I hope that you all had a wonderful and relaxing festive period. May 2021 be the year all your dreams become a reality. Hiring managers often worry about which staff member to hire when going through the recruitment process. Questions arise such as:
- How do I know I am employing the right person?
- How can I decide off 1 / potentially 2 interviews?
- Which questions will help me make a more informed decision?
The answer to these questions above is that there is unfortunately no definite way to know. The first article for 2021 will offer hiring managers some questions which can be asked during an interview. There will also be answers which the hiring manager can listen out for. These questions may allow you to get to know the potential recruit a bit better.
- What makes you unique?
The candidate should here focus on why hiring them would benefit your organisation. They do not know the other candidates and therefore should not focus on them. The candidates background and qualifications should be aligned with the position at hand.
- Why do you want to work here?
The candidate should have done research on the organisation and be able to give a definite answer to why they want to work at your organisation. This can be anything from the type of product the company sells or the number of years the company has been in existence.
- What are your goals for the future?
This question will allow you as the hiring manager to determine whether this person will be staying at your organisation for the long term. It also gives you a good understanding as to the career goal of the individual and whether they will be able to achieve it at your organisation.
- What did you like most / least in your last or current role?
These questions will allow the hiring manager to determine whether the individual will suit the role at hand. It would be silly to hire an individual when most of their role at your company will compromise of a duty, they like the least in their current role. The candidate should here also not talk too negative about their current employer – the focus should be on their need for growth.
- How do you handle stress?
A big red flag here is when an individual says they do not get stressed. The individual here should be able to explain workplace stress and how they use it to their advantage or overcome it.
- Do you have any questions?
This is a great way to conclude the interview. Excellent questions which a candidate could ask include:
- What would lead to success in this role?
- What do you love about working here?
- What are some challenging this role often faces?
These questions can not guarantee success but along with the more standard questions could give you a better insight into the potential hire.
I ask that you all please remain safe, wear your mask, and sanitize your hands!
Until next time,
Donald Buchan
DB Recruitment
