After reading the title of this article you’re probably asking yourself, “Why should they be asking ME anything? I’m the one hiring them!” The fact of the matter is when you are looking to a hire a new potential employee, what they ask you may be the most important questions of the interview. Often times the best candidates are evaluating your company as a whole; the culture, the employees, the clients. In essence, why do they want to work for you? Sure, they’re ultimately looking for a job, but more so they are looking for a great place to work, and by working in a great place that agrees with their mentality they are more likely to produce better work and effectively increasing your bottom line.
Question Number 1: What is Expected of Me in the First 2-3 Months that I’m on the Job?
If somebody asks you this, how would you likely respond? Chances are, your potential job candidate wants to start working right now and get moving on whatever project they will involved with. By clearly laying out what they would possibly be working on, what needs to get done on said project and the type of people they will be working worth, the candidate will easily be able to tell if they are a great fit for your organization or not. This lays out the ground work for how they will be evaluated, clearly defining the constraints and objectives that they will be expected to meet.
Number 2: How do YOU like working here?
This one may be a little bit personal, but it is a strong way to gauge the culture of the company. By giving your honest opinion, and hopefully it’s a good one, you can let the candidate feel out the organization in less than 2-3 minutes. It allows them to almost instantly decided whether or not they would actually enjoy working at your company and if they would fit in well, which is something almost everybody is looking for. What also makes this question so important is that it’s likely a great candidate has many options, and if your option makes it look like they’re the most likely to fit in your chances have improved greatly to get them to join your team.
Number 3: What Improvements is the New Candidate Expected to Bring to the Organization?
Much like question number one, this question allows them to figure out exactly what they need to do to be the best at their job. Although many of us like to think that we don’t want our goals laid out for us and we want to make our own path, it is often times true that when given a clear list of things to do to complete a project people are generally happier at their job and therefore more productive. If you have a candidate asking you this, chances are you have a person sat in front of you that is truly genuine about their career and wants to make a lasting impression.
Number 4: How do You Plan to Deal With an Emergency?
While this question is somewhat open ended, but it generally is referring to one thing; cut backs, and it is perfectly legitimate. Obviously, nobody plans for a loss in sales over a long period of time, creating a need to possibly eliminate positions. However, it is something good to have in mind and for a person that is looking to place their career in your hands it is an important question to ask. The question may be answered as simply as saying that sales are great and we are forecasting continued growth, however if an emergency situation did emerge we would much rather prefer reducing salary and keeping you on staff until the situation is remedied, giving them peace of mind knowing that their position won’t be eliminated.
Wrapping It Up
The questions presented today may be a little more personal than you’re used to it is ever so important to be prepared for them. Quite often enough some of your best potential candidates are going to be asking the hard ones and they will be expecting a great answer, otherwise they may just have to consider a different position elsewhere.
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