Effective Questions for Human Resources Managers to Ask When Interviewing Candidates

There has been some debate recently about how effective job interviews really are as a recruitment technique, but the fact is that the interview process as we know it is still very much used every day.

With this in mind, as business owners and managers in Cairns, how can we maximise the standard interview as an opportunity to reveal the best staff for the jobs?

Here is a selection of useful questions that you could consider for interview strategy:

• Tell us why we should hire you?

Taking things up a level from the standard “what are your strengths and weaknesses?’, this question encourages candidates to match their skills and USP (unique selling point) to the requirements of the role and the organisation as they perceive it.

• What will your contribution to our business and its culture look like?

Information leading from this will give you a good gauge as to how the candidate views your organisation and how well they would integrate and fit into its culture.

• What really motivates you and drives you to get out of bed each day?

This information can be a great predictor of a candidate’s success in the future and allows them to show how passionate they are about working hard and what inspires them.

• What management style works best for you and motivates you the most?

This can highlight whether or not the interviewee would be a good fit with the existing management team and staff structure.

• Tell us about your current organisation – what is the culture like?

Encouraging an interviewee to talk about their current job in these terms allows you to get a feel for how they will thrive in certain staff environments and teams. Where appropriate you can discuss their leadership style.

• Can you give us your views on working for a start-up?

Of course, ‘start-up’ can be substituted for any type of company, but the point of this question is to confirm that the candidate fully understands the specific demands of your business and industry.

• How quickly would you be able to respond to an offer of employment from us? Would you be able to do it within a week?

This can be a helpful indication of how keen the interviewee is to get the job and also the factors involved in their decision-making process. They may not be quite ready to leave their existing position, or they could have other job offers lined up in Cairns or further afield.

• What is the thing that makes you really mad?

Although candidates at interviews are usually showing their best side, this question gives them a chance to demonstrate how they would conduct themselves in a situation which is not going according to their plan.

• What made you decide to join your existing organisation? What makes you interested in our business?

This question allows the candidate to give an idea about their own unique career path and work goals. It also demonstrates their fit for the role on offer right now.

• Why do you believe that you are the best candidate for this role?

As an employer, you would like to hear loud and clear why the interviewee is the right person for the job and what they could bring to the overall health of the organisation. The information given can be matched to the job description to assess the potential fit.

• What was your inspiration for applying?

This is a great question to help determine if the interviewee is passionate about joining your organisation or if they are just looking for any job. A candidate who specifically wants to be employed there will be much more likely to stay for the long haul.

Effective hiring techniques have a knock-on effect on retention, employee culture and engagement within a company. 

If your HR strategy needs a health check, we can help. Preston HR is owned and operated in Cairns, and we have many years of local experience in recruitment and all Human Resources services. Call our Cairns office today to arrange a consultation.