Strategic Interview Questions to Ask Candidates

As mentioned, there are often several steps to the interview process. Below, we’ll explore some of the questions that should be asked along the way.

When interviewing a candidate, you must keep their professional history- or lack of- in mind. If they have recently graduated college, they can't draw on professional experience- but they can draw on self-taught skills, course seminars, volunteer work, and team projects. Qualities such as perseverance, leadership, talent, and drive can be demonstrated in various ways.  

Below are some phone interview questions to ask candidates:

Ask About Their Backgrounds

Many times, screening interviews can be stressful. Therefore, it’s a good idea to start with the basics to help put them at ease. This will give you a better idea of what they bring to the table:

• Ask about their background.  
• Ask what they are looking for in a new position.
• Ask where they are in their job search.
• Ask when they could start.

Even the simple question of when they could start will help you determine whether to move forward with them or not. If they’re not available when the position needs to be filled, you might want to move on and keep them in mind for future opportunities.

Ask About Salary Expectations

While it’s true that money is awkward to discuss, you must find out if their expectations are anywhere close to what the job is offering. Ask questions like:

• How much do you want to earn with this position?
• Are there any certain benefits that you require?  
• Would it be a deal-breaker if the salary and benefits are not what you expect/need?

Keep in mind that many during the phone interview questions phase, candidates may not want to give more than a salary range at this point. If you cannot determine whether they would be a good fit, come back to this topic later. However, if there's a big difference between their expectations and the offer, you don't want to waste your time or theirs.

Find out about Their Desire for the Position

Before you get into their training/skills, there are important phone interview questions to ask candidates to find out how interested they are in the position. Asking about what they’re doing now and why they want to leave can reveal their suitability for the position that is being offered.

• Why are you leaving your current position?  
• Why did you apply for this position?  
• What are your current responsibilities?  
• What is your motivation in a job?

This will help you learn about their preferences in workplace culture along with their leadership qualities, interpersonal skills, and more. For example, if they are looking for a more challenging position, you might want to give serious consideration if the job is more demanding than their current one.

Company Knowledge

While it’s true that they’re not likely to have read your annual report or know all there is to know about the company, if they’re serious- they’ve done some research.

• Ask what attracted them to that position.  
• Ask what they know about the facility.

You want to fill open positions with candidates that are there for more than just the paycheck. You want candidates that are interested in the job and have a favorable view of the company. Employees that are interested in the company will be easier to retain.

Discuss Resume Details  

This part will take up most of the allotted time for the interview. Find out what they want to get out of the job and how they believe they could contribute to the position and the company as a whole. Find out if they have the necessary aptitude, experience, and skills you need. If you have questions about their resume/cover letter, this is when you should ask those.

Also, this is when you should offer them the opportunity to ask you any questions or bring up any concerns they have.

The candidate has gone through the screening interview over the phone and passed- and now it's time to do a face-to-face interview. This section will look at some best interview questions to ask candidates.  

Some of these questions do overlap the questions asked in the phone screening interview, which is perfectly fine.

What do you know about the company?

These days, with the internet, there's a wealth of knowledge at the touch of a button, and many candidates will use that and research the company before interviewing. However, some candidates do not do this. This will help you figure out who is interested in the position and who is not.

What skills/strengths do you bring to the table?

Candidates should think about their skills and strengths and how they would benefit the company. Take note of any skills that they emphasize that are not included in their resume. You may even learn some great advantages about hiring the candidate.

Tell me about your current job/position.

This question serves two purposes. It will give you some insight into their background and help you evaluate their communication skills. It will also give you an idea how they see and approach problems within a company.

Tell me what your current employer could do to be more successful.

This is a difficult, but also one of the best interview questions to ask candidates. This will give you an idea of whether or not the candidate can see the big picture or if they are single-minded. Have they made any efforts to improve the situations? Do they settle or seek change? It may also indicate why they are leaving their current position.

Tell me about a disagreement with a supervisor or colleague and how you dealt with it.

This gives you an idea of their ability to resolve conflict. Listen to their tone as they speak and determine if the situation was handled appropriately. In nearly every job, emotional intelligence is critical. Additionally, you can ask about non-work-related disagreements to get another view about the candidate’s problem solving.

Are you a team player, or do you work better alone?

Think about the duties required for the position you’re offering. This will help you determine if they would be a good fit. If they prefer solitary work, they may not do well in a position requiring multi-tasking or collaboration.

Why do you want to leave your current position?

This is a good interview question to ask candidates because you can use the answer to your advantage when selling a job. If your position provides the things lacking in their current position, be sure to showcase that. However, keep in mind that some candidates have expectations that can't be met.

How would co-workers describe you?

This will give you insight into their soft skills and how they might work with the rest of your team. Know the strengths of your current staff members and find candidates that complement those strengths.

How would your supervisor describe you?

You still want to check references. This will give you insight into their relationships with their previous supervisors. However, you must also keep in mind that their answer may be their opinion of what the supervisor said.

Where do you expect to be in five years?

A candidate that has drive is valuable. This is a good interview question to ask candidates to determine if they have clear goals and mention how your company can help them reach those. If the candidate is interested in advancement and sees that opportunity in your company, it increases their chances of being happy.

How do you deal with tight deadlines?

This will help you find out how the candidate handles stress and whether or not they can keep up with the pace at your company. You may also follow up by asking if there was a time they missed a deadline and how they dealt with that situation.

Have you ever overcome a major challenge in your current position?

This will give you some insight into their analytical and critical thinking skills. Pay attention to how they describe their actions when dealing with a challenge.

What is the most interesting project you’ve ever worked on?

This will help you determine if they would enjoy working at your company. One of the most critical factors in employee retention is ensuring that employees are satisfied with their work. Additionally, you can follow up by asking what they’d ideally like to work on and what their dream projects are.

Tell me one fact that’s not on your LinkedIn profile or resume.

This is unique second interview question to ask candidates that will give you some interesting insights into the candidate you’re interviewing. It will also show the candidate that you value and see them beyond what is written on paper or their profile. This will help humanize the process.

Ask if they have any questions for you.

As you are closing the interview, find out if they have any questions. Many times, if they are truly interested in the position, they will have a few questions. On the other hand, the interview may have been informative enough that all their questions were answered. If they don’t have any, you can close the interview.

Something to note, a trend that has been going around is candidates asking interviewers what concerns they have about them. Be prepared to answer questions related to that and be versed in constructive criticism.

Below, we'll look at some fun, unique questions to ask candidates during the interview. Of course, there are some things to keep in mind with these questions: you should not ask anything that may seem inappropriate or make the candidate feel uncomfortable. Also, don't ask a silly question without prefacing it, or you'll appear unprofessional.

While the interview process should be professional, it’s okay to have some fun with the candidates- but make sure to have a reason for the question. Often, it will give you a very good insight into their personality. Also, be sure to let them know before you transition to a fun question.

Here are some fun, unique questions to ask your candidates to relieve tension:

• If you were on a deserted island with all the necessities, what three personal items would you take and why?  
• What fictional character do you most identify with and why?  
• If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
• Would you be the supervillain or superhero, and why do you think that?  
• What was the last gift you bought someone?
• What language would you like to learn and why?  
• Would you rather ride an elephant or a giraffe to work, and what are the advantages and disadvantages to your chosen transportation?
• What’s your plan during a zombie apocalypse?

The interview process is exactly that: a process. You’ll most likely start with a screening interview over the phone. This will give you insight on whether to move forward with the candidate.

If you do move forward, you’ll likely have at least one face-to-face interview. The questions provided above will give you further insight into the candidate and whether or not they would be a good fit. Don’t forget to ask some of the fun, unique questions to help the candidate relax.

If you need help, Advantis Global is here to help you find quality candidates and help narrow down your search, making hiring decisions easier. With 13+ years of experience with top-industry brands, you can trust us for your staffing solutions.