Asking Better Questions to Assess New Candidates

Failing to hire the right candidates for open positions causes stress throughout the organization, reduces the likelihood employees will enjoy their time with your company, and increases the costs associated with hiring and training. Asking the right interview questions during job interviews goes a long way to ensuring your HR team or hiring managers can select the best candidates.

Hiring managers want to get to know applicants during interviews. Leadership can read about an applicant's job qualifications and experience on a resume, so interview questions should offer a starting point for a more in-depth discussion. Some interviewers try to ask clever questions to get a feel for an applicant's critical thinking or other skills. If the question doesn't have a discernible root in the role of the job or company, though, it can simply derail the interview or give the applicant a bad feeling. Avoid asking off-the-wall questions just to throw applicants. Instead, if you want to discern a candidate's problem-solving skills, ask how he or she would address a specific problem in your organization or niche. Targeting your questions in this manner also gives you the benefit of understanding the candidate's familiarity with your niche.

Some interview questions are about a job applicant's skills and fitness for a position, but you should also ask questions that give you an idea about the person's initiative and desire for the job. Sometimes, the best candidate isn't the most knowledgeable but the one who most wants or needs the job. Candidates that do their homework before job interviews are more likely to be employees who are self-motivated, think outside of the box, and are willing to take on extra responsibilities. Ask interview questions about your company, your industry, and why the applicant is applying for the job. You might ask applicants to tell you what they know about the company, the top reason they want to work for your company, or what they think the biggest challenge is within your industry.

Interview questions shouldn't skip over the basics, though. Make sure your applicant is a fit for the position by asking skill-specific questions. Include questions about software, job requirements, and past performance. Ask clerical candidates about the most recent version of Word they have used. Ask management candidates to describe when they took risks or addressed employee complaints. Try not to provide too much information when you ask questions—you want to open the floor for candidates to show off what they know. Open-ended interview questions work best, as you tend to learn very little from yes or no answers. To help hiring managers ask the right questions to understand skill sets in various departments, human resources might consider creating a list of possible questions for each position.

Interview questions are an important way to gauge new candidates. Since each interview will be unique, make sure to use questions as a guide, allowing the conversation to flow naturally. Natural conversation is the best way to learn about each candidate.

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