What Should You Be Asking Your Candidates?

Interviewing is a skill that improves when an interviewer understands both what to ask candidates and why. Properly vetting candidates helps reduce turnover, boost engagement and build the strong teams your company needs to meet its business goals.

Here are some of the top questions industry leaders ask job candidates and how they can help you find the right person for the position.

  1. Can You Tell Me About Yourself?

This classic question remains in the rotation because it’s excellent at revealing whether candidates understand their own value proposition and the relationship between their work and the company. Look for candidates who can pitch their top two or three accomplishments and how their prior experience makes them ideal for the current role.

  1. Why Do You Want This Job?

This question often gets joked about by job-seekers, but for employers, it helps you determine whether the candidate understands both the demands of the job and the context in which you need them to meet those demands. Look for candidates who can talk about why they want to work in this position and why they want to do it for your type of company.

  1. Why Should We Hire You?

This question cuts to the heart of the interview. In a sense, it lurks behind the surface of every other interview question – which is why stating it directly can help you cut to the heart of an interviewee’s preparedness and passion. Look for candidates who talk about concrete accomplishments and draw the connection between what they’ve done in the past and what they can do for your company.

  1. Can You Tell Me About a Time You Failed?

Failure and conflict are inevitable in the work world, but what matters is how a candidate bounces back. This question helps you determine how the interviewee deals with discomfort, as well as failure. Look for candidates who are frank about the issue they faced and insightful about whether their solution worked, rather than attempting to assign blame.

Looking to Staff Up?

At THE RIGHT STAFF, LLC, our recruiters help St. Paul companies connect to some of the best available talent in the Twin Cities. We also help our clients improve their recruiting, retention and hiring processes. Contact us today to learn more.

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