your team?” and instead focus on what the candidate has already done. Questions such as, “Tell me about a time you experienced conflict on your team. How did you overcome the conflict?” allow the candidate to rely on what really happened and give you an honest answer on how they handled it.
Just as important as the questions you ask, is the realistic preview you give of the role. Talk about what makes the role exciting, but also about what challenges the hired candidate will face. What difficulties will they need to overcome and what kind of support can they expect from you and the rest of the team? Be honest about the role upfront. Candidates aren’t looking for a bait and switch and don’t want to feel misled if they take the job. Research shows us that employees who received that realistic job preview are far more likely to be satisfied with their decision to take the job.
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