HIRING: 20 Good Questions to Ask

Finding good talent these days is a real challenge. We don’t want to see openings in our companies because we know it’s going to be a chore to fill them. We prefer to keep people on the job as long as we can because it’s simpler and more productive. If we have a good worker, they contribute to the overall growth and advancement of the organization. When they vacate the position, we have to start all over again with a new person. Training them. Investing in them. Hoping for the best from them. Sometimes getting it. Sometimes not. And when it’s not, we have to start all over again. Hiring is time-consuming, at times inconvenient, and more importantly—expensive.

In an Inc. magazine article, auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers said that it costs a business one and a half times an individual’s salary every time that person walks off the job. Losing employees costs. It costs even more when a new hire doesn’t last more than a few weeks or months. Initially, the business is pouring resources into developing that person, and the new hire isn’t producing much because they are in the learning mode. They don’t give back to the company nearly as much as the company is putting into them. If the person is not right for the job, they quickly realize they don’t want to be there anymore, and they walk. The business is back to square one, and they have received no return on their investment.

Choosing the right person in the first place can help eliminate this waste of time and resources. The way we do this is by asking the right questions in the interview. Too often, applicants will interview well because we’ve asked superficial questions. Then when they’re on the job, we wonder why they seem to fall short of our expectations. We must dig deeper, and go beyond the standard interview questions. Challenge them to think, and you’ll learn how they handle situations on the job that will also challenge them. Here are 20 questions gleaned from some of my training classes:

1. How would your co-workers and supervisors describe you?
2. Tell me about a challenging situation you were involved in and how you handled it.
3. What is your greatest accomplishment on the job and in your personal life?
4. Have you been recognized by a former employer for good customer service? If so, what did you do to earn the recognition?
5. What motivated you to apply for this position?
6. How do you deal with an angry or upset customer (internal and external)? Please give an example.
7. You said on your resume that you can...(name the claim). Please demonstrate this skill.
8. What can you bring to this organization that would help us operate more efficiently?
9. What are your expectations from the company, management, and the position?
10. What do you do for fun?
11. What are your short and long-term goals in this job?
12. How do you feel about confrontation on the job? And how do you deal with it?
13. How do you balance the customers’ needs with the goals of the company?
14. Can you describe a situation where you went above and beyond your job responsibilities?
15. Describe a situation that required you to work within a team. How did you perform in that environment?
16. Tell me about a circumstance that required you to be flexible and adjust to changes on the job.
17. What distinguishes you from anyone else who might be applying for this position?
18. What’s the toughest decision you had to make on the job? Do you feel you made the right decision? Why or why not?
19. Describe an occasion where you had to demonstrate initiative personally or professionally.
20. How do you balance work and home life?

These are just a few high-gain questions that can help you develop a clearer picture of the person sitting across from you in an interview. Though you may not feel inclined to use all of these, surely there’s at least one or two that can reveal if you’re hiring Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde. Best of luck!