Good interview questions to ask - as the interviewer
Discussion
MickTravis665321 said:
What are some good questions that you have received as an interviewee, that made you think that the interviewer/company would be a good place to work for?
Got a spate of interviews coming up and want to avoid all the clichés such as what are you strengths etc.
Anyone been asked any good ones that really made you think positively of the process? Tech industry / support level roles.
It depends what you’ve set out as your objectives for the interview and what other selection process you might have running along with it.Got a spate of interviews coming up and want to avoid all the clichés such as what are you strengths etc.
Anyone been asked any good ones that really made you think positively of the process? Tech industry / support level roles.
The role, its seniority and the outcomes required of the post holder should shape your selection process.
If it only consists of a traditional interview, then regardless of the question set, you may fail to identify the best candidate.
More here: https://hbr.org/2020/06/how-to-design-a-better-hir...
Aunty Pasty said:
One question I had last year as an interviewee was:
AEG or gas blowback?
This relates to one of my listed interests and shows me somebody else there shares a similar interest and gives me an opportunity to talk about myself as a person.
Also shows they read through the whole CV.
Don’t some AEGs have gas blow back?AEG or gas blowback?
This relates to one of my listed interests and shows me somebody else there shares a similar interest and gives me an opportunity to talk about myself as a person.
Also shows they read through the whole CV.
Caddyshack said:
Don’t some AEGs have gas blow back?
Some AEGs have a blowback mechanism but it's electrically driven IIRC.Back to interviews. I really hate the whole interview process, I'm not really into selling myself or bragging. The better ones tend to be conversation style pieces where both sides talk shop.
Some I like to ask
What do you know about us?
It should be an easy opener that doesn't require much because they should have done some basic research not long before joining the interview. When someone answers not much really that's a BAD start. Couldnt even be arsed to find out a little about the company.
Tell me about a time you've had to deal with a poor performer, either someone you line manage or a peer.
One thing I'm looking for here is empathy. Especially if it's a role that has line management responsibilities. People have lives and non work problems that can impact work and I don't want hard ass task masters who are going to be pricks when someone's output dips. That's not to say I carry deadweight but let's find out and if there is nothing wrong and they're just s
t that's different.
What skills do you need to improve on in this role?
Prefer this to the usual strengths and weaknesses as it prevents people churning out canned cliche responses - turning weaknesses into strengths.
Anyone who says none gets in the bin, there is always something that you can do better. I'm just looking for an honest answer, my knowledge of x is low level I need to know more. Shows they have some humility and self awareness.
The nost important question to ask is "Do you have any questions for us/me". This will tell you a lot about the person, what drives them, what they want from a job etc. When they say no. OK completely disinterested, not good. Asking about money and benefits, usually this is the wrong time. Ask some questions that show you give a st.
What do you know about us?
It should be an easy opener that doesn't require much because they should have done some basic research not long before joining the interview. When someone answers not much really that's a BAD start. Couldnt even be arsed to find out a little about the company.
Tell me about a time you've had to deal with a poor performer, either someone you line manage or a peer.
One thing I'm looking for here is empathy. Especially if it's a role that has line management responsibilities. People have lives and non work problems that can impact work and I don't want hard ass task masters who are going to be pricks when someone's output dips. That's not to say I carry deadweight but let's find out and if there is nothing wrong and they're just s
t that's different. What skills do you need to improve on in this role?
Prefer this to the usual strengths and weaknesses as it prevents people churning out canned cliche responses - turning weaknesses into strengths.
Anyone who says none gets in the bin, there is always something that you can do better. I'm just looking for an honest answer, my knowledge of x is low level I need to know more. Shows they have some humility and self awareness.
The nost important question to ask is "Do you have any questions for us/me". This will tell you a lot about the person, what drives them, what they want from a job etc. When they say no. OK completely disinterested, not good. Asking about money and benefits, usually this is the wrong time. Ask some questions that show you give a s
t. Scabutz said:
Some I like to ask
What do you know about us?
It should be an easy opener that doesn't require much because they should have done some basic research not long before joining the interview. When someone answers not much really that's a BAD start. Couldnt even be arsed to find out a little about the company.
Someone asked me this, getting on for 20 odd years ago, and I said 'not much really' I watched the interviewers eyes pop open, because it's such an obvious question, and actually a bit dull and bland. What do you know about us?
It should be an easy opener that doesn't require much because they should have done some basic research not long before joining the interview. When someone answers not much really that's a BAD start. Couldnt even be arsed to find out a little about the company.
Not much really, I know that this is one unit of 45 factories I could find, it's privately owned, and so profit and loss figures are hidden from me. I know that this unit has been here 38 years, was owned by someone else, and now you. You paid a reported £87m for it. I know you make 300t of product a day, and you employ 240 people, most of whom say it's a good place to work. I've also played the little game on your website, and got to level 3. So hardly anything really - what should I know at this stage in the interview process.
He was very much mollified after that, but I did enjoy getting a rise out of the interviewer I probably shouldn't have bothered though, it turned into a dull place to work.
If I'm being interviewed now, I want to know that my personal skill set is valued and appreciated, and if it will fit into the cultural space. Both company and interviewer are on to a hiding to nothing if I don't. Similarly, if I am interviewing, I want to talk to people to see if they will fit in with us. Best case, I reckon I get to about 40% successful, and I'm not sure many get much better to find good cultural fit, plus the required skills.
mattybrown said:
Interviewer question: if you were me, what question should I ask you?
Obviously then follow up with that question.
You can get some quite revealing answers.
"When can you start?" Obviously then follow up with that question.
You can get some quite revealing answers.
A lot of the questions people are reccommending are absolutely awful in my opinion. Exactly the kind of questions that I utterly despised when being interviewed. Often all it does is force the interviewee to come up with an embellished non-story that they think the interviewer wants to hear. Questions like:
What are your strengths/weaknesses?
What drives you?
What are your greatest achievements?
Tell me about a time you performed under pressure...
make me just want to walk out.
Personally I'd reccommend just having a totally informal chat based on their CV.
Thankfully I'm a contractor these days so rarely have to deal with these kind of nonsense questions.
I think a simple asking “what did you do at the weekend” is such a simple but very effective question to find out what the person is like and whether they will fit in with the rest of the staff. I always say you spend more time with the people at work than your partner so you at least want to get along with them.
I always hope someone asks me in an interview what’s your best traits are because i alway want to respond with “ I am very good at everything and I’m also very modest”
I always hope someone asks me in an interview what’s your best traits are because i alway want to respond with “ I am very good at everything and I’m also very modest”
RustyMX5 said:
I think one of the strangest ones I've been asked (Analyst role) was What's the difference between a poison and a venom? That one was designed by the interviewer to see how I, and others, analysed things.
No analysis required, they are two different things. You bite it and you get ill or die....poison. Cyanide, toadstools etc.
It bites you, you get ill or die...venom. Snakes, spiders etc.
If someone tells you a snake is poisonous, just don't eat it.
My favourite question....you're in a 2 seater sports car, driving late at night in pouring rain. You overtake what you know to be the last bus, that's broken down at the side of the road. A mile down the road, you get to the bus stop and there's 3 people waiting. A frail old lady, who is cold, wet, shivering, and looks like she'll collapse if the bus doesn't arrive soon. Your best friend, who went out of his way to give you lifts when you couldn't afford a car, and the most beautiful woman/handsome man you ever saw, who you know could be the one for you, if only you had an opportunity to spend some time with him/her.
What do you do?
Edited by TwigtheWonderkid on Tuesday 21st May 20:26
For interviewing IT Engineers, I think a "what's been your biggest fkup" is a good fun 5 minutes. We as interviewers will each offer ours first.
If you have any decent amount of experience in IT, you will have made at least one massive howler in your career and Rule Number 1 is to not hide your mistakes.
It's a great way of filtering out the blaggers who have just been in the same room as some work that was done and whacked it straight on their CV.
Gauging the reaction to our own cockup stories is also quite revealing. Mine is that I deleted an entire OU full of server accounts by accident. That gets a surprising amount of blank looks from people with CVs that suggest they should be well aware of what it means.
kup" is a good fun 5 minutes. We as interviewers will each offer ours first. If you have any decent amount of experience in IT, you will have made at least one massive howler in your career and Rule Number 1 is to not hide your mistakes.
It's a great way of filtering out the blaggers who have just been in the same room as some work that was done and whacked it straight on their CV.
Gauging the reaction to our own cockup stories is also quite revealing. Mine is that I deleted an entire OU full of server accounts by accident. That gets a surprising amount of blank looks from people with CVs that suggest they should be well aware of what it means.
TwigtheWonderkid said:
RustyMX5 said:
I think one of the strangest ones I've been asked (Analyst role) was What's the difference between a poison and a venom? That one was designed by the interviewer to see how I, and others, analysed things.
No analysis required, they are two different things. You bite it and you get ill or die....poison. Cyanide, toadstools etc.
It bites you, you get ill or die...venom. Snakes, spiders etc.
If someone tells you a snake is poisonous, just don't eat it.
My favourite question....you're in a 2 seater sports car, driving late at night in pouring rain. You overtake what you know to be the last bus, that's broken down at the side of the road. A mile down the road, you get to the bus stop and there's 3 people waiting. A frail old lady, who is cold, wet, shivering, and looks like she'll collapse if the bus doesn't arrive soon. Your best friend, who went out of his way to give you lifts when you couldn't afford a car, and the most beautiful woman/handsome man you ever saw, who you know could be the one for you, if only you had an opportunity to spend some time with him/her.
What do you do?
Edited by TwigtheWonderkid on Tuesday 21st May 20:26
TwigtheWonderkid said:
My favourite question....you're in a 2 seater sports car, driving late at night in pouring rain. You overtake what you know to be the last bus, that's broken down at the side of the road. A mile down the road, you get to the bus stop and there's 3 people waiting. A frail old lady, who is cold, wet, shivering, and looks like she'll collapse if the bus doesn't arrive soon. Your best friend, who went out of his way to give you lifts when you couldn't afford a car, and the most beautiful woman/handsome man you ever saw, who you know could be the one for you, if only you had an opportunity to spend some time with him/her.
What do you do?
But what if I already know the ‘correct’ answer? Something like give car to friend to take old lady whilst you wait for a taxi at the bus stop with the soulmate. Have I impressed you or foiled your plan? What do you do?
Edited by TwigtheWonderkid on Tuesday 21st May 20:26
When interviewing anyone for a material role (say £75k+) I tend to ask:
“Let’s say you join the orgnaisation in this role; what are the 3-5 aims you want to achieve in your first 3 months, how would you go about pursuing those things, and how at the 3 month point would you evaluate if you have been successful?”
It’s very revealing - there are so many possible lines to follow up on:
- Do they actually have a clear view about what they want to get done? Have they really thought about what success looks like and how it is measured?
- Do they listen to the question and prioritise, or do they just give a long-list with no sense of purpose or direction?
- Are they able to articulate the above cleanly and concisely, without rambling or saying ‘oh and just one more thing’?
- In substance, are the things they are looking to achieve the right ones? Have they thought about all the right things in how they get it done? Have they been reasonable in thinking about the possible hiccups they might face along the way?
- What balance are they weighting between building relationships and learning about the organisation vs just moving fast and acting straight away?
“Let’s say you join the orgnaisation in this role; what are the 3-5 aims you want to achieve in your first 3 months, how would you go about pursuing those things, and how at the 3 month point would you evaluate if you have been successful?”
It’s very revealing - there are so many possible lines to follow up on:
- Do they actually have a clear view about what they want to get done? Have they really thought about what success looks like and how it is measured?
- Do they listen to the question and prioritise, or do they just give a long-list with no sense of purpose or direction?
- Are they able to articulate the above cleanly and concisely, without rambling or saying ‘oh and just one more thing’?
- In substance, are the things they are looking to achieve the right ones? Have they thought about all the right things in how they get it done? Have they been reasonable in thinking about the possible hiccups they might face along the way?
- What balance are they weighting between building relationships and learning about the organisation vs just moving fast and acting straight away?
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