One of the most difficult aspects of hiring someone for a job is that initial moment of getting to know the candidate. Once the interviewer has engaged the interviewee in conversation, how does an he go about judging the interviewee’s abilities well enough to make an accurate judgment about whether or not that person would make a successful employee? How does one determine all this in an hour, especially when that can be a very tense hour?
Interview questions can sometimes be grist for a very boring mill. Perhaps the interviewer will ask, “What are your strengths?” to which there is usually an endless supply of answers, the accuracy of which is subject to introspection at best and self-flattery at worst. Another common question is, “What are your weaknesses?” which is sometimes simply an open doorway into further self-flattery in responses like “I work too hard” depending on how the interviewee has prepared for the interview.
It’s important to have a way to get beyond asking someone to either flatter themselves or criticize themselves, while still spending time during an interview getting to know the candidate as well as possible and determining what kind of worker he or she will be. The following is a list of questions, sometimes abstracted to suit contemporary situations, but all of which are invaluable during the interview process.
Interviewee's Free Time Pursuits Can Indicate Values and Schedule Flexibility
Asking "What did you do last summer?" can be an effective way of judging how the interviewee spends free time and can reflect values. While at first glance this might seem like a question more appropriate for a grade school student writing an essay, it has great use in an interview. The answer to this question can show the interviewer what sorts of things the interviewee values doing in free time. Did he go on a bike trip? Did she take an extra term of classes? Did the interviewee get a summer job? Did he sit at home and play video games?
In many cases an inflexible schedule doesn’t make much difference, but for many jobs, some occasional evening or weekend work is imperative. Perhaps the interviewee is a single parent and has kids and need to be somewhere after hours every day. It’s not always a mark against the interviewee if her schedule is inflexible, but this can give the interviewer some idea of the availability of the prospective employee.
Determining Aptitude for Patience
If the interviewer were to ask “Can you explain to me how to do something I don’t know how to do?” it would require the interviewee to take the lead in the conversation and if the interviewee lacks patience, it would become manifest in the response to this question. Not only does this question give the interviewer a chance to be a listener, but it will gauge how well the interviewee takes control of a situation. It can show the interviewer if this person is a natural leader or can get impatient in lengthy explanations. It’s best if the activity being explained is truly one the interviewer does not know how to do.
Motivation for Employment and Direction of Career
Ask “Why do you want to work in this field?” Is this job just a way for the interviewee to make a little money? Does the interviewee see himself getting promotions and wanting to stay in the field for a long-term period? This question will help determine the long-term time commitment the interviewee can give.
At some point during the interview, the interviewer should ask “Where do you see yourself heading with your career?” Many people won’t know the answer to this question and that’s okay. Very few people know what they want to do with the rest of their lives, but many people have a pretty good idea. Even if the interviewee is not sure what field he wants to end up in, he’ll have a decent idea about how hard he's willing to work and the kind of job he’d do best.
It’s rarely easy to interview people, but one of the most important parts of the interview is to focus on the person you’re talking to. Be fully present in the conversation and rather than fire one question after another at interviewees, engage them in conversation. Let them ask you questions. Make it a two-way dialogue rather than a one-way interrogation and both parties will get much more out of the interview.
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