What makes interview questions "good"? The answer is simple. A "good question" should be able to do two things: 1. It can provide necessary information to help you make the right employment decision. 2. It can help you understand the thinking activities and emotional world of candidates.
Avoid using outdated and old-fashioned questions, such as "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" Or "What do you think of your development in the next five years?" Or "If you were an animal, which one would you choose?" Instead, a well-prepared questionnaire is used to find the most suitable candidate for both the enterprise and the post through questions that help to evaluate the qualifications of candidates. There are hundreds of such questions, but the following 15 questions can help you get started quickly and help you analyze the candidates' answers.
Would you please introduce yourself briefly?
Most books on interview skills refer to such questions as "killer questions". You can definitely trust a well-prepared candidate whose answer will be rehearsed several times carefully. A confident candidate will briefly introduce his strengths, important achievements and career goals. What's your main job? Compare the candidates' answers with their resumes to see if they are consistent. A scattered and vague answer directly indicates that the candidate's thinking is unclear or his qualifications are insufficient.
What aspects of your job are you interested in, and what skills and advantages will you use to complete the job?
There is nothing tortuous here, but it is a very realistic problem. Please note that the question is not "What skills and advantages do you have?" But "what skills and advantages will you use to complete the work?" The answer will reflect the applicant's interest in the job and how much preparation he has made for the interview from another side. Experienced candidates will associate their professional skills with the requirements of specific recruitment positions: "I think my experience as an overseas journalist will be very beneficial to the marketing work for overseas customers." They will answer your questions according to their contribution to the enterprise.
Can you briefly introduce your current job?
An experienced candidate will briefly introduce the responsibilities and obligations of his current job. How they answer will help you understand their love and passion for their current job and their sense of professional responsibility. Pay special attention to those candidates who speak ill of or blame their employers. If they are not loyal to their current employers, how can you expect them to be loyal to your business in the future?
Can you describe your proud achievements in your work in a popular way?
This is especially useful if you are interviewing technicians, such as system analysts or tax accountants. This question shows the candidate's ability to explain his work clearly in plain language. Did they use industry terms in their narrative? Can they speak clearly and easily? If they can't, it shows that they lack the ability to cooperate with employees in other departments, because they can't walk out of their own "world" and can't meet the needs of individual teamwork in today's enterprises.
How do you improve your present job?
When answering, a confident candidate will show his adaptability and willingness to "stand up in the face of difficulties" when necessary. A candidate who doesn't take the usual path will show his creativity and wisdom. This question gives candidates an opportunity to explain their achievements, such as how they have contributed to improving efficiency or reducing costs. If a candidate says that he has never improved his work, your judgment will speak for itself.
What is the most difficult decision you have made at work?
Note that this question is intentionally vague. This is not a hypothetical question. What you want to know is the decision-making method of the candidate and whether this method conforms to your corporate culture. Candidates who admit that it is difficult to dismiss subordinates will show their sympathy, while those who can successfully handle conflicts with colleagues will show their strong team spirit. Candidates who can admit past mistakes show their honesty and openness.
We should also listen to how the candidates make their decisions. For example, the consciousness of asking for advice from others shows that candidates are team-centered. This question is particularly important if you are interviewing a middle or senior manager.
Why do you want to find a new job?
In fact, the question is, "What kind of job are you looking for?" A well-prepared candidate who has rehearsed several times for the interview will answer endlessly. Sometimes, the interviewer will ask questions in different ways, so that the candidates can freely play "surprisingly".
I know you haven't had a job in the past few months. Why did you quit your last job? What have you been doing since then?
This question is very important, but don't let people feel accused. Generally speaking, people quit after finding a good home, but sometimes some people take the initiative to resign first. Sometimes, it is nothing new for professionals to lose their jobs without their own fault. You should keep an open mind. Nevertheless, you should try your best to get concrete and true answers and confirm them in the future. As for those candidates who work intermittently on their resumes, they should at least give a reasonable explanation for what they did during these vacancies, and explain that they used these time effectively, such as continuing their studies and getting a higher degree.
Who do you think is the best boss and why? Who is the worst? Looking back, what measures have you taken to improve your relationship?
These two questions are deeper and sharper than you think. From the candidate's answers, you can gain insight into how he views management and how he reacts to it. For the second part of the question, if the candidate is thoughtful and answers in the affirmative, it shows that the candidate has the ability to grow up from past unpleasant management situations and/or learn from past mistakes, which are all valuable qualities. If the candidate is full of resentment and criticism, it shows that the candidate is still holding grudges, or is unable to get along well with someone with a certain personality. Of course, personality conflicts occur from time to time, but in today's office environment that emphasizes teamwork, enterprises hope that employees can minimize such conflicts and don't use this as an excuse.
Which way of working do you prefer: just dealing with information or dealing with people?
The ideal answer is "both". For people who like to deal with information, technical posts are obviously a good choice; However, communication and cooperation are increasingly becoming the necessary conditions for all work today, including technical work. If the candidate doesn't like to communicate and cooperate with others, it will be a red warning. The ideal answer is that candidates agree that a hundred flowers in an organization can produce innovative thinking more than standing out from the crowd; However, without information, the team will not be able to act.
What new measures do you think the current (past) enterprises may be more successful?
This is a question of "overall situation". Is it necessary to explore whether candidates have a clear understanding of their current or past corporate goals and missions, and whether they are thinking in the direction of these goals? If the candidates can't answer fluently, it shows that they lack in-depth understanding and interest in the goals and missions of the enterprise, and of course it is the same for your enterprise. Sometimes, when answering this question, the applicant will show disgust or resentment towards the employer. However, you should also tell the applicant clearly that this question is not asking for internal information of the enterprise.
Can you describe the last working day?
Experienced candidates will tell you something specific that you can carry out later. In fact, the focus of this question is to compare the current (or recent) daily work of the candidate with the job requirements of the recruitment position. How candidates describe their job responsibilities can reveal the real situation of their work to a great extent. Can you feel the candidate's enthusiasm and interest in the job? Is the candidate's account consistent with your understanding? What you are looking for is the candidate's work passion and the signal that he will combine his current job responsibilities with the company's goals.
What kind of working environment do you like? How can we give full play to our abilities?
You should consider the specific details mentioned by the applicant, so as to judge whether the applicant is suitable for your enterprise. If your corporate culture is cooperative and team-centered, you don't want to hear candidates say, "I like working alone." You may also find yourself making unrealistic judgments about the candidates or potential conflicts between the candidates and the environment. ("I plan to work in the mailroom for a few months, and then compete for the position of president of the company") It is difficult for people to exert their greatest potential in all environments. If candidates say that they can play their best anywhere, they are either dishonest to themselves or to you.
How did you resolve the conflict?
Can you tell me an example of how you resolved conflicts in the past? You want to hear the candidate be reasonable and uphold justice. It's a pity that most candidates say ordinary things, and you want to hear something special. If the candidate's answer is as early as you expected, you should question it. Although some people are easygoing by nature, it must be dishonest or an illusion if they say that they have never encountered conflict.
How would you react if you were in an environment where you felt there was a conflict of interest or a violation of professional ethics? Do you have such experience in your past work?
With the dissolution of Enron and other corporate scandals, no rational candidate will say that it is normal to violate professional ethics. However, the candidate's views and answers to this question, as well as other events they will talk about next, will be very helpful for you to gain insight into the candidate's reaction to this situation.
In addition to making full use of opportunities to show their qualifications, smart candidates will also seize the interview opportunity to learn more about the company and the position they are recruiting, so you don't have to be surprised by the questions they have prepared. Don't think of their questions as ruining the interview process: in fact, asking questions shows the applicant's interest in the enterprise and professionalism. In fact, you can reassure them by "selling" your business in the interview. Just as candidates will show that they have the skills needed for the position, you can also explain the relevant plans and policies of the enterprise to those promising candidates, so that they feel that working in the enterprise is a good opportunity.
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