You get a very limited amount of time to learn about a candidate’s ability to contribute to the success of your organization—use this time wisely!

Setting the Tone

You control the atmosphere of your interview as the interviewer—the likelihood of the interviewee feeling comfortable increases if you are. The same is true of a more solemn tone. In light of this, design your questions to reflect the language and culture of your workplace.

The Basics (screening oriented)

It helps introductions between you and the interviewee if you take care of the minor issues first.

For example: “What interests you most about this position?”

Inquire about Interests (screening oriented)

Discover candidates’ motivations, attitudes, and intentions by asking why they are interested in the position, your industry, or the business.

For example: “What makes you passionate about this field?”

Competency Oriented Questions (interview oriented)

Tailor interview questions to the job description and the competencies uncovered through a job analysis. These questions comprise the bulk of an effective interview process and cover the highest priority “must-have” competencies.

For example: “Can you step us through the key elements of the Agile process?”

Ask Questions of Character (interview oriented)

While it is excellent when candidates fulfill your skill requirements, you also need to consider their work ethic. You can assess your candidate’s possible strengths and weaknesses by selecting situation-based questions.

For example: “Can you describe how you handled a difficult conversation with a direct report in the past?”

Closing Questions (interviewing & screening)

It’s crucial to end the interview positively, regardless of the quality of a candidate’s responses. A great way to do this is by responding thoughtfully to a candidate’s questions.

For example: “What can we tell you about this role or our company that will help you decide if this is a good fit for you?“

Foundations of Successful Hiring

Before a candidate can get an offer, multiple candidates must get evaluated. How can you be sure that your assessment identifies the candidate with the competencies required to succeed in your organization?