Essential Interview Questions
Conducting an interview is more than just assessing a candidate’s qualifications; it’s about finding the right fit for your team and organization.
Here are ten effective interview questions to ask, along with reasons why they are important and what you can learn from the answers.
Our Top 10 Questions, and the "Why's" of Each
1. Can you tell me about yourself?
Why Ask: This classic question gives candidates a chance to introduce themselves and highlight their relevant experiences. It also helps you gauge their communication skills and how well they present themselves.
What to Look For: Look for clarity, confidence, and relevance. A good answer will succinctly outline their background, key achievements, and why they’re a good fit for the role.
2. What attracted you to our company?
Why Ask: This question assesses the candidate’s interest in your specific organization and their understanding of what makes your company unique.
What to Look For: Candidates should mention specific aspects of your company that appeal to them, such as culture, values, or growth opportunities. This will indicate that they’ve done their homework and are genuinely interested.
3. What are your future goals?
Why Ask: Understanding a candidate’s long-term aspirations helps you determine if their career goals align with the opportunities your company can offer, and whether they are a motivated individual.
What to Look For: Look for answers that align with your company’s growth trajectory and whether the candidate’s ambitions match the role’s career path; consider carefully whether you will be able to offer them the opportunities they are seeking.
4. Can you describe a challenging situation you faced in a previous job and how you handled it?
Why Ask: This question reveals interpersonal skills, problem-solving skills, resilience, and how well candidates can handle stress or conflict.
What to Look For: A strong answer will provide a clear example of the challenge, the actions taken, and the outcome. It shows their ability to navigate difficulties effectively.
5. How do you prioritize your work when you have multiple deadlines to meet?
Why Ask: Time management and prioritization are crucial in most roles. This question helps you assess their organizational skills and ability to manage workload.
What to Look For: Candidates should describe their methods for organizing tasks, setting priorities, and handling competing demands.
6. Why did you leave your last job?
Why Ask: This question provides insights into the candidate’s career progression and any potential red flags. It also provides an additional opportunity to potentially discuss conflict management, and future career aspirations.
What to Look For: Be attentive to their reasons for leaving; their answers should be professional and not reflect poorly on previous employers or coworkers.
7. What are some of your strengths and weaknesses?
Why Ask: This question helps evaluate self-awareness and honesty. It also gives you a sense of what qualities they bring to the table and areas where they might need support.
What to Look For: Effective answers will balance strengths with concrete examples and weaknesses with a focus on personal growth and development.
8. How do you handle constructive criticism?
Why Ask: This question assesses a candidate’s openness to feedback and their ability to learn and improve from it.
What to Look For: Candidates should provide examples of how they’ve used feedback to make positive changes or improvements in their work.
9. Can you describe a time when you worked as part of a team?
Why Ask: Teamwork is often essential in the workplace! This question will help you better understand how candidates collaborate and contribute to group efforts.
What to Look For: Look for examples of successful team projects, their role in the team, and how they contributed to achieving team goals.
10. What is your approach to maintaining work-life balance?
Why Ask: Understanding how candidates manage their work-life balance can provide insights into their ability to handle stress and maintain productivity without burnout.
What to Look For: Candidates should describe strategies and self-care tools that they use to balance their work responsibilities with personal life and how they ensure long-term productivity.
Asking the right questions during an interview can significantly impact your ability to find the best candidate for your role! These questions help you assess skills, compatibility, stress management, prioritization skills, and overall long-term potential.
Additional resources to help you create that perfect list of interview questions!
Harvard Business Review provides a list of key interview questions that help employers get deeper insights into candidates’ abilities and fit for the role. It includes practical tips on how to interpret responses effectively.
Canadian HR Reporter’s article offers insights into the most popular interview questions for Canadian employers, including statistics, and additional details on why these popular questions work.
Indeed offers a comprehensive guide on skills-based interviews and interview questions, including tips on what to ask and how to evaluate answers, making it easier to navigate the interview process.
NFIB’s article offers a great, organized list of 23 creative interview questions that you can incorporate right away!
