Ask the Staffing Doctor
Smart Interview Questions
by Daniel Abramson
Q Maryanne from Bethesda asks…I do my share of hiring and interviewing, but not enough to really stay on top of my game. As a result, my interviewing performance seems to vary, and I sometimes worry that I am making decisions based on incomplete information.
What questions can I ask to improve my performance and be more consistent?
A Wow, Maryanne, you just made a hole-in-one regarding a major challenge for most hiring managers. Here's to your insight and courage in bringing it to the fore!
We'll focus on the first face-to-face interview for the purposes of this discussion.
TELEGRAPHING
Make sure the questions you ask DO NOT "telegraph" the answer you are seeking.
For example, "Do you have a high energy level?" is not an effective question, while, "How have you handled peak workloads and competing time demands in the past?" is likely to get you the answer you seek, plus additional useful information.
CLOSED-ENDED QUESTIONS
Ask closed-ended questions when you want to gather facts, confirm information, or gain agreement.
These types of questions usually begin with:
Who…
What…
Where…
When…
Do…
Have…
Examples of closed-ended questions include:
■ In terms of percentage of completion, where do you stand with your M.O.C. process?
■You worked for Elkland Eyecare Centers for a total of six years, correct?
■ If we offered you $XX,XXX, would you accept?
OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS
Ask open-ended questions when you want to encourage conversation, determine motivations, identify underlying reasons, and probe for core values.
| tips |
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| Here are five critical areas you should cover during the first interview: 1 Job-seeker motivation—Why the candidate is interested in this particular professional opportunity 2 Selling points of the job, department, and company 3 Candidate's hard skills, i.e., training, education, certifications, and work experience 4 Candidate's soft skills, i.e., attitudes, work ethic, career goals, core values, team orientation, sincerity, and personality traits 5 Candidate's questions and interest level in continuing to the next step |
Open-ended questions typically start off with words or phrases like:
How…
Why…
Tell me about…
Please expand on…
These types of questions generally take longer to explore than closed-ended questions, and they often provide the best insights into the candidate's attitudes, temperament, and personality.
Examples include:
■ Why is moving to an ophthalmic treatment environment so important to you?
■ How were you able to solve that problem with such low-tech equipment?
■Tell me about a time when you had to handle a really irate customer. EB
| Sponsored By Polycore | |
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| If you have a question you'd like to have answered in Ask the Staffing Doctor, send it to Daniel Abramson. Email: Daniel@staffdynamics.biz.. An archive of past Ask the Staffing Doctor columns can be found on the Eyecare Business website at www.eyecarebusiness.com. |
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