Posted by Preparation is the key when it comes to job interviews to identify the best candidates. With the right set of questions, you will get a clearer idea of their skills, proficiency and skills. Here are the best interview questions that you should put to work in the next interview with a potential employee.
1. Tell me about yourself.
It may sound like a simple and straightforward question can leave some interviewees flustered. As one of the first and most frequently asked question, the response will establish the tone of the entire interview session. A well-described answer will touch on the person’s experiences, traits and skills.
2. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
The response will draw out the candidate’s skills, habits and personality traits that are either resourceful or a drawback. Generally, interviewees will start with their weaknesses first so that they can conclude their answer on a positive note through their greatest strengths.
3. In your own personal opinion, what constitutes as hard working?
The response will reveal what it takes for the candidate on how to solve a problem and what it takes to get things done. It will also determine if the person is deemed suitable for the role depending on the experience.
4. In your last performance review, what are your areas of improvement?
There is always a place for improvement in personal life and most of all in the career line. This question is a follow-up to “what is your weaknesses” and provides respondents with an open-ended answer. The key to the question is to determine how they would describe what they work on right now and how to improve it further.
5. What are your best accomplishments in your career?
Candidate’s response will describe their accomplishment and sense of ownership. A compelling answer will display their confidence in their work and professional choices while displaying their thoughts about the company’s success. For instance, if the candidate successfully executed a marketing campaign, learn and listen to how they made a positive impact on the company’s business.
6. In three words, describe yourself.
Candidate’s response will tell you about their qualities and traits align with the skills they believe are essential for the role. A good answer includes quantifiable results to display how they use their best qualities to drive success.
7. Do you have what it takes to be leading a team? Why or why not?
This questions will help to determine if the candidate possesses any leadership skills. It could potentially open up the opportunity for them to take lead based on the type of leadership experience.
8. What is your definition of success?
A success does not have to provide the proof of the outcome, instead should be revealed if the candidate understands what constitutes a success. It will provide them with the chance to show their qualities that what employers are striving for to achieve their goals. Resolution, motivation, ambition, interest, and shared collaborative vision are one of the many elements to achieve success.
Related: What Questions To Ask During An Employee Exit Intervie
9. Do you prefer to work on your own or in a team? Why?
This question will help determine if the candidate is a team player or a person that prefers to work on their own. They are individuals who can do their best independently or as part of a group. It also helps to identify key personality and preferred work style to complete a task.
10. Tell me about your hardest situation or task and how did you overcome it?
One of the frequently asked question during a job interview, as it is a basic open-ended question than an interviewer can ask any interviewee. It allows you to observe how a candidate would respond that is based on their personal experience.
11. What are your career goals in the next five years?
A good outcome from this question will do two things well:
- displaying your genuine care about employee career goals as you want to hire an individual who is highly motivated and proactive.
- searching for a candidate that desires to work hard and retain their employment in the long term.
12. Which do you prefer? A self-directed task or a clearly defined task?
As a company culture question, candidates answer will determine if they are the right fit for the work culture in your company. Size of the company and the level of the organization does play a factor as well. For instance, large enterprises tend to be more structured compared to SMEs.
13. Are there any questions that you would like to ask?
Another question that is frequently brought up by interviewers. It allows you to determine what is important to the candidate based on the answer to this question. Are they thinking about the work culture, company benefits? Are they looking for a company that encourages career growth and providing learning opportunities?
14. Are you able to perform under stressful conditions? Describe?
If you are searching for a candidate that suits best for the position, it would certainly involve stressful situations. It is best to verify it with a question directed to the candidate capability based on:
- motivated instead of pressured and utilise it to produce quality and efficient work
- overcome stress by organising ahead and prioritise work
- maintaining transparent communication with everyone involved in the work
- maintain a healthy physical and mental state
15. Why should we hire you?
This question will reveal if the candidate is able to convince you that if he or she is the best person for this position. The interviewer will be given the final keystroke to convince you that:
- they can perform at work and able to provide outstanding results
- they will fit in perfectly and be an essential asset to the team and the company
- possess the solid combination of proficiency and experience that is a right fit for the position
All prepared? Let’s get the questions to start rolling!
Ng You Jing Content Marketer at Jobstore Reach me at youjing@jobstore.com