Crafting Talent Interview Questions for Every Stage of the Job Interview Process

When it comes time to hire you want to ask the right questions, at the right time, along with identifying the structure that will allow you to conduct the best interviews. Asking the right questions at the right time however, calls for understanding:

• What you need from your candidate and the position you’re looking to fill
• The proper interview structure, and questions
• The role interviewers will play in this process, while also ensuring that they understand their role as well

All of which calls for a focused effort that increases the likelihood of making an informed decision.

Ask Yourself What You Need From The Position You’re Looking to Fill

First, ask yourself – what is the problem we are trying to solve?  What are the skills needed to solve that problem? Does our existing team have the ability to handle this?  When you’ve answered these questions, take it a step further and ask yourself: “how will you determine success in this position and what qualities will best fit with your existing office culture?”

Properly Structure the Interview Process & Questions

The first step in the hiring process  is the phone interview. The questions during this stage start with technical /job specific questions about the candidate’s previous work experience, which will allow you to determine if the candidate has the baseline knowledge for the role. We recommend taking time to study the candidates’ resume, doing your homework and learning about their work history, so you can dig into their knowledge and overall work experience.  Make sure the interviewer spends some time discussing the company and role, and “sells” the opportunity. The job seeker is going to be interviewing your company nearly as much as you are interviewing the job seeker.

Final Thoughts

Hiring the best candidate requires you to ask the right questions at the right time. To accomplish this requires:

Defining the need and problem you’re looking to solve by filling the position you want to interview for.
It also calls for a structured, interview process…

That starts with a phone call focused on the candidates work history and how it fits with your needs, followed by an onsite interview where the interviewers identified understand both the role they’re interviewing for and their role in the process.

Taking the time to address lingering concerns by revisiting the process or scheduling another more informal meeting with the candidates… or both.

And then if something still isn’t working, or you need further support, let us know, we’re here to help.

Jeff Smith