How to Interview Someone With Attention to Detail Questions
Some positions require employees to have a keen eye for detail: A surgeon performing open heart surgery, a purchasing agent scanning invoices to verify the correct billing amount and a computer programmer reviewing thousands of lines of code are just a few examples. Though it's impossible to be entirely certain regarding a person's ability to pay attention to such crucial details, asking related interview questions may help.
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Instructions
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Interview the candidate about a specific time she had to have a keen eye for details. Ask about her project work history or a time where she noticed and corrected an error. Highlight any answers in which the applicant took initiative to correct such mistakes. Victoria Hoevemeyer, author of the book, "High Impact Interview Questions," also suggests asking the applicant to tell you about a time when the candidate paid too much attention to small details instead of the overall picture, as well as a time when the applicant should have paid more attention to details.
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Ask hypothetical questions. Interview the candidate regarding what she likes most about her favorite painting or a piece of music, for instance: Does she enjoy the larger, overall theme? Or does she appreciate the smaller details of the piece, such as the composition's oboe interlude or specific brush strokes? Question her level of perfectionism: Does she rectify even the smallest of errors, or does she get the assistance of another person to point out such details for her?
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Pose the question about what others would say regarding her work habits and personality. Check to see if mentions traits such as meticulous, thorough, detailed, attentive and painstaking make the list. Likewise, ask the applicant what others would say regarding her weaknesses. Write any answers that have characteristics including unstructured, unfocused, sloppy and disorganized.
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Interrogate the applicant with "either-or" questions related to attention to small things. Present both alternatives as acceptable, but have one answer clearly illustrating a propensity to be mindful of small details. For instance, ask if she prefers large, broad-based abstract concepts or concrete, detailed designs. Ask if she would prefer to self-edit her work or if she would rather work in a team and delegate editing and reviewing to someone else.
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Tips & Warnings
Observe other characteristics to help you gain insight into the applicant's ability to pay attention to details. Note if she was on time to the interview and how well she dressed.
Check the cleanliness of her car as well. Todd Bermont, author of the book, "10 Insider Secrets to Winning a Job Search," explains one interviewer would walk candidates to their car: If the applicant claimed to be tidy and organized but had a messy, disheveled vehicle, the candidate would be rejected.
