Seven Revealing Interview Questions

For many job seekers, the interview process is a rather simple one. Why? Because most hiring managers are asking the same-generic questions. They’ll notice that candidates are firing off answers before they can even complete their sentence- Is it just that these candidates are well prepared or is it that you are under-prepared?  What are we even accomplishing by asking these textbook questions? Do you really want to hear a candidate’s ‘biggest flaw’ that we all know they’ve been formulating an answer to for years?  Aside from the obvious experience and qualification questions, are you asking questions that will reveal the potential of the candidate? Most likely not. Here are seven revealing interview questions, that in my opinion, will help you discover the true potential and personality of a candidate.

Seven Telling Interview Questions

1. Why should we hire you?

Most candidates are not prepared for this question. You need to determine if a candidate is confident enough in themselves to say they meet the qualifications for the job. Do they truly feel they have the skills necessary to help your company succeed? Will they bring to the table what your company needs to grow? Determine if the candidate seems passionate about the position or if they are just taking the next job that came their way.

2. One year from now, what can you tell me we achieved?

Through this question you will discover a few things. First off, you’ll gain insight as to whether or not the candidate has invested time in learning about your company. I think it’s a much better question then asking ” What did you do to prepare for this interview”. This question will reveal what the candidate’s bigger-picture is. Do they have enough insight and knowledge to already have goals if they were to get the job? Have they already evaluated what they can accomplish with you? This question truly determines how committed they are to your company from the start.

3. Tell me about your last conflict at work.

This question will reveal how the candidate deals with conflict. You’ll want to identify how they resolved the issue along with if they are able to take responsibility for their actions.

4. Describe a time where you disagreed with a manager’s decision. What did you do?

Through this question, you should evaluate their communication skills along with how well they trust management. Did they go over the manager’s head or take the time to discuss it with them? How did they act in front of their peers? What was the end result?

5. What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?

Evaluating past performance is a great way to determine how they will succeed with you.  This also helps you discover what the candidate considers an accomplishment, if they feel they’ve had any at all. This gives the candidate a chance to highlight their successes while giving you insight as to how they succeed. Be sure to ask if they were the leader or a group member of this accomplishment. Did they consider this a personal accomplishment or a team achievement? How they answer will give you an idea if they are a team player or not. Is their ‘greatest’ accomplishment significant to what your company needs?

6. What would someone who dislikes you have to say about you?

Someone who dislikes me might say that I’m overly driven to the point of exhausting others. I can and have annoyed peers by being the first person to question a situation for the better of the company; or being the person to send the email out at 5:05 needing something done. I’m on the clock 24/7.  Maybe it’s because I’m passionate about what I do so I over-involve myself, but it definitely has annoyed others.

This is an easy way to learn about a candidate’s personality. Not having an answer to this question is the worst case scenario.

7.  How will you spend the first 90 days in this position?

Do they have a plan or are they waiting for yours?

Your interview questions are crucial to finding the perfect fit for your company. But before the interview, you need candidates. We’ve helped clients address their permanent and contract staffing needs for over 20 years. Our experienced recruiters each have a specific area of focus, and we maintain an active database of more than two-million EDI, EAI, IT, ERP and e-Commerce professionals. As a result, we have the expertise and resources to match qualified professionals for your opportunities.