Questions To Ask in an Interview

Do
your supervisors know what kinds of questions to ask in an interview? Do they know the proper techniques for asking those questions
to solicit meaningful responses? Below are some important points to
convey to your supervisors.

Good interview questions are the key to a successful discussion. Here’s how to develop effective interview questions:

• Review applications and resumes so that you can ask specific
  questions about previous jobs, duties performed, specialized skills and
  training, and related matters.
• Prepare a list of questions. Write them down so that you won’t
  forget to ask all of them during the interview. Make sure your questions
  relate to job qualifications and abilities. For example, come up with a
  scenario specific to the job you need to fill and ask candidates to
  tell you how they handled this specific scenario in their last job. Or
  you can ask “What do you think is the most important responsibility of a
  person in this job?”
• Create open-ended questions in order to get useful information.
  Phrase questions that encourage explanation, not just “Yes” or “No”
  answers. For example, ask “What parts of your performance in your
  current or last job are you most proud of?” rather than “Were you
  satisfied with your performance in your current or last job?”
• Finally, develop questions that are easy to follow up in order to
  get more details. For example, “I’m not sure what you mean by
  ‘challenging’? Could you explain?”

Always make sure you conduct interviews in compliance with the law:

• State and federal fair employment laws prohibit discrimination in
  hiring based on any protected characteristic, including race, color,
  national origin, religion, age, sex, or disability. The laws apply to
  all job interviews.
• Publicize the fact that your organization is fully committed to equal employment
  opportunity (EEO), and that your EEO policy prohibits discrimination in the
  hiring process, including in job interviews.
• Applicants who feel that they have been discriminated against
  during an interview can file a complaint with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) or the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
• If the DFEH or EEOC believes an applicant has
  been discriminated against during an interview, they will help the
  applicant file a lawsuit against your organization. When that happens,
  there is the potential for liability and costly damages. Win or lose,
  there will be costly legal fees.

Once you’ve gotten the right new hires on board, it’s important to keep them happy. Download our free White Paper, Employee Orientation: How To Energize, Integrate, and Retain Your Newest Hires.