50+ Best Interview Questions for Employers
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Charlette has over 10 years of experience in accounting and finance and 2 years of partnering with HR leaders on freelance projects. She uses this extensive experience to answer your questions about payroll.
Jennifer Soper is an HR Specialist and staff writer for Fit Small Business, with over 15 years of experience inaccounting, payroll, andhuman resources.
This article is part of a larger series onHiring.
When interviewing candidates for open positions, the best interview questions to ask are those that are direct and job-specific. You will want to learn more about the candidate’s skills and education, as well as what they bring to the position and your company. Below, we cover the top interview questions to ask to measure culture/company fit, understand the candidate’s idea of personal growth, learn their work ethic, and measure their skills.
Be sure not to ask the candidate anyillegal interview questions. Also, consider keeping ascorecardon each candidate that you can refer back to when making a hiring decision.
Questions to Measure Culture/Company Fit
It is important that anycandidate you are considering hiringis a fit for your company and its established culture. Ask the candidate why they want to work for your company and learn more about what motivates them.
1. Why do you want to work for our company in this role? What do you know about the company?
Asking the candidate what they know about your company and why they want to work for you helps you understand if the candidate did their research before the interview. Applicants that are serious about the jobs they apply for typically do some research about the company and find out what the culture is like.
2. Describe a situation where you went above and beyond in your role.
员工超出通常爬山去e that care a great deal about their work. Knowing how the candidate went beyond expectations can show you how they put forth every effort to make their deliverables excellent. You can glean information from this question about how steadfast the candidate may be in fulfilling their responsibilities.
3. How would you describe your leadership style?
Not every candidate will be a leader in your business. However, this question is good for any potential employee to give some thought to how they would lead others. This will help you understand if the candidate has empathy or leads with a direct and decisive style.
Personal Growth Questions
Understanding a candidate’s strengths and career goals can help you determine if they are right for your open position. Stick to questions that allow the candidate to provide a deeper thought-out answer.
1. What are your career goals in direct relation to this job position?
This is a better question thanwhere do you see yourself in five years—it allows the candidate to tell you where they would like their career path to go with your company. This question can also let you know if the candidate has leadership qualities; however, if they answer they want to own the company, then they may have an overarching goal that doesn’t align with your needs.
2. Name two of your top strengths and describe how you can use those strengths in this job role.
While we normally recommend steering clear of the strengths and weaknesses questions, asking the candidate how their strengths align with the job description can help you learn the soft skills the candidate has that will help them succeed in the job role. This can also point to where the potential employee may need additional training and development in the future.
3. How do you envision growth in your position?
This is similar to the question you will ask during the second and third interviews where you want to know their career goals. However, this takes it a step further to discuss how they envision growth in the position. This will clue you in on their leadership style and ability to see beyond just the job description.
Work Ethic/Process Approach Questions
These interview questions are designed to get a more in-depth understanding of how the candidate would succeed in their role. Consider holdingpanel interviewswith decision-makers and team members who will work directly with the candidate. You will also want to ask job-specific questions during this stage.
1. How do you prioritize your daily tasks?
While this question does not give you insight into the skills the candidate may have to complete the job, it does let you know how the candidate thinks about their daily tasks. Ask them to elaborate on any area that they don’t provide enough information on. For instance, if the candidate says they perform important tasks first, ask them how they determine which tasks are the most important. This will allow you to see how well the candidate is at critical thinking.
2. Describe a project that you are proud of. How did you overcome any obstacles during this project? What was the outcome?
These questions allow a candidate to showcase their skills and abilities and to tell you about a project that excited them. With this question, the candidate can give you insight into how they work on projects, how they prioritize tasks within the project, and how they like to be rewarded for their efforts.
3. Tell me about a time you’ve had to discuss a project scope change with a client or superior and the outcome of this discussion.
At some point in their careers, most individuals have had to change the direction of a project. Asking the candidate to share how they went about telling the client or their boss about the change will show you how they deal with uncomfortable situations.
4. What motivates you to be successful in your role?
这将告诉你如何找到创新的候选人solutions to problems, how they work with others, and how they feel their contributions make an impact on the company’s bottom line. Don’t just let them answer with a canned list of motivators such as money or reward. Ask them to elaborate on why those things motivate them.
5. Do you prefer to work independently or within a team? How does this look? Describe your style of working with a team or on a group project.
有些员工喜欢单独工作,others prefer to work in a team environment. There is no right or wrong answer, but this can help you understand how the candidate can best get projects completed. Even if the candidate prefers to work individually, it is inevitable that they will work on a team project at some point, so it is a good idea to ask them how they would handle that situation.
6. In what environment do you feel most productive and why?
Some employees want to work in an office environment surrounded by other people. This is where they feel most comfortable and can get the most work done. Others prefer to work remotely and individually. Knowing which way the candidate prefers to work can help you tailor their work experience to the way they feel most productive.
Skills-assessment Questions
These questions will help you learn more about the candidate, what motivated them to apply for the open position, and if they have the skills and experience required to fill the role. If you feel they may be a good fit, you can move them to the next stage in theinterview process.
1. Tell me about your skills in (insert crucial skill for the role).
Along with knowing the skills the candidate has that support the position they are applying for, you may also want to know how long they’ve been in practice with those skills. You may ask,How many years of experience do you have, and how would you rate yourself on a 1-10 scale, with 10 being an expert.
2. Tell me why your background and skills make you the perfect candidate for this position.
Give the candidate another opportunity to explain the skills and background they have for the position they are applying for. This can reiterate anything they’ve said before and give you a clearer picture of what they will be capable of accomplishing in the role.
Steer clear of askingwhy should I hire youbecause this question will not provide the details you need.
3. Can you walk me through your resume and explain your employment background and how it relates to this position?
When a candidate goes through their resume and explains their past employment history, they will likely not just read from the resume but go into further detail about their experience. This will help you understand how they are qualified for the position and allow them to explain what certain titles or responsibilities mean.
4. What was it about the job description that caught your eye?
This question will allow the candidate to explain the skills and experience they may possess for the job you are trying to fill. It will also let you know if the candidate has done their research and has knowledge of thejob descriptionof the position. More often than not, candidates apply to so many jobs that they may not even know what they are applying for. You are more likely to find a dedicated employee in a candidate that has done their research and is aware of the position they are applying for.
Consider asking the candidate to complete a sample project that’s directly related to the work they will be doing for your company. This will allow you to get a firsthand look at the type of skills they possess and if they can complete the assignment in a timely manner. You may want to compensate for the project, as candidates may deliver better results when they know they will be paid.
Job-specific Interview Questions
As stated, the best interview questions are specific to the industry or position the candidate is applying for. This will help you gauge whether the candidate can complete the tasks of the position. We’ve broken down these job-specific interview questions into categories according to common roles you might hire for:
Candidate Expectation Questions
Once your candidate has gone through a series of interviews, and you are close to making a hiring decision, it is a good idea to ask direct questions about the candidate’s expectations.
1. What are your salary requirements or expectations?
Knowing if the candidate’s salary requirements align with what you are willing to pay is crucial. It is also important information to know upfront. It would be a waste of both your time and the candidate’s time to go through several rounds of interviews just to find out that you are not on the same page when it comes to salary.
Be sure not to ask the candidate what their salary is at their current job. This could violate laws associated withsalary history bansin several states.
2. What is your ideal work schedule?
This question will tell you if the candidate is looking for a traditional 9-5 position, wants to work remotely, or is after a flexible schedule. Knowing their ideal work schedule will help you understand if the candidate will be happy working with your company during your peak business hours, or whether you need to consider a different schedule for the right employee.
3. When will you be available to start?
Unless you have a specific day you want the candidate to begin work, always allow them the opportunity to tell you when they are available to begin. Some candidates may be ready to start immediately, some may need to provide a two-week notice, and others, especially those in top executive positions, may need to give a month to two-month notice to their current employer.
4. Do you have any questions for us?
Always allow candidates to ask questions after interviews. This not only shows you care about what they have to say, but it will also give you some insight into what type of environment and culture the candidates are interested in.
Interviewing candidates is only one part of the recruiting process. Check out our guide onrecruiting managementto learn how it all comes together.
If you need help hiring your next top employee, considerZipRecruiter, an applicant tracking system (ATS), that can help you throughout the entire hiring process, from recruiting to interviewing to hiring. It offers scheduling tools so you can easily set up interviews with candidates and will allow you to include screening questions during the application process.
Bottom Line
Asking the right questions of your candidates can make the interviewing and hiring process easier. It’s also a good idea to keep a scorecard for each candidate so you can better track responses to your questions. Additionally, applicant tracking systems likeZipRecruitercan help you keep track of your candidates during the interview process.
