Every employer understands that the interview is a critically important stage in the course of the recruitment process. By building a successful interview strategy, employers are much more likely to gain a clear and reliable picture of a candidate’s unique strengths, weaknesses, and career goals. A poorly-defined or underprepared strategy, on the other hand, can often lead employers to miss a golden hiring opportunity or, conversely, to hire someone who is unfit for the role.
So what does an ideal interview strategy for employers actually look like?
Asking questions that are designed to get a sense of a candidate’s technical skills and professional background is obviously vitally important. That said, those questions should not take up the entire interview. In addition to probing a candidate for his or her particular technical skills, it’s equally important for interviewers to ask questions aimed at uncovering a candidate’s unique personality and character traits. This distinction – between technical expertise and characterological strength – is often referred to as “hard skills” versus “soft skills”.
Here are some examples of interview questions that will help you to gain a better sense of a candidate’s personality, character, and interpersonal abilities:
- Do you prefer to work alone or within a group setting? Can you explain why?
- Tell me about a time that you experienced conflict with a coworker. What happened, and how did you go about resolving it?
- What are your greatest passions?
- What are the activities, hobbies, or pastimes that you engage in while you’re not at work?
- What adjectives would your best friend use to describe you?
- Who is your greatest professional influence or inspiration? Why?
- Is there a book that you would recommend to someone working in this role? Why? What were the major lessons that you gleaned from reading it?
- Tell me about a time that you experienced failure at a past job. What did you learn from that experience?
At the end of the day, employers should be seeking to build a comprehensive picture of a candidate during the interview process. By balancing your “hard skill” interview questions with questions that are geared towards building a picture of a candidate’s unique character, you’ll be much more likely to find someone who’s the right fit not only for the role but also for the broader culture of your workplace.
If you’re ready to connect with talented candidates who will be a perfect match for your organization, contact us today!