The Staffing Doctor

Asking Critical Questions

by Daniel Abramson

Q Maryanne from Bethesda is still concerned about asking the right questions in an interview. She asks: What questions will help ensure I make the best selections?

A There are five critical areas you should cover during the first interview. These areas will help you determine if the candidate is the right one for you.

JOB-SEEKER MOTIVATION

Start by determining why they decided to apply for the job.

ASK: Why is this particular opportunity interesting to you?

Could you expand on that?

Why is that important to you?

COMPANY SELLING POINTS

Working from prepared notes of selling points about the job, select those issues which seem most appropriate to the candidate's interests, and expand on them.

SAY: Let me tell you a little more about this job and our firm.

CANDIDATE'S HARD SKILLS

Now it's time to delve a little deeper. Select traits from the candidate's resume/application and zoom in on the details.

SAY: Let's take a deeper look at your background and qualifications, starting with your current (or previous) position.

ASK: How much work have you done with short corridor PALs?

In your current position at ABC Eyecare, how much time do you spend working in the dispensing area and how much time in the lab?

Make these questions directly relevant to your practice and in order of your priorities for this job.

CANDIDATE'S SOFT SKILLS

Personality and attitude also count significantly in the hiring game.

ASK: What three adjectives best describe the way you approach your job and work environment?

Why those three words?

Tell me about a time when you were faced with an impossible deadline—how did you handle it and what was the result?

Do you spend most of your time working alone or in groups?

Which do you prefer? Why?

Most of these questions will generate follow-up questions that will help you carry this part of the conversation forward.

CANDIDATE'S QUESTIONS

If the candidate has already asked a number of good questions, move along. If not, and if the candidate still has none, this is a likely negative.

ASK: "What questions do you have for me?"

CANDIDATE'S LEVEL OF INTEREST

Finally, if everything's going very well, wrap things up with an evaluation of interest.

ASK: On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being ‘I’m not interested' and 10 being ‘When can I start?,’ where do you stand?

While the individual questions are important, it's most important that you master the questioning techniques. With a little preparation before each interview and by covering the five critical areas listed above, your performance as an interviewer will become more consistent, and the information you gather from potential employees will be more useful, relevant, and predictive of success. EB

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If you have a question you'd like to have answered in The Staffing Doctor, send it to Daniel Abramson. Email: Daniel@staffdynamics.biz. An archive of past columns can be found at www.eyecarebusiness.com.