10 of the Most Revealing Interview Questions to Ask Job Candidates

10 of the Most Revealing Interview Questions to Ask Job CandidatesYou can bet your candidates are well-versed in how to answer standard interview questions like, Whats your greateststrength? Weakness? or Why should I hire you? or even Where do you see yourself in five years?Because questions like these are so often used to gauge a candidates potential to perform well in a particular role or company, answers are usually very scripted, insincere, and tailored to what youre looking for in a candidate. And, unfortunately, that doesnt tell you a whole lot.If you really want to spark a more authentic and revealing discussion, the answer is simple ask better questions. To maximize the opportunity to get to know your candidates, here are 10 telling interview questions to askin your next interview1. What did you learn about us from our website?You would be surprised how many candidates do leid do their homework before an interview. If the candidate is really interested in working at company x they will learn all they can from the company website. It also gives you the opportunity to see how the candidate interprets what they have read and how they can communicate that back to you.Chantal Bechervaise, Take it Personel-lyDid your candidates do their homework? Find outwith this interview question via CBechervaiseClick To Tweet2. If you were recruiting for this position, what are the top five things youd be looking for?Then Id ask the candidate how he or she would rank themselves against those attributes. From this question, I found out what values or skills the candidate finds fruchtwein important, and that speaks volumes about how that person approaches problem-solving, as well as whether theyd be a corporate culture fit. Secondly, its always telling to see if a person is falsely modest in ranking him or herself low against the criteria, or self-confident in ranking high.Lynda Spiegel, Rising Star ResumesAsk your candidates what qualities THEY would look for in an emplo yee RisingStarResClick To Tweet3. Tell me about an unpopular management decision you made and how your gruppe handled it. Job seekers have a much better option of selling their skills and talents to an employer when behavioral questions are asked. Behavioral questions enable the candidate to bring the interviewer (figuratively) into their previous work experience, to show how they handled a specific workplace event.Traditional questions prompt canned, outdated, and predictable answers. This isnt the right way for an employer to find their next superstar My advice to employers is asking behavioral-based questions in their interviews. My advice for job seekers is when an employer asks a traditional-based question, answer in a behavioral-based manner.Lauren Milligan, ResuMAYDAYInterview tip from ResuMAYDAY Ask behavioral questions InterviewingTipsClick To Tweet4. What is motivating your job search?Two of the key things that I screen for when interviewing candidates are motivations and past performance. There is a possibility that the candidate being interviewed is looking for a new job because they are not getting along with their team or manager. It is also possible that they are underperforming in their current role and are being pushed out the door. These are important things to take into consideration.By asking an open-ended question, you are giving the candidate an opportunity to provide insight as to why they are looking for a new job. By opening things up, I have found that you are more likely going to receive a visceral response. In many cases, these visceral responses are very insightful to the candidates TRUE motivations.Doug Ross, Managing Director, The Aces Group10 of the Most Revealing Questions to Ask Job Candidates RecruitingClick To Tweet5. Give me two or three examples of things you do to show kindness and consideration to your colleagues.Employers should focus on questions that reveal behavior and character. They should go above and beyond the skills for meeting the job requirements. Thats how you know your hire will mesh well with your team or company, rather than turning out to be a costly regret.Questions like this help you assess how prospective hires see themselves in relation to other people and specific circumstances. You can use them to spot the difference between people who are active, engaged problem-solvers and people who are passive and disengaged.You can also be attentive to more than just the content of the answer, and focus on HOW they tell the story. Factors such as the way they describe themselves and the details they choose as relevant are a great indicator of how they might perform and what will matter to them if you hire them.Christopher G. Fox, Kindness CommunicationHow do you show kindness and consideration to your colleagues? CGFSyncresisClick To Tweet6. Why do you think manhole covers are round?I believe that thought-provoking questions, that catch applicants slightly off guard from normal intervi ew questions, reveal the most about a candidate. This question actually has a correct answer, but its not the fact that the candidates answer it correctly or incorrectly that helps me evaluate them.The reason manhole covers are round is so the cover cant fall through its circular opening this isnt something many people have thought about before. However, even if the candidates have never considered it before, they can reason through to answer it. If they work out a logical answer when put on the spot in an interview, this indicates to me that they have good problem-solving skills and are able to logically determine a solution to a problem quickly.Susan Wurst, Vice President, Account Management, TempWorksCatch your candidates off guard by asking thought-provoking questions SwurstClick To Tweet7. Tell me something from your brde performance review that was indicted as a weakness or needing improvement, and what you did to turn it around. This question will tell you if a candidate is open to constructive criticism if they are okay talking about the fact that they arent perfect, actions they take to improve, and their overall ability to be open with you as their future manager.Lori Kleiman, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, HR TopicsTry asking these 10 revealing interview questions to your candidates HR HiringClick To Tweet8. Why did you leave your previous job?When interviewing atCopy My Resumewe always ask applicants to explain why they left their previous job. If they were fired, this gives us direct insight into potential liabilities with the applicant. If they chose to leave, we can find out what their primary motivators are, such as career advancement, compensation, work-life balance, etc. and then play to that as a company.For example, if someone left their previous job because of the horrible work hours, then we can use our flexible working time as a way to secure hiring them, should we wish to welcome them on board. Knowing what motivates and drives professionals is crit ical when trying to attract quality workers.Erik Bowitz, Senior Resume Expert, Copy My ResumeHow would YOU explain why you left your previous job? TrickyInterviewQuestionsClick To Tweet9. What is the most significant thing youve done since breakfast?The Creative Group recently surveyed more than 400 advertising and marketing executives to share the toughest or trickiest interview question they ask to weed out poor candidates. Many of the queries could trip up even the savviest applicants.Take this question, for instance. Hiring managers may ask unusual questions to get a sense of a candidates interpersonal skills and the intangibles that make a strong hire like creativity, ambition, and the ability to think on ones feet.Diane Domeyer, Executive Director, The Creative GroupCheck out the toughest and trickiest interview questions to weed out poor candidates DianeDomeyerClick To Tweet10. Explain a time when you demonstrated _________?At salzbildner our recruiting process is very much focused on cultural fit. While a candidate may have the right degree and experience, which is important of course, its important to ensure this individuals competencies align with our core values. This means looking beyond technical competencies when assessing candidates for their role. We look at behavioral competencies, as well.For example, exceptional customer service is a core value in our organization so we want to hire people who can demonstrate that competency. We may ask questions during the interview process that asks the candidate to explain what exceptional customer service means to them, when have they provided exceptional customer experience or their experience in discovering/meeting client needs.John Fleischauer, Senior Talent Attraction Manager, Halogen SoftwareAsk interview questions that focus on culturalfit bigtalljohnClick To TweetWhat do you think are themost revealinginterview questions to ask job candidates? Share in the comments