Hiring the best employee for the job can be difficult but Ask Prospective Employees. Hiring the wrong person can cause absolute mayhem for your business, while hiring the right person for the job can improve employee performance. While there are many different ways to find the best employees, it all begins with finding the best resumes that match skillets and starting off with a phone interview. 

According to ShareAble For Hires, a phone interview is “a pre-screen to weed out any unsuitable applicants and to get a sense of if the candidate would be a good fit.” 

During the phone interview, you’ll let candidates know about the job role and duties and ask them questions to see if they should move on to the next round of interviews. You’ll end the phone call by asking them if they have any questions for you about the company, role, or duties. Once you’ve decided a candidate should move on, you’ll conduct in-person interviews that allow you to see how a person communicates in person. 

6 Questions to Ask Candidates

While HR software can streamline the hiring process, conducting thorough interviews is something you’ll have to do yourself. Every hiring manager should ask questions that not only pertain to the prospective employee’s experience but about their personalities and how they would act in certain situations to see if they’re a job fit as well as a cultural fit. 

Please describe your ideal work environment

This question helps recruiters determine whether the work environment the job provides is going to be an effective environment for the candidate’s needs. The answer to this question can help the interviewer decide whether the employee is a good fit for their culture and overall work environment. For example, you don’t want to hire someone who prefers to work alone for a job that requires constant team collaboration. 

The great thing about this question is that there really is no right or wrong answer. You may get some people who say that their work environment doesn’t have a significant impact on their productivity, while others will need their own office, away from the hustle and bustle of the office. 

Now that a lot of businesses are making the pivot to a work from home culture, it’s even more important to ask this question in an interview. Some people may have become accustomed to the work from home life and would not want to go back into an office five days a week. Others may feel differently and would prefer an in-office setting. Some people might want the flexibility to work from home or go into an office. With so many people being forced to work from home last year. There likely is an influx of people who would prefer the remote lifestyle in order to take care of their children, travel, or have more flexibility in their working day. By asking this question you’re able to understand whether or not a candidate. Would enjoy the work environment that your company promotes or if they would not be the right fit. 

What type of oversight would your ideal boss have?

What recruiters should want to know when they ask this question is how much the employee can handle working on their own. In a company that requires everyone to be self-directed and empowered, a candidate who requires constant direction will not be a great fit. 

If you know that the boss is a micromanager, the self-driven candidate may not succeed or be happy with someone who is constantly hovering over their shoulder. Unfortunately, if you know a boss is a micromanager, you have a whole new set of problems altogether. 

This question can also give you insight into what types of bosses. And managers people are looking for so that you can fix problems within your own team before they arise. For example, if prospective candidates are not looking for a micromanager for a boss. And You should talk to the micromanager in your office about improving the way they communicate with employees so that you can find a better candidate for the position. 

While the candidate can answer this question in any way he or she pleases, make sure that you look for phrases that make you believe whether or not the employee is a self-starter or needs extra help. 

What has been your greatest work achievement?

When you ask about a prospective employee’s greatest achievement, you can learn a lot about what he or she considers important. It also shows you how the applicant quantifies their achievement. This will tell you about the most important types of contributions that they made at their last job and can continue to do for your company. 

A candidate can talk about achievements that produced outcomes like a 30% sales boost or achievements that helped their coworkers and managers succeed. The only wrong answer here is no answer. If candidate can’t talk about their achievements. There were likely no achievements at their last job, which says a lot about their work ethic. 

What are the three most important skills that you would bring to our company?

Asking a prospective employee about their skills can help you understand their skillset better. And ensure that they understand at least some of the duties that will be asked of them. Hopefully, you’ve given them a very detailed job description that allows them to pinpoint the best skills. 

Tell me about a time you overcame an obstacle. How did you approach the situation?

Talking about managing difficulties can help hiring managers get an idea about how an employee handles stress and conflict. It will also paint a clear picture of the prospective employee’s past performance as they overcame difficulties. 

A candidate may answer this question in a number of ways. They may have had an obstacle completing a project due to time constraints. Or they may have had a conflict with their manager or another employee. No matter what their difficulties were. You can get an understanding of how they solve problems and handle things on their own.

Why are you leaving your current employer Prospective?

This question can be the make it or break it point when it comes to making your final hiring decision. Happy employees with good benefits typically don’t leave their jobs. And so it’s important to find out why this candidate is considering jobs with other companies instead of staying put. You’ll get many different answers ranging from a lack of opportunity for growth.

No matter the reason why the candidate is leaving their job. You can use this opportunity to learn what candidates are looking for when they’re searching for new jobs. And why they leave their old jobs so that you can improve your employee retention rate.

Because this question can have so many answers, it’s important to note any red flags. Someone who comes into an interview to badmouth their current employer is likely not someone. You’d want to hire because they might badmouth your company as well. 

Hiring a new employee is an exciting step for your business. Especially if you find the perfect person for the job! With these questions, you can learn more about your candidates’ background, leadership style, and expectations. This way, you and your prospective candidate can get a better idea if it’s a good fit for both parties.

Matt Casadona

Matt Casadona has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in Marketing and a minor in Psychology. He is currently a contributing editor for 365 Business Tips. Matt is passionate about marketing and business strategy and enjoys the San Diego life, traveling and music.