Questions for an Interviewer to Ask During a Job Interview
When you are looking to hire a new employee, you want to you find a person that is reliable, knowledgeable, hard-working and well-suited to your work environment. Asking the right interview questions can help you find an employee who's a good fit for your company.
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Types of Interview Questions
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According to John Kador, author of the book, The Manager's Book of Questions: 1,001 Great Interview Questions for Hiring, there are seven types of interview questions. There are icebreaker and background questions, which put the candidate at ease and begin the conversation. Then, there are behavioral questions, which are about the candidate's past behavior. Questions to determine fit place the employee in a real-life work situation within the position he is applying for. Core competency questions determine the prospective employee's skills. Ethics questions determine character and business ethics. Brain-teasers and business problems do not necessarily have a right or wrong answer; they are designed to test the prospective employee's ability to think on his feet. Finally, there are closing questions, which give the prospective employee the opportunity to ask questions and close the interview.
Icebreaker and Background Questions
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Paul Falcone, author of the book, Ninety-Six Great Interview Questions to Ask Before You Hire, provides examples of background and icebreaker questions. Instead of the traditional "Tell me about yourself," he takes a different approach. He suggests opening by asking the prospective employee questions pertaining to his job search: "How has your job search going so far? What are you looking for in an employer?" Falcone asserts that the goal is to look for common ground. If you are able to find common ground, the ice is broken.
You can then discuss the employee's background. John Kador suggests asking about the prospect's previous place of employment. "At you previous place of employment, what were your responsibilities?"
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Behavioral Questions
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"Can you tell me about a time when you...?"
John Kador says the rationale behind these questions is that past behavior is a predictor of future behavior. If you ask the prospect about a time she had to work with someone she did not get along with someone and she replies, "I gossiped about the other employee and spread rumors," this response indicates immaturity, and you probably do not want to hire this employee.
Questions to Determine Fit
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If you are hiring a restaurant manager, you would ask situational questions pertaining not only to restaurant management, but to managing your restaurant: "Here at Restaurant X, we often run out of peanuts, how would you handle 20 hungry customers who all want peanuts?"
Core Competency Questions
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Core competency is often tested. Most organization give aptitude or skills test to find out if an employee has the basic skills required to fill a position. You cannot ask questions to determine a candidate's typing ability; you give her a typing test, according to John Kador.
Brain-Teasers and Business Problems
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These are situation questions, questions about current business trends or any other question that help you see the candidate's analytical thinking abilities. Be careful not to open up a debate and steer clear of any politics or religion. If you are hiring a restaurant manager, here are some good questions:
Which method of depreciation do you feel is a more accurate representation, straight-line or declining balance? Why?
Which inventory method do you feel is more appropriate and under what circumstances, FIFO or LIFO? Why?
Closing Questions
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This is where you ask the candidate, "Do you have any questions for me?" John Kador says this is your way of closing the interview and you can use any variation of this question.
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References
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