The Quest to improve Interview Queries

You’re expanding your team. Excellent!

You want the best people. Of course!

You’ll resort to kidnapping. You won’t? That’s okay too!

You’re passionate in your work, searching for more of the same in your employees, but how to find it?

Each and every worker today has passed through the three gates of hiring, and into the land of employment. Each gate has its own purpose, but it is the final gate, the third, where the interviewing process best distinguishes the good from the great. Here's a brief guide to improve the quality of your interview and, concurrently, the quality of your next hire.

Narrowing it down, there’s only one space but many, many applicants. As AI grows increasingly articulate and insightful, more and more recruiters are using it as a tool to separate the wheat and the chaff; those with the hard skills and experience to succeed, divided from those not quite ready for the role.

Even without the aid of artificial intelligence, the funnel of the first gate narrows down the potential pool to just those most likely to bring value via resume review and questionnaires.

A passing glance, browsing through candidates to verify the surface facts. This typically takes the form of a brief phone call via HR agent. “Are you authorized to work in the United States, do you have any felony record, how did you hear about this position…”

It also serves as an opportunity to introduce the applicant to the company, putting voice and details to the job posting. “We’re located in… Typical work hours are… The werewolves are only a problem during…” Perhaps that last one is a bit unlikely. Whatever the questions and introduction, it’s the first step towards getting to know one another, succinctly describing both employee and employer.

Then comes the final, most difficult step, introducing the team to their newest potential member. ‘Third gate’ can be a misleading designation, as such interviews are often broken into two separate occasions. However they are universally the most stressful engagements, for both candidate and hiring team. One slip up could disqualify the perfect person, or permit entry to the wrong worker. That’s the focus of our article today; what an interviewer should discuss at the third gate, and how to elicit illuminating answers in doing so.

Your entrant isn’t a bomb, but they are on a hair-trigger. Face it, you’re intimidating! Big boss, powerful title, guardian of a job they desperately desire… So put them at ease while learning a little about them.

“What’s your most embarrassing memory?”

An odd one, isn’t it. This question provides both an opportunity to share your own story, putting your interviewee at ease, and the chance to see how they’ll react. Lie on the spot, open up honestly, laugh about themselves or get offended easily. There are doubtless questions on hard skills to come, but a soft opening cushions the rest of the conversation.

“What are your best and worst work habits?”

A question such as this should absolutely be followed, not preceded, by your own example. In doing so you share that it’s okay to be open about their flaws, and give them an opportunity to reflect on their answer as you speak. Honesty begets honesty, and with every contender having some flaws, it’s far better to see them beforehand than after they charm their way into the position.

“How would your least-favorite coworker describe you?”

Each question is more specific than the infamous ‘what is your greatest weakness’. As every inquiry addresses a different facet of office life, how they’ll fit in can be anticipated from a participant's answer.

“What’s the most valuable skill you’re hoping to leave this position with?”

The age old ‘where do you see yourself in 5 years’ has never received an honest answer. Lead their narrative, preempt their practiced response by assuming their departure. They’ll likely reply a lot more genuinely than otherwise, and give you a glimpse into what they're looking for in the position.

“What’s been your favorite duty at your current position?”

There is ample opportunity to sneak in a ‘what is one of your least favorite duties?’ In answering both questions you can learn how this team addition works best, and what specializations they might suffer in.

These are sprinkle questions, they don’t make the cake, but layered in and spread out they can provide greater comprehension both of and for your hopeful newest employee. Don’t skimp on the industry questions, ‘do you have an IT system security certificate’ nor the workplace specific inquiries ‘can you work remotely with a large team’. But cut down on the chatter. ‘Do you prefer to work in a team or alone?’ Very nearly every applicant has heard this one before, and it reveals nothing. Most every employee today has had experience working both alone and in a group. Ask thoughtful questions that share as much as they learn, drawing your candidate out, exciting them for the role, and making them more confident. Such give-and-take interviewing practice evokes more forthright responses; interviewees stating their true answers, rather than what they think the interviewer wants to hear.