Interview Questions: Be Prepared to Ask and Answer * Incedo Group

Interview Questions: Be Prepared to Ask and Answer

Companies hate the hiring process. You wade through a sea of resumes, identify some that make the cut, spend countless hours interviewing, comparing notes with others who have interviewed the candidate, make an offer, they accept and months after you began this arduous process you have a new employee.

If you are lucky you hire someone talented, bright, capable, have long-term potential and that everyone loves. More likely you hire someone who you thought had all those qualities, but months into their employment you wonder what you missed during the interview. You’re considering yourself fortunate if you hit two of them. What went wrong?

In my experience managers simply don’t know how to interview. They don’t really get to know the person, only a snapshot of what the candidate wants you to see and know. These managers are asking questions around skills and experience, which is important but isn’t an indicator of who they are and what you can expect.

I’ve compiled a list of questions to ask candidates to reveal who they are, how they think and how they react to situations. I’ve also compiled a list of questions top candidates are likely to ask you. Be prepared to ask great questions, and answer the questions great candidates ask.

Interview Questions to Ask:

These are in no particular order.

1. If I contacted your boss what would they say about you?
2. Tell me about a time in your life you failed.
3. Is there one person who has had a great impact on your life? Who and why?
4. What has made you successful at your job?
5. What are the 3 biggest challenges you have faced in your life?
6. When you don’t know the answer what do you do?
7. What do you do outside of work?
8. Describe a project/situation or interaction where what you did had a huge impact on the company.
9. If they have a leadership role:
1. a. How would you describe yourself as a leader?
2. b. What do you consider your #1 priority as a leader?
3. c. Tell me about a difficult conversation you had with an employee?
4. d. Describe to me a situation you were involved in was a big change and your role?
5. e. What would your team members say about you?
6. f. Tell me about an employee you gave up on.
7. g. How did you learn to become a leader?
10. What is important to you when considering another opportunity?
11. What questions do you have?

Interview Questions to be Prepared to Answer:

1. What are the three biggest challenges for the person in this role in the first 90 days?
2. What must be achieved in those 90 days?
3. At my first year review you outline my success. What have I achieved and how has it impacted the company?
4. What adjectives would others use to describe you?
5. Every manager has had under-performing employees. How have you managed those situations? Are those employees still here?
6. Tell me about the successful people here. What do they have in common?
7. Where do you see the company in 5 years?
8. What have been the three biggest challenges for the company? And for your department?
9. Describe morale here. How do you know?
10. Do you have concerns about me?

Interviewing is a dance between you and the candidate. They are attempting to get to know you and the company, and you are working to get to know them. Both of you want to put the best foot forward. And you both need to learn the good, bad and ugly of each other. Knowledge is power, it’s how you make informed choices.