8 Must-Ask Interview Questions

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

At the time of any job interview, a candidate will be determined to provide the best possible version of themselves to the person asking the questions. It is the job of the interviewer to ask the right questions. Ones designed to provide a real and accurate picture of the person seeking employment with their organization. Here are eight must-ask interview questions that you may find useful.

How Did You Prepare For This Interview?

Preparation is vital for many companies when it comes to interviewing a job candidate. It enables an interviewer to know if a candidate has done their homework or just quickly Googled the company. The key here is to see if a response can include a specific insight or well-phrased comment about the company. This insight will show the level of a candidate’s desire to build a career with the company and not just get a job.

How Would You Handle A Disagreement With A Manager?

No matter where someone works in a company, there will be disagreements and conflicts. A candidate’s response could reveal a confrontational personality or someone with conflict resolution skills. Most recruiters will notice if a person is unable to give an example. It makes the candidate appear to be hiding something.

Why Should I Not Hire You?

This question is a famous curveball question that is often effective. It can provide an interesting insight into a person’s integrity, honesty as well as self-awareness. Many recruiters will ask this question and watch a candidate’s body language. If a person is asked this question crosses their arms, it could indicate someone who is defensive. Candidates who struggle with this question or try and move past it may be trying to avoid revealing something negative about themselves.

Why Are You Seeking This Position?

It’s essential to establish the motivation behind a candidate’s seeking a position with a company. A person may have completed an online MBA program and want a job more advanced than what their current employer can offer. It’s also possible that a person was let go and may have legal issues and more with their previous employer. This information is valuable to have when choosing an employee.

What Job Did You Enjoy Doing The Most And Why?

The information a candidate provides about their previous employment is a good indication of what they would like to experience in a new job. Should a candidate mention that they loved the happy hour at a local tavern, they may be the sort of person who won’t be satisfied with any job.

Describe How You Saw A Problem And Resolved It

The response to this question will identify a candidate’s skills when it comes to problem resolution. An answer can also reveal a person’s skill level when it comes to critical thinking. Some people will take it upon themselves to solve a problem. Others will take it to their manager first. Either personality can be a good fit with the right manager.

How Will Your Experience Help You In This Position?

A candidate should use this response to provide details about their experience other than what is on their resume. Internships, working in a business atmosphere, and even working as a paperboy could be potential answers to this question. Human Resource Managers want to know what experience you have and sometimes that includes things that don’t show up on the resume. Should they not talk about things beyond their resume, it could indicate there are false things on the resume. A candidate should be able to provide their experience in successfully dealing with various situations.

What Has Made You The Proudest In Your Career?

The response to this question can indicate a candidate’s potential and what work makes them most satisfied. A person who says having a chance to use what they learned from getting an online MBA may have goals. Responses could range from working in customer service and helping a customer resolve an issue to a solid investment choice that was made. People are going to have ups and downs when it comes to this line of work. But, it is growing from them and recognizing the achievements that will make a person successful. A person who does not provide an appropriate response could be a low-performing or underachieving employee.

It can be a challenge to find the best possible candidate for an open position in a company. The right questions will provide an interviewer with relevant information for making a favorable hiring decision. It can make a candidate and organization know if they will benefit from a working relationship.

Sources

Robert Half

Fit Small Business

WGU

Exec Searches

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