Making a decision on whom to hire during the job interview process isn’t an easy task. Finding and hiring the best candidates starts with asking the right interview questions. The five questions highlighted below are some of the top interview questions for employers to ask during an interview.
These questions can definitely help you to better assess whether the job applicant that you are interviewing is someone you’d want to hire.
1. We all make mistakes on the job. Share with me 2 mistakes that you have made in your current or past job. How did you resolve these mistake(s) and what did you learn from the mistake?
Why Ask This Question?
Even the best workers make mistakes. The question requires the job applicant being interviewed to use specific work related examples that highlight their ability to acknowledge that they have made mistakes. It also demonstrates the applicant’s ability to problem solve, fix mistakes and make decisions under stress. In some circumstances, mistakes can’t be fixed. Whether a mistake is “fixable” or not, the question also gives you the opportunity to understand what they have learned from the mistake. The answer should demonstrate that in some way, the mistake became a learning experience, which allowed the employee to do a better job when faced with a similar situation in the future.
2. Asking a Hypothetical Question: It’s been 2 years since I hired you in the (role). When you look back on your job responsibilities, in what ways would you measure your success in the role?
Why Ask This Question?
This is a “hypothetical” question that you should ask, after you have clearly explained the job responsibilities and expectations to the person being interviewed. The goal with this question is to determine how well the interviewee understands your job requirements for the role and to get the job applicant to share with you how they can specifically add value to your job based on their overall experience. You’ll also gain some insight on the level of experience the job applicant has based on their ability to apply concrete “hypothetical” accomplishments based on the requirements of the job.
3. If I were to contact your current supervisor today for a reference, what would he/she say about your work performance, attention to detail, and commitment to the job?
Why Ask This Question?
This question can give you a sense of how honest and “self aware” the candidate is about their work experience. I often use the candidates’ response as part of my reference check. For example, if the candidate states that “my current supervisor will say that I was a dedicated worker who was always on time, worked hard and excelled at all tasks”, when calling to check the actual reference, I will share the employee’s feedback with their employer and then ask that they confirm the employee’s assessment of their skills. This is also a good time to ask the reference to provide specific work related examples that support the applicant’s assessment of their job skills.
4. Share with me 3 work-related examples that support your statement that you have strong customer service skills?
Why Ask This Question?
Many applicants will tell you that they have “strong” or “excellent” customer service skills, but the “proof is in the pudding”. Asking for specific work related examples that support their statement, will give you a very clear sense of your potential hires’ interpersonal skills and how they perceive and treat customers or clients. You can interchange “customer service” with any job related task that you would like to learn more about.
5. Based on what you know about this job, what is it about your past or current work experience that makes you the most qualified person for this position?
Why Ask This Question?
This question requires the job applicant to give real life examples of their specific experience and skills sets and how this experience can be applied to the job that you are hiring for.
Preparing for the job interview in advance, including asking the best interview questions will allow you to fully assess a job applicant’s overall experience and help you to hire the best candidate for your job.
Get more tips on interviewing, hiring, managing and engaging your employees. Dianne Shaddock is the President of Easy Small Business HR, Employee Hiring and Managing Tips and the author of the eGuide, “How To Supervise: What Your Boss Never Told You Before You Took the Job“, A Step-By-Step Guide For New and Seasoned Managers.
