You can learn a lot about someone during a job interview — if you just ask them these six questions.
We’ve previously pointed out how to spot a great candidate by analyzing what types of questions he or she asks you. But before you get to that part of the interview, you’ll have to evaluate this candidate with your own line of questioning.
Even if you have a tried-and-true approach to your job interviews, it can’t hurt to look over entrepreneur Ilya Pozin’s list of interview questions that will weed out the wrong hires to implement into your repertoire.
What did you find interesting about the job?
The answer to this question will reveal just how much the candidate cares about the opportunity to work for you. A detailed answer shows research and effort was put forth to learn about the company. If non-detailed, then you’ve likely got a candidate who’s just desperate for any job.
Have you visited our website?
This will again reveal the research efforts a candidate put forth. If the candidate is surprised or stumbles through a response that has no specificity, then it’s pretty obvious you’ve got a candidate who couldn’t bother to spend more than five minutes on your company’s website.
How much money would you leave this job for?
Not a candidate’s dream question, but it will certainly show their true colors. Present this hypothetical: The candidate gets the job with the exact salary he wants, and loves the company and his position. Then another job offer comes. How much money would need to be offered to take the other interview?
It’s easy to spot the “right” answer in this scenario: “Well, if I loved the job and had the salary I needed, I wouldn’t take the other job.” But really this question is sizing up just how important the salary is to the candidate. It’s important, yes, but shouldn’t be the main priority. Be cautious of candidates that are quick to point out that “double the salary” would be enough for them to leave a job they “love.”
What do you do at the end of the day if tasks aren’t finished?
This will reveal how dedicated a candidate is to their job. Bad prospects will put it off until tomorrow, while a good candidate — you guessed it — will say the day isn’t done until the work is.
How will you pick up the slack for others’ errors?
Set up this scenario: A candidate is working on a project at 10 p.m. on a Friday and gets an angry call from a customer who’s worked up about a missed deadline, thanks to the candidate’s co-worker. A great candidate would take ownership and handle the task themselves, while a mediocre one will write down the details for the co-worker to address.
How would you solve this problem?
Pick an issue that comes up from time to time with your department and ask the candidate how they’d fix it, even if they have no experience with the issue itself. No right or wrong answers here, just evaluating how a candidate processes a problem.
What questions do you ask of a candidate to get a true sense of their work ethic? Let us know in the comments below.