8 Interview Questions to Help Find the Right Fit

Posted by: Emma Berdanier on July 16th, 2019

Interviewing candidates is an important business skill where – let’s face it – many managers need help. For those of us who don’t interview regularly, the interview process can be daunting. And for those of us where interviewing is a daily part of our jobs, we all know that sometimes bad hires are still the result. The trick to fixing this is by asking the right interview questions before you make the hire.

Could better interview questions have prevented some of your bad hires? Very possibly so!

Getting Beyond the Basics of Work History and Education

Of course, there are the obvious – and crucial – questions asking about and discussing a candidate’s work history and education. This dialogue should give you a good idea if the candidate has the required experience and skillset for the role for which they are applying. But other important questions can shed light on whether the candidate is 1) a good fit for your company, and 2) if they will work well with your company’s culture — both very essential to ensuring a good long-term match.

Interview Questions to Ask to Gage Fit with your Company and its Culture

Here are some suggestions of topics to explore during interviews with sample interview questions given, which may give you the additional insight you need to make the right choice when deciding between two or more candidates:

1. How long did it take you to get here for the interview? How long do you think the commute would take you during rush hour?

Everyone has a different threshold of what is an acceptable commute. Be sure to engage with the candidate about this important topic – you want to ensure you have someone who won’t tire from the commute after three months and start looking for something closer to home.

2. What do you already know about our company?

This question lets you know if the candidate did their research prior to coming in for the interview. If they didn’t, then you probably don’t want to hire them as they may not be as passionate about this job opportunity as they should be.

This question should also prompt them to bring up what they like about your company and what they’re still curious about.

3. Tell me about a business success or achievement you’re proud of.

This will give you insight into how passionate they are about the work they do, what they value in terms of accomplishments, and how well-rounded they are. With this question you can even go further by asking them how they achieved this success, or what they think was key to them making this achievement. This will give you insight into their priorities and how they best work.

4. Tell me about the last time you had a disagreement with a direct superior. How was this disagreement resolved? And with hindsight, who was correct?

This question will tell you about how they handle conflict in the workplace, and how stubborn or humble they are.

5. What do you like to do in your spare time for fun?

Fitting into a workplace is all about fitting into the culture within that workplace. This question will give you insight into the candidate’s personal life and allow you to judge how well their personality would fit with the other personalities in the office.

6. Tell me about the last time you made a significant mistake at work. How did you learn from this?

Everyone has made mistakes. This question may stump some people, but give the candidate time to come up with an example. If the candidate is unable to provide a mistake, you may have someone who has a hard time admitting, or even recognizing, when they’ve made a mistake.

7. Why do you want to work here?

Again, this gives you an idea of what they know about the company already. This question also tells you if they want to work for your company because they’re excited about the company/the role, or if they only want the salary and benefits that come with the position.

8. Where does this job opportunity rank in your mind, on a scale from 1 to 10? What can we do to make this opportunity a 10 for you?

This question lets you know how excited they are about the job they’re interviewing for. It also lets you tell the candidate how much you’re willing to work with them to ensure that this role is the best option for them.

Sources:

• “10 Interview Questions to Weed Out Bad Fits.” ResourcefulManager, 2016. Accessed 12 July 2019.