At its core, an interview for an open role is a chance to really get to know a candidate. During an interview, the interviewer and interviewee are both taking in a wealth of information about each other in a short amount of time. This mutual exchange can be overwhelming.
Often, a lot is on the line. For small businesses, every hire counts. And for employees, a job is one of the most important parts of their life. Making the right decision is critical to both parties’ long-term success.
That's why it's crucial to arm yourself with effective interview questions that go beyond the surface. In this article, we’ll uncover the psychology behind three of these interview questions and examine why they’re so useful in uncovering the personality traits crucial to job success. We’ll go beyond the typical good interview questions to ask someone about their career and help you discover creative ways to get to the heart of what you really want to know.
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Utilizing effective interview questions is key to identifying candidates who see your open role as part of their long-term career path.
Is the candidate job hopping, or looking for a long-term career at the company?
“What are you hoping to get out of this role? What draws you to this organization?”
Are you looking for a candidate with high ambitions, who wants to use that drive to benefit your organization? If you ask a candidate outright whether they want to stay with your company long-term, they’ll likely answer “yes,” regardless of their actual plans. After all—they’re probably interviewing for the job because they want it, no matter the length of the term.
Asking a candidate what they want from this role and what draws them to this organization in particular isn’t a way to catch them off guard, per se.
However, if a candidate has thought about the answer to this question beforehand, they’re likely to be the kind of candidate who sees great potential in the job and is interested in more than a paycheck. As the applicant answers this question, genuine excitement—or lack thereof—will be evident, helping you separate the passionate from the dispassionate candidates.
Effective interview questions help uncover a candidate's genuine passion for their field.
Is this a passion for the candidate, or are they just planning to clock in and clock out?
"How do you stay updated with industry trends and developments?"
You’re looking for a candidate who can contribute meaningfully to your organization, which means you’ll need to fill your open role with someone passionate about their work within the field. Effective interview questions help uncover a candidate's genuine passion for their field career, it’s important to go beyond the facts on their resume and examine the psychology behind why they’re in the industry.
Someone passionate about their role will continue to actively find ways to learn, grow, and improve. These types of employees will generally use their passions and abilities to improve their career and your company in the same efforts. They’ll be able to easily give you an answer to questions about the importance of the job’s functions to the organization because they actually feel strongly about the role’s importance.
To find someone who will take their job as seriously as you do, uncover what exactly about the role is important to them.
Effective interview questions are essential for gauging how well a candidate's personality will align with your team's dynamics.
How will the candidate’s personality fit with the rest of the team, or within the company as a whole?
“Give me an example of a time in which you disagreed with a coworker or your team on a situation. How did you handle it, and what was the outcome?”
Or, “Can you describe the work environment or culture in which you're most productive and happy?”
This is a prime example of a behavioral interview question. According to the University of North Georgia, behavioral questions are some of the most effective interview questions for predicting a candidate’s future behavior. They also can tell you a lot about an applicant’s personality, how they act when they’re under stress, and whether they have strong enough conflict resolution skills to work with a busy team.
Similarly, you can use behavioral interview questions creatively to learn about a range of candidate aptitudes and characteristics. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) recommends the behavioral interview method for gaining an understanding of a candidate’s skills, behaviors and abilities.
Behavioral interview questions can also provide evidence of previous accomplishments from past roles—which can be verified or expanded upon in conversation.
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With the right effective interview questions, you can navigate the complex terrain of recruiting, ensuring a perfect fit for your team. If you're in the process of recruiting new talent, Axcet HR Solutions is here to help. At every stage of the employee life cycle, our HR services experts offer their expertise, vetted processes and state-of-the-art tools. When you partner with Axcet HR Solutions, you’ll gain access to everything you need to help locate, interview, and hire valuable candidates.
Axcet’s support doesn’t stop at recruitment. Our team can help you onboard your team members, find great (and affordable) employee benefits offerings, ease the burden of payroll administration, and even work with you to ensure that your workplace is a safe and regulatory-compliant place to work. In all things HR, we’re proud to be your partner. To learn more, schedule a consultation with our experienced HR consultants.