We found this great piece on interview questions on Inc.com
Welcome. Take a Seat
The most effective interview questions are open-ended and based on the candidate’s experiences. Use follow-ups to push for detail: “How did that make you feel?” “What exactly did you say?” “What precisely was your role?”
| By: Inc. Staff
Try This… To Get At This Have you ever had several projects with the same deadline? How do you tackle that? Conscientiousness, coping skills, organization Tell us about a time you failed at a task. Response to adversity How have you handled the last few angry customers you’ve come across? Customer- and client- service skills Tell us about a project for which you had fiscal responsibility. How did you stay on budget? Ability to handle a budget Tell us about a recent split-second decision you made on the job. How did you approach it? Decisiveness and decision-making style What’s the last thing on which you and your boss disagreed? How did you settle it? Manageability and communication style Take us through the most significant presentation you’ve given to clients. Presentation skills What was the most frustrating experience in your past job? The most satisfying? Motivation and general temperament Tell us about a time when the task you were given changed at the last minute. Flexibility Tell us about a time you took a risk and it failed. How did you feel? Resilience and attitude toward risk
Stay Away From This…
Because
Where does your husband work?
Marital status is out of bounds.
What holidays will you need off?
This could be construed as discriminating on the basis of religion.
Are you an American citizen?
However, “Are you authorized to work in the U.S.?” is fine.
How tall are you?
An exception: If there is a specific minimum requirement for the job.
Do you have any medical condition we should know about?
However, you can note that new hires will be subject to a medical exam.
Where is your family from? What kind of accent is that?
This could be construed as discriminating based on national origin or race.
When did you graduate from high school?
This could be gauging age, and age discrimination is not allowed.
How’d you hurt that arm?
You can’t ask about potential disabilities.
You aren’t pregnant, are you?
Are you kidding?
Corra thinks this a most appropriate guideline for key interview questions. We also recommend that once your HR people are satisifed with the candidate’s answers, they order a pre-employment screening check to review his employment and education credentials as well as his criminal, civil and financial history.
A background check is your most cost effective way to guard against potential on the job liabilities. Background research will also help your HR people determine behavior patterns that may lead to disruptions or turnovers in the work place.
So, by all means, ask these questions. And then check them out before you hire.
