Find Good Hires By Asking The Right Questions

Reprinted from our newsletter: by Alice Bredin from The Charlotte Observer on June 12, 2000.

One of the biggest hiring mistakes is to pick an employee based on instinct. Neophytes to the hiring game get "a good feeling" from a candidate and make a job offer before carefully reviewing the applicant's approach to work and ability to handle required tasks. This often results in hiring people you like, but not necessarily people with the right job skills. While instinct certainly plays a role in hiring, don't bring new employees onboard without exploring their backgrounds and work attitudes.

In last's weeks column, I discussed how to glean information from resumes to identify the best applicants. Equally important is asking the right questions when you talk with potential hires on the phone or in person.

Spending a few minutes developing questions for candidates will ensure that you get the necessary details in the limited time you have with them. Some interviewing strategies for drawing the most information from applicants include keeping questions open-ended by avoiding yes-or-no questions and asking about specific topics, such as previous job responsibilities or hypothetical decision-making scenarios.

Here are examples of questions that will help you uncover details to make an educated hiring decision.

• How did you organize work in your last job? Candidates' abilities to articulate their organizational processes will clue you in to how they communicate and how much thought they give to working efficiently
• Which of your previous supervisor did you like best and why? This question can uncover candidates' preferred work environment and management style. It draws attention to details such as how comfortable they are with independent work, whether they appreciate feedback and, in extreme cases, if they may be unproductive. You can also flip questions and ask about least-favorite supervisors.
• Can you tell me about a time when you disagreed with your managers' approach to a problem and how you handled it? This will help you separate people who will stand up for the good of your company from those who will work passively. Look for someone who can express opinions without being confrontational.
• Do your grades adequately reflect you capabilities? The way applicants answer this question will tell you if they evaluate their skills objectively of if they have a sense of being under-appreciated. If the latter is the case dig deeper to determining if they are unaware of their own limitations or have reason to feel the way they do. If you're interviewing a candidate who has been out of school for a number of years, substitute the word "positions" for "grade."
• Why are you interested in joining this company? This basic question will tell you how much potential hires know about your business, as well as their philosophy toward work. Strong applicants will have a reason for wanting a position with your firm, such as the desire to work in your industry. Avoid applicants who simply say they need a job.

Equally important to asking the right question is knowing which questions employment laws forbid you from asking. These include questions relating to race, age, gender, marital or parental status, ethnic heritage and religion. A good rule to follow is, "If the question does not relate directly to the job, don't ask it." It pays to be cautious, as even an innocent question such as "When did you graduate from high school?" can be interpreted as an attempt to calculate a candidate's age. Some federal hiring laws apply only to businesses with 15 or more employees, but following these rules is a good idea anyway. This will ensure your hiring practices remain legal as your business grows. In addition, some states have laws for smaller employers with which you may need to comply.

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