The Most Revealing Interview Questions

8/9/2019 The Most Revealing Interview Questions

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The Most Revealing Intervie

Questions & How to Ask ThCREATIVE FINANCIAL STAFFING

he staffing company managed by professional CPA firms.n affiliate of Bruner-Cox LLP

There are some questions you simply can't ask a can-

didate in an interview, even though you'd like to know

the answers. Questions such as "Are you pregnant?"or "What's your religion?" are not only rude, but illegal.

Because of potential discrimination issues, contract

issues, and privacy issues, there are several types of

questions employers may not and should not ask dur-

ing per-employment interviews.

However, a savvy interviewer can ask questions that

reveal a lot more about a candidate than what they're

willing to dish out. These questions will allow you to

obtain the most complete information possible, so that

you can make the best hiring decisions. Listed beloware a list of these taboo (read: prohibited) questions,

what you need to know, and what to ask instead.

One helpful tip: try to conduct the interviews in a pro-

fessional but informal manner. The more relaxed you

are, the more relaxed the applicant. Relaxed appli-

cants tend to talk more and you are able to obtain the

information you need.

www.CFStaffing.coAKRON CANTON INDEPENDENCE

Prohibited Questions What You’re HopingThey Will Reveal

Instead Ask

What is your maiden name? What other names were used for

reference checking.

Have you used other names?

Are you married? Do you have children? How old

are they? What does your spouse do? Are you

pregnant? Do you plan to have children?

If he/she will be able to work the

required hours.

Are you available to work the

hours needed? This is a demand

ing job and we want to know you

are reliable.

How old are you? When did you graduate from

high school? Birth date?

If he/she has the number of years

of experience you require.

How many years experience do

you have?

Where were you born? What nationality is your name? Where are you from?

If he/she can legally work in theU.S.

If hired, can you show proof of authorization to work in the U.S.?

What language do you speak? How did you

learn? What kind of accent is that?

If he/she speaks a foreign lange

that is required for the job.

This position is in our internation

office and we are seeking some-

one who speaks Japanese.

Male, Female, Mr., Ms., or Mrs.? Race? Color?---

No acceptable alternatives.

With whom do you live? Who to contact in the event of an

emergency.

You may need this after hire, not

before hire.

Are you in good health? What medical conditions

do you have? What’s wrong with your leg?

If he/she can perform the job, if

he/she is going to be absent or late.

The job requires..., can you do

that? The hours are..., can youwork those hours?

Do you go to church? What holiday’s do you

observe?

If he/she can work the days and

times needed

These are the days and hour of

work. Can you work them?

Do you own your own car? Will he/she be reliable and on

time?

Can you work these days and

hours? Can you work overtime?



The Most Revealing Interview

Questions & How to Ask Them


For Openers, Say... What the Answer May Reveal

Why don't you begin by telling me about your

work experience over the past 10 or so years,

beginning with your current employer. Walk

me through each position, how you landed

the job, why you left and what you did while

you were there. I will probably interrupt you

and ask questions as we go along.

If the applicant can follow instructions, if the

applicant has an organized mind, if the appli-

cant can stay on track in a conversation.

Questions About Knowledge What the Answer May Reveal

Tell me about your computer experience.

What programs have you used? Would you

consider yourself to be proficient or are you

still in the learning phase?

What is the level of competence.

What are your technical strengths?

Technically, how would you like to improve?

Technical strengths and weaknesses.

How do you stay current in your area of

expertise? What steps have you taken recent-

ly to improve your technical abilities?

Whether the applicant has the most current

knowledge. Whether the applicant is dedicat-

ed to his or her profession.

Questions About Experience What the Answer May Reveal

What duties did you actually perform at XYZ

Company?

Duties actually performed as opposed to just

a job title

Have you ever had to deal with a...? How did

you handle it?

How the applicant thinks. How the applicant

deals with particular situations that will occur

in your organization.

It says here you were responsible for..., what

does that mean?

Clarify terms used in the application or

resume.terms used in the application or

resume.

Revealing Interview Questions






Questions About Personal Characteristics What the Answer May Reveal

If I had your former boss here, what would he

or she say about you? What would your co-

workers say about you?

Working relationship with boss/co-workers.

Comfort in talking strengths/weaknesses.

On a scale from one to ten, how detail orient-

ed are you? Can you give me an example?

Detail orientation. What detail orientation

means.

What is your management style? How would

you go about communicating your thoughtsand ideas to subordinates and upper level

management? How do you deal with objec-

tions to your ideas?

Interpersonal skills. Level of defensiveness.

Level of aggression.

Other Questions What the Answer May Reveal

Why are you leaving (thinking about leaving)

your current employer?

Any problems in the prior job. Ambition.

Assertion.

What would you liked to have changed about

your former place of employment.

Problems on the job. If the applicant has dif-

ficulty with conflict. Truthfulness

Paint a picture for me of the ideal job - what

would you be doing each day, what kind of office, etc.?

Work habits, preferences, whether the appli-

cant would fit in.

What did I forget to ask you? Anything else

you would like to add?

Additional information not solicited earlier.

What have you learned about yourself in the

past couple of years?

Maturity, honesty, growth, personal insight.

Revealing Interview Questions






Learn More About What They Say

When You Hear What to Say

I was involved in ... What does that mean? Did you actually pre-

pare the...or were you a part of the whole

process? Could you explain?

I was responsible for... Did you actually...or did you oversee others

who did the work? What was your role?

I have experience with... What does that mean? How often did you per-

form that work? Did you do the data entry or

did you run the system?

Vague Answers Tell me more about...Help me to understand

exactly what you did. Describe a typical day

- what you did - how much time did you

spend at each of these activities?

When an Applicant... You Should

Begins discussing something related to aprotected classification (children, religion,

national origin, etc.)

Steer the conversation back to job-relatedmatters.

Tells you he or she is disabled. Ask what accommodations are needed to

help the individual either apply for the job or

perform the job, if hired.

Refuses to answer a question. Tell them that you will be better able to evalu-

ate his or her qualifications if you have com-

plete information but that you understand if he

or she does not want to answer all of the

questions.

Continually gets off track in answering ques-tions.

Try to steer him or her back to the originalconversation but consider it a clue to future

performance.

And Just In case...






Based upon an article by:

Van A. Thaxton, MS, is a human resources consultant

in San Diego. She has over 16 years experience as a

human resources consultant, helping clients prepare

employee handbooks, performance appraisal pro-

grams, affirmative action plans, salary surveys, and

independent contractor agreements. Ms. Thaxton is

cofounder of the Associated General Contractors

(AGC) Emerging Business Task Force. She is a co-

author of Practitioners Publishing Company's Guide to

Personnel Management and has conducted numerous

seminars and published many articles regarding suc-

cessful employment practices.

This material should not be construed as accounting,

auditing, consulting, or legal advice on any specific facts

or circumstances. The contents are intended for general

information purposes only, and you are urged to consult a

CFS service provider at 330.490.2175 concerning your situation and any specific questions you may have.

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The Most Revealing Interview Questions