I have been subscribing to The HR Specialist and it has solid content every month. A recent issue captured the results of posts put in their forum. Here are some of the interview questions mentioned by those posting in the forum:
Of course there are all the standard interview questions we have heard, like:
- “Tell me about yourself.”
- “If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?”
- “What is your favorite color and why?”
We all know of these routine and often meaningless questions. Interview prep has had all interviewers ready for these questions for 25 years or more now. What was interesting to me was some of the newer questions, while not specifically behavior-based, sure would draw out behavioral answers by a truthful and insightful candidate. Interview prep may not have prepared candidates for these interview questions.
Here’s some that I thought were worth remembering:
- What would your biggest fan say about you?
- What would your biggest critic say about you?
Comment: This is a bit like the strengths and weaknesses questions we all have used. But putting a person as the source of the comments allows you to did into a why much easier. - What makes you proud?
Comment: Allows for much follow-up and what makes someone proud may not even be work-related. Be careful if it gets off work-related topics. - Do you smile often?
Comment: May be off base in some professions, but if you are hiring for a hospitality or client engagement person, you want to see how this one gets answered. - Why do you think people ______? Fill in the blank.
Comment: I work for a network of independent business so I might fill it in with “join membership organizations?” The answer will tell me if the interviewee knows what we do and believes in our mission. - Tell me about a process or procedure you improved?
Comment: You will have lots to dig down on if the candidate is sincere.
There are tons more and The HR Specialist even has a link to what they call 20 “Silver Bullet” behavior-based questions. Check it out.
What is your favorite interview question?