top 5 interview qs

The Top 5 Interview The Top 5 Interview Questions For Employers Questions For Employers

To AskTo Ask

Dianne Shaddock

Making a decision on who to hire during the job interview process isn’t an easy task.

Finding and hiring the best candidates starts with asking the right interview questions.

The following five questions are some of the top interview questions for employers to ask during an interview.

These questions can definitely help you to better assess whether the job applicant that you are interviewing is someone you’d want to hire.

1. We all make mistakes on the job. Share with me 2 mistakes that you have made in your

current or past job. How did you resolve these mistake(s) and what did you learn from the mistake?

2. Asking a Hypothetical Question: It’s been 2 years since I hired you in the (role). When you

look back on your job responsibilities, in what ways would you measure your success in the role?

3. If I were to contact your current supervisor today for a reference, what would he/she say

about your work performance, attention to detail, and commitment to the job?

4. Share with me 3 work-related examples that support your statement that you have strong

customer service skills?

5. Based on what you know about this job, what is it about your past or current work

experience that makes you the most qualified person for this position?

Even the best workers make mistakes

The question requires the job applicant being interviewed to use specific work related examples that highlight their ability to acknowledge that they have made mistakes

We all make mistakes on the job. Share with me 2 mistakes that you have made in your current or past job. How did you resolve these mistake(s) and what did you learn from the mistake?

Why Ask This Question?

It also demonstrates the applicant’s ability to:

Problem solve

Fix mistakes and

Make decisions under stress

We all make mistakes on the job. Share with me 2 mistakes that you have made in your current or past job. How did you resolve these mistake(s) and what did you learn from the mistake?

In some circumstances, mistakes can’t be fixed

Whether a mistake is “fixable” or not, the question also gives you the opportunity to understand what they have learned from the mistake

We all make mistakes on the job. Share with me 2 mistakes that you have made in your current or past job. How did you resolve these mistake(s) and what did you learn from the mistake?

The answer should demonstrate that in some way, the mistake became a learning experience, which allowed the employee to do a better job when faced with a similar situation in the future.

We all make mistakes on the job. Share with me 2 mistakes that you have made in your current or past job. How did you resolve these mistake(s) and what did you learn from the mistake?

This is a “hypothetical” question that you should ask, after you have clearly explained the job responsibilities and expectations to the person being interviewed.

Asking a Hypothetical Question: It’s been 2 years since I hired you in the (role). When you look back on your job responsibilities, in what ways would you measure your success in the role?

Why Ask This Question?

The goal with this question is:

To determine how well the interviewee understands your job requirements for the role, and…

To get the job applicant to share with you how they can specifically add value to your job based on their overall experience

Asking a Hypothetical Question: It’s been 2 years since I hired you in the (role). When you look back on your job responsibilities, in what ways would you measure your success in the role?

You’ll also gain some insight on the level of experience the job applicant has based on their ability to apply concrete “hypothetical” accomplishments based on the requirements of the job.

Asking a Hypothetical Question: It’s been 2 years since I hired you in the (role). When you look back on your job responsibilities, in what ways would you measure your success in the role?

This question can give you a sense of how honest and “self aware” the candidate is about their work experience.

I often use the candidates’ response as part of my reference check.

If I were to contact your current supervisor today for a reference, what would he/she say about your work performance, attention to detail, and commitment to the job?

Why Ask This Question?

For example, a candidate may say:

“My current supervisor will say that I was a dedicated worker who was always on time, worked hard and excelled at all tasks”

If I were to contact your current supervisor today for a reference, what would he/she say about your work performance, attention to detail, and commitment to the job?

When I call to check the actual reference:

I will share the employee’s feedback with their employer, and…

Ask that they confirm the employee’s assessment of their skills

If I were to contact your current supervisor today for a reference, what would he/she say about your work performance, attention to detail, and commitment to the job?

This is also a good time to ask the reference to provide specific work related examples that support the applicant’s assessment of their job skills.

If I were to contact your current supervisor today for a reference, what would he/she say about your work performance, attention to detail, and commitment to the job?

Many applicants will tell you that they have “strong” or “excellent” customer service skills, but the “proof is in the pudding”.

Share with me 3 work-related examples that support your statement that you have strong customer service skills?

Why Ask This Question?

Asking for specific work related examples that support their statement, will give you:

A very clear sense of your potential hires’ interpersonal skills, and,

How they perceive and treat customers or clients

Share with me 3 work-related examples that support your statement that you have strong customer service skills?

You can interchange “customer service” with any job related task that you would like to learn more about.

Share with me 3 work-related examples that support your statement that you have strong customer service skills?

This question requires the job applicant to give real life examples of their specific experience and skills sets and how this experience can be applied to the job that you are hiring for.

Based on what you know about this job, what is it about your past or current work experience that makes you the most qualified person for this position?

Why Ask This Question?

Remember:

Preparing for the job interview in advance, including asking the best interview questions will allow you to:

Fully assess a job applicant’s overall experience and

Help you to hire the best candidate for your job.

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