It can be difficult to get to really know a job candidate if you stick to the tried and true job interview questions that ask about their previous work experience and their educational background.
Today in hiring, it is about finding someone who is a good fit for your culture. Meshing a candidate’s values with your corporate values should result in a better fit and an employee who will be around for years to come. And isn’t that what we all want?
I was reading an interesting blog post from Chelsea Verstegen, content strategist at Hierology, about some creative questions to ask job applicants to help you find the ones that are the best fit for your company.
Here are just a few of the questions Verstegen posed:
- What excites you about working for our company? She says this will help you determine how well an applicant researched your company and if they would be a good fit. Do they actually want to work for your company or are they just sending resumes to every company with a job opening? If they can’t say something specific about your company, chances are they didn’t do their research, according to Verstegen.
- What are some of the characteristics of your favorite boss? This question helps you determine the management style that works best with this employee. Be concerned if they can’t say anything positive about any previous bosses.
- What is something you love about your current or previous role? This question helps you learn what drives and excites them, Verstegen says. Be concerned about someone who can’t say anything positive about any previous job.
- Tell me about your specific experience that you think is most relevant and will make you successful in this role? In answering this question, the candidate is letting you know exactly what makes them a good fit for the job with your company. Verstegen says to be wary of candidates that use lots of buzzwords to describe themselves instead of giving specific examples of how their experience matches with the job for which they are applying.
- Tell me what skills you’re looking to develop further in your next role? This question will help you ascertain a candidate’s interest in growing with your company. If a candidate can’t offer anything beyond what is needed for the current role they are applying for, they might not be a good fit. We all want to hire someone who wants to grow with the company.
I thought these were very interesting questions. I would love to hear from you about the more provocative questions you are asking in the hiring process.
Jane Clark focuses on managing the member services operation at NationaLease as vice president of member services. She works to strength member relationships, reduce member costs, and improve collaboration within the NationaLease supporting groups.
