How to Ask Good Questions as an Interviewer

If you're conducting an interview, the key to ruling it is all in what you ask. So make sure that you ask questions that help you accurately assess a person's candidacy. Here are some tips for asking good questions during a job interview when you're the interviewer.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Paper/pen
• Computer

1. 

   Prioritize your inquiries. You may come up with a list of 10 questions, but make sure to prioritize the questions based on the time you have available, and based on the individual.

2. 

   Ask open-ended questions. For simple questions used to determine skills or certifications, a yes-or-no question is OK. But the rest of them should be worded in a way to let the respondent give a unique answer. Questions such as: "Why should I hire you?" and "What is your biggest weakness?" mean the sky is the limit when it comes to what the interviewee can say, and that can help you accurately assess his or her candidacy.

3. 

   Be neutral. Ask questions that won't put someone on the defensive. Be cautious when considering using the word "why" in your questions. Try to decide if a question you have in mind would offend you. Still, it's OK to ask a job applicant why there is a gap on their resume, for example. You need to get the facts first and foremost. Stay on topic and don't get too personal. (For example, if talking about a family-related sabbatical, leave it at that and don't press for details.)

4. 

   Save your questions. In the event that you need to conduct multiple interviews, you can easily save the paper or document with your well-thought-out questions on them. This will help you save time the next time around.

Tips & Warnings

• Word your questions clearly.
• Review the resume before the meeting in order to base your questions on it.

[EarthMother]

on 6/26/2009 How to Ask Good Questions as an Interviewer last step of saving questions was an excellent suggestion and new to me. Smile!