Human Resources 

In her last column, author and HR specialist Rikka Brandon discussed three types of interview questions. Here, she spotlights a few of her favorite questions, along with some you should never ask.

My Favorite Interview Questions to Ask

You may be surprised by the simplicity of these interview questions to ask, but you will learn a tremendous amount by listening to how candidates answer these seemingly simple questions. Plus, the way the applicant answers will also help you position your company and the job opportunity in the best possible light. So, be sure to take notes — you’ll be glad you did when it comes time to write the offer letter.

Q: What are you looking for in the next step of your career?

This question is deceptively simple. It’s a great interview question because people almost always give a highly fluid answer. But the components of that answer give you the language and answers you need to position your opportunity. Or the answer tells you (very quickly) that this candidate isn’t the right one. I like to use this question when I’m pretty sure a candidate is overqualified and I want them to realize this isn’t the job they want.

Q: Why did you leave XYZ?

It might be a basic interviewing technique, but you can learn a lot about a person and their internal motivations by walking through their career history. You’ll find that some only talk about the company and the associated drama. Others will be irritated that you’re making them talk about something they did in 1985. Others will display a negative attitude about 75% of their past jobs. Each response tells me something about the candidate that goes beyond a canned interview answer and gives me insight into their motivations.

The Interview Questions to Avoid

On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are also a number of questions that you shouldn’t ask candidates. Here’s what to avoid:

1. Illegal Questions

As the interviewer, you never want to offend your applicants (or bring on a lawsuit) by asking illegal interview questions. These include questions about an applicant’s personal life, such as their race, religion, age, marital status, disabilities, etc. You don’t want to pry too much into an applicant’s life outside of work. There are plenty of ways to get the information that you need.

It is important to ask questions that are related to whether or not an applicant can perform specific tasks related to the job. For example, instead of “Do you have a car?” try asking, “This job may require you to come in early and stay late. Are you able to meet the necessary time commitments?”

2. Leading Questions

If you really want to get to the cream of the crop, give your candidates a challenge. Leading questions, such as “Our sales pitches usually require a visual element. Would you add a visual element to a sales pitch?” should be avoided as much as possible.

Part of your job as an interviewer is to make sure that the applicants really have the skills and experience you need. So, don’t give them the answer and be surprised when they show up at work and aren’t nearly as effective as you expected. Instead, try asking questions about how they’d handle common situations, or give them a simulation to work through.

3. Yes or No Questions

Questions that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no” offer very little insight into your applicant’s experience and skill set. Instead, ask open-ended questions that allow the applicants to select their best qualities or professional experiences that relate to the job at hand. Qualified candidates should be able to think on their feet and come up with complex answers by listing examples, highlighting several key points, and addressing the entire question efficiently and thoroughly.

4. Off-Putting Questions

I had a hiring manager who would randomly ask long division questions in his sales interviews. It invariably threw the candidates off, and left a weird taste in their mouths about him and the company. I tried to talk him out of doing it, but he really loved it and thought it showed him how good people were at math.

True, math skills were important in that particular job, but they would have been verified more accurately with a pre-hire project that showed how the candidate used math in a real-world scenario likely encountered in that role. Likewise, don’t ask about management experience if the role doesn’t have any direct reports, and don’t ask about prospecting experience if you are hiring an inbound salesperson. Keep questions focused on the skills and experiences needed to do this job well.

Closing Thoughts

Finally, always remember to keep a professional demeanor during the interview process, stay focused on the job and its requirements, and remember that both the interviewer and the applicant use interviews to determine if it’s a good fit.

Applicants won’t pursue a job opportunity if the interview is painful or unpleasant, and you don’t want to lose out on a great candidate because of mistakes made during the interview process. Do most of the work ahead of time, and only interview people who are a strong fit in the first place.

 

Rikka Brandon is the founder and Chief Executive Recruiter of Building Gurus, a boutique executive search and recruitment consulting firm that works exclusively with kitchen and bath and building product companies across the U.S. Rikka is the past Chair of NKBA’s Leadership Recruitment Committee. She is also the author of Hire Power.