Sure, an interview is good for learning where someone went to school or where they have been employed. But is that enough information to go on to make a hiring decision?
As a leading recruiting agency, we know the answer to that is a resounding “no.” Besides a strong work and educational background, you also need someone with a solid work ethic; who’s honest, diligent, and highly motivated.
To help you find an employee with character, here are the types of questions to ask during the interview:
Assess Past Accomplishments
One of the surest ways to evaluate a candidate’s character is to ask them about their past experience. When you ask behavior based questions, which compel a candidate to offer real world examples, you’ll get a much better sense of whether they just look good on paper, or whether they really have the drive to deliver.
You can ask questions like:
- Give me an example of a past career goal you set and how you achieved it.
- What’s your biggest work accomplishment? What aspect of the work did you enjoy the most?
- Tell me about a time you had to go above and beyond to get the job done.
- Give me an example of a task you didn’t want to take on, but did anyway.
- If I called your last boss, what would he or she say about you?
Evaluate Desire to Succeed
Smart and driven candidates will do plenty of research ahead of time to ensure they’re prepared for the interview. They’ll spend time learning all they can about your company, its competitors, and industry challenges and trends. When a candidate can offer you thoughtful answers related to your company, you know they have the desire to succeed.
For instance, you can ask:
- What do you know about our company?
- Why do you want to work here?
- What do you think makes us different from our competition?
- What’s your perception of our needs in terms of filling this job?
Besides asking the questions above in a job interview, another area to assess is the candidate’s job progression. In other words, does the candidate show an increase in responsibility throughout their career, or has their career stagnated? This is a good indicator as to the type of candidate you’re getting.
And if you need more help hiring an employee with a strong work ethic, give Peoplelink a call. As a leading recruiting agency, we’ve successfully placed more than 150,000 professionals in temporary and full-time positions over the past 20 years. And we can help you find your next great hire. Contact us today to learn more.
