Five Key Questions to Ask a Potential Employee

by Sharon Penn, studioD

Before interviewing a potential employee, the interviewer should take some time and plan ahead. All interview questions are not created equal, and some interview questions are illegal. It is a good idea to become acquainted with the types of questions that should never be asked, like those pertaining to marital status, age, disabilities and pregnancy.

The Best Type of Interview Questions

Questions that require only a yes or a no answer will not give the potential employer much information about the candidate. On the other hand, open-ended questions that leave the door open for a full response can reveal all kinds of interesting and pertinent facts about the interviewee.

Introductory Questions

A key question to ask a potential employee at an interview is an introductory question. The introductory question is generally something like "What are your hobbies" or "Tell me about yourself." A good answer to this question will reveal the skills, accomplishments and traits of the candidate that relate to the position. If the answer is long-winded and unfocused with negative comments about a previous job, you might decide that the candidate is not a good match for the position. On the other hand, if the candidate tells you that he leads a band as a hobby and has written a book about your company's industry, you can surmise that he has leadership abilities, is focused, and has good communication skills and a broad range of knowledge that can be applicable to the job at hand.

Teamwork Questions

Many positions require the employee to work with a team, and the employer will want to know ahead of time if the candidate is skilled at teamwork. Instead of asking "Are you a team player?" which will probably elicit "Yes" as an answer, you might ask "Tell me about a time when you worked with others to accomplish a task." The answer should reveal if the candidate showed leadership, took the initiative, followed instructions and met deadlines, which may be crucial for the position.

Handling Conflict Questions

Conflict is part of life at home and life on the job. As an employer, you might want to find out how the candidate handled conflict. As the interviewee to describe a creative solution to a problem encountered at work, or how they would improve upon a process at her current job. Another way to find out how the candidate handles conflict is to ask if she ever had a problem with another employee and how she handled the problem. You may learn that the employee was able to convince the coworker to come around to her way of thinking, or that she addressed the issue and reached a compromise they both were able to live with.

Career Path Questions

Another key interview question to help you discover how the candidate will handle the open position is to ask about how the candidate progressed so far in her career. A good question would be "Tell me about your most significant accomplishments" on the job. If you ask the candidate to describe a situation when he felt he could have done better, you might find out that he took a failure as a "teachable moment" and will probably learn from his mistakes in the future.

Closing Question

Many interviewers close with the question, "Do you have any questions for me?" This can reveal how much the candidate knows about your company and the open position.

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