What Question Do You Always Ask Candidates in Interviews?
HR Interviews
What Question Do You Always Ask Candidates in Interviews?
Diving into the minds of candidates is a crucial part of any interview, and who better to learn from than human resource professionals themselves? From assessing problem-solving and resilience to discovering character through past failures, here are seven insightful questions that top HR leaders, including Recruitment Team Leads and Heads of Human Resources, always include in their interviews.
- Assess Problem-Solving and Resilience
- Understand Candidate's Motivators
- Evaluate Continuous Learning Habits
- Reveal Values Through Proud Achievements
- Analyze Interpersonal and Conflict Resolution Skills
- Align Expectations on Compensation Early
- Discover Character Through Past Failures
Assess Problem-Solving and Resilience
One effective interview question I always ask is:
"Can you describe a challenging situation at work and how you handled it?"
Why It's Revealing:
1. Problem-Solving Skills: It shows how the candidate approaches and resolves difficulties.
2. Resilience and Adaptability: It provides insight into their ability to handle stress and adapt to changing circumstances.
3. Communication and Reflection: It reveals their communication skills and ability to reflect on their experiences and learn from them.
This question helps gauge a candidate's practical skills and their potential cultural fit within the team.
Understand Candidate's Motivators
Employment is a relationship that should be mutually beneficial to ensure a long-term fit with the best returns. I always ask, "How will working with us in this role help you achieve your personal and professional goals?" With this one simple but effective question, I'm able to uncover people's true motivators and understand the value proposition from candidates' perspectives.
Evaluate Continuous Learning Habits
Anyone who works in HR should never stop learning. I want to know that anyone I hire to work in this space has a natural curiosity and a willingness to keep on top of new initiatives, ideas, and research.
The question I ask is, "What was the last activity you did that you would classify as personal development?" This could be reading a book, completing a course (online or in-person), or listening to a podcast; I don't mind.
The follow-up questions would then be something like, what was the one thing that stands out for you after completing this activity? Or, is there anything that you will take from this learning and incorporate into your daily life?
This demonstrates to me if they are "walking the talk," particularly if I am recruiting in Learning and Development. It also shows where their passions lie, as we generally will be drawn towards the things that we are great at or that we love to do.
Reveal Values Through Proud Achievements
‘If you could describe one professional accomplishment you are most proud of, and why, what would it be?’ This question invites the candidate to showcase an achievement and reflect on their career. It reveals what they value in their work and what meaning they draw from the experience. One candidate talked about successfully leading a product launch that met or exceeded sales targets. This response illustrated his leadership, strategic thinking, and sense of impact on the business, giving me a window into his strengths. It also told me something about what he might bring to our organization.
Analyze Interpersonal and Conflict Resolution Skills
As an HR professional, I usually ask candidates, "Can you share a situation where you had to handle a challenging colleague or client, and how you resolved it?
This question gives me a chance to analyze the candidate’s interpersonal skills and his ability to handle diverse situations positively. It happens many times when a client or colleague does not align with particular ideas. In that kind of scenario, how the candidate responds to them matters a lot. As an HR, I have to take care of the office environment; it should always be filled with positive energy. This question also evaluates how effectively he can be with others under stressful situations. We can see their conflict resolution skills, which are essential in professional life. It will show how much they are concerned about maintaining a productive work atmosphere.
While candidates answer this kind of question, we can examine their communication skills as well. How they describe their past incidents shows whether they can clearly convey their thoughts. It is crucial to be able to convey thoughts easily; it indicates a candidate's capability to express complex concepts in a way that is accessible to diverse audiences. Their confidence and honesty will be reflected in their response. It will also show their presentation skills. This question asks about their uncooperative situation; by their reactions, we can judge one’s emotional intelligence, including empathy and self-awareness.
A candidate’s response provides insight into their work style and whether it aligns with the company’s culture. Their past actions can help predict future behavior, revealing their character and values. This type of question aids in decision-making and helps me hire individuals who will positively impact the company.
Align Expectations on Compensation Early
Have you reviewed our compensation range, and does it match your expectations? Discussing compensation during the first interview is crucial to your recruitment process. By asking this question, you are able to avoid the situation of extending an offer only to find out that what your candidate is expecting far exceeds what you are able to offer. In any good recruitment process, you don't want to waste anyone's time, so getting aligned on compensation within the initial HR screening interview is key.
Discover Character Through Past Failures
A question that has consistently yielded profound insights for me is, 'Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it.' This query goes beyond simply identifying past mistakes; it unveils a candidate's true character and potential.
By sharing their failures, individuals demonstrate essential qualities like self-awareness, humility, and the capacity for honest reflection.
Their response offers a window into their problem-solving acumen, adaptability, and determination. Ultimately, it helps assess their resilience, a critical factor for success in any role. A candidate who can articulate their failures constructively, demonstrating growth and learning, is far more likely to thrive in a dynamic and challenging work environment.
