I’d like to reference a post on CEOconsultant.com with a list of 10 great questions. To be honest, I found only a few of them innovative, but those are questions I’ve never heard before. Here are questions 1, 2 and 4 which I loved. You can see their answers to these questions and others in their post:
Q#1 – How long have you been looking for a job? (Concern – is there something wrong with you that other employers have picked up?)
I’d also be interested in this question because it allows me to ask how they approach the job seeking process. For example, do they use friends and are they heavy networkers? How about if they like trying some of the new technologies in recruiting, perhaps that tells me that they are a bit more savvy in terms of Web 2.0 technologies that I’d want in new employees.
Q#2 – How did you prepare for this interview? (Concern – are you interested enough to do some research, or are you going to “wing it”?)
More importantly than just if they came prepared, I’m more interested in how they prepared. Is this an employee that can tap into resources on both the internet and through employees they might already know? Are they comfortable approaching acquaintances to ask for information? And were they able to effectively dig up information on the organization, getting past the surface information that anyone can find. Once we’ve cleared the air that this person can actually do some research, have they then come to the interview with an intelligent set of questions? Are they asking smart questions based on their research that other candidates didn’t have the thoughtfulness or knowledge to ask?
Q#4 – How do you keep current and informed about your job and the industries that you have worked in? (Concern – Once you get the job do you continue to learn and grow – stay challenged and motivated?)
Again a research question, but from a different perspective. Rather than #1 which tells me how they approach a project, or #2 which addressed if that are capable of doing the research, this questions tells me if they are knowledge seekers. Take me for example. Truth be told, I browse several dozen sites and trade magazines on a weekly basis trying to keep up with the HR industry and various other topics. Potential employees who are constantly trying to learn are exactly the ones you want.
3 responses to “Great Job Interview Questions”
industry and various other topics. Potential employees who are constantly trying to learn are exactly the ones you want. Thank you for reading the Tribute Media Human Resources News Feed. Please check the original post here:systematicHR – Human Resources Strategy and Technology. The purpose of this feed it to provide information to the greatest audience possible. In addition, we can drive inbound links to your blog. If you would like to have your blog featured or removed from here or in any of our other newsfeeds, please
I agree with Q.4 and have recommended to hiring managers that they use this type of question, for all the reasons you describe and more. It is insight into how they learn, not just where. My concern about Q. 1 & 2 is that these questions could make the candidate uneasy trying to figure out what’s the “right” answer. It could even cause some candidates to be less than truthful in their response. I don’t favor questions that prompt the candidate to think, “Why are they asking me that?”
Yes, I like question #1 for my candidates. I’d rather hire someone who hasn’t worked in a long time. It shows they have a weaker social network. They are more likely to spend their days working and less time developing social networks for the next job. Also, maybe they are wealthy and can help me get a better HR position somewhere else.