“Hiring the best is your most important task.” – Steve Jobs
But how do you hire the best employees? As you prepare to conduct an interview, you might have a list of questions on-hand and ready to ask. However, there’s a good chance you might be missing some questions that assess if the candidate is truly a good fit for the company.
Although skill-set and experience questions are both insightful and relevant, you must also interview the prospective employee’s personality. This isn’t just something you can casually glaze over. In fact, you would be doing yourself a disservice if you don’t ask the following questions.
1.) How do you like to be managed?
Asking a question to decipher a candidate’s preferred management style will give you an idea if they will flow or clash against your current structure.
2.) What is your ideal leader like?
Every candidate has a different personality style, meaning they will have different preferences in leadership. Asking this question will let you know if they prefer to work with a certain level of guidance and support.
3.) Can you name a time at your past job when management handled a difficult work environment very well?
A question like this will give you insight into the prospective employee’s past work culture. You know how your work culture at your company is like, so it’s important to see if the candidate aligns with yours.
4.) Name a time in your past where management handled a difficult work environment poorly.
If your candidate shares a time when management mishandled a toxic work environment, analyze how this would translate to your current company. Not everyone’s idea of “mishandled” is the same. Listen carefully to their response and see how this could play out with your current company’s culture.
5.) What ideas do you have for us to reduce expenses or increase revenue?
If a candidate has made it to an interview with the hiring manager, they should be well-read into both the role and its opportunities. You want a team player that feels comfortable enough to express their ideas. So ask them that question and assess what options they will propose.
6.) What motivates you to stay in a company long-term?
It’s important for you to understand the expectations and motivations for whomever you interview. Ask to have a better understanding of what makes them happy and more likely to commit to the company long-term. Perhaps this could be looking for support to improve certain skills – which is a great way to assess if the candidate is self-aware of their own personal growth and potential.
At Ave Staffing, we’ve spent countless hours conducting interviews throughout different phases of the hiring process. A well-rounded background is nice but isn’t enough for us to confidently say a candidate is a perfect match for a client.
If you’re a hiring manager yourself, asking these questions will not only give your overall interview for depth but will give you better information to assess if the candidate is the right fit for your company.