| Below is a carefully developed selected of interview | | | | company grow. How long would it take you to come |
| questions for your hiring process. The headings will | | | | fully up to speed in this job How much structure, |
| assist you in deciding which to chose. Most of the | | | | direction and feedback, do you need to excel? |
| questions are ones which lead to other questions | | | | LEADERSHIP INTERVIEW QUESTIONS In regard to |
| which you can begin with a "why?" "when?" " where?" | | | | managing your staff, do you "expect" more than you |
| "what ?" Many small business owners enter in the | | | | "inspect". Or visa versa? How do you discipline a staff |
| hiring process lightly: unprepared, inexperienced and | | | | member who repeatedly comes to work ½ hr |
| unaware of the many hazards ahead. Many owners | | | | late? How do you deal with a staff member who is |
| make the mistake of thinking they have a "good gut | | | | clearly very bright, but spends quite a lot of time |
| feeling " about people and can therefore hire the right | | | | looking for like mind to gossip to? Give us an example |
| person. Wrong? Most people make poor decisions as | | | | of how tough you can be with your staff? Can you |
| they hire the person they think they are going to like | | | | give me an example of a time you were involved in a |
| rather than the right person. Small business owners are | | | | really highly-efficient team. What was the project you |
| well advised to include someone experienced in hiring | | | | were jointly working on? What was your contribution? |
| such as an H.R. professional or a professional recruiter. | | | | Can you give me an example of a time you were |
| Money spent at the front end is likely to be far less | | | | involved in a team that didn't work well together and |
| than money spent getting rid of the wrong person. | | | | more importantly, what did you do to try to get the |
| Select a few questions from each category below | | | | team back on track? How do you deal with a |
| and don't be afraid to stray from the straight and | | | | chronically problematic person who nevertheless is |
| narrow when you think you are on to something | | | | productive? How do you typically confront |
| informative. OPENING QUESTIONS Tell me about | | | | subordinates where it is necessary? How do you |
| your greatest strengths? What would be the greatest | | | | monitor your staff's performance? What kind of staff |
| asset you'll bring to our company? What is your | | | | behavior gets you really angry? do you consider |
| greatest weakness? How do you plan to resolve it? | | | | intolerable? Tell us of a situation when you made an |
| Tell me about the favourite job you have held, and | | | | unpopular decision; and what were the consequences? |
| what role did your boss play in making it so? What | | | | How did you deal with it? How do you go about |
| was your least favourite job you have held, and what | | | | setting goals for your employees? WORK HABITS |
| role did your supervisor play in making it so? Tell me | | | | INTERVIEW QUESTIONS How do you balance your |
| about your expectations of this job? What are you | | | | career with your personal life? How do you react to |
| looking for? Give me a Brief History of .... (the | | | | overtime work? How do you know when you have |
| interviewee) Tell me what you know about this | | | | done sufficient work on a project? At what pace do |
| company? Why are you here? What can you do for | | | | you typically work? Are you willing to work overtime? |
| us? What kind of a person are you? How do your | | | | Travel on the weekends so the company can get |
| colleagues (or supervisor) describe you? Can we | | | | lower airfares? Have you ever been called a |
| afford you? What attracted you to this job? Is your | | | | workaholic? Do you consider yourself a wokaholic? |
| resume completely accurate? KNOWLEDGE and | | | | Where are you on the "work smart....work hard" |
| SKILLS RELATED QUESTIONS What do you think | | | | continuum? WORKPLACE ATTITUDE QUESTIONS |
| are the broad responsibilities of this job that you are | | | | What is it about clients that make you impatient? What |
| applying for? What particular knowledge and skills | | | | makes you impatient (mad, angry) about those that |
| would you bring to the job? What aspects of your | | | | report to you? Describe your persona which is |
| current/last job do you consider most useful? most | | | | predominant in the workplace? We've all encountered |
| important? How will the knowledge and skills learned | | | | a difficult client/customer. Can you think of a time this |
| and developed in your present/last job benefit our | | | | happened to you and how you dealt with it? Describe |
| company? What area of your skills (knowledge, | | | | a work situation where you encountered conflict with |
| attitudes) do you still need to improve upon? What is | | | | another employee. What were the circumstances? |
| your time schedule for accomplishing this? What | | | | How did you resolve the conflict? What was the |
| workplace attitudes do you consider most beneficial in | | | | outcome? Give us an instance when you behaved at |
| the work you do? Why did you leave your last job? or, | | | | work in a manner that you later regretted CHANGE |
| why do you want to leave your current job? What | | | | RELATED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Give us an |
| are your weaknesses? What did your previous boss | | | | example of an innovation you initiated to keep abreast |
| see as your shortcomings? What skills do you have | | | | of, or ahead of, changes in the industry How do you |
| relating to ....(the topic)? What technical skills do you | | | | encourage your staff to be innovative and creative, on |
| think you have? What skills do you lack? How long | | | | the one hand, but to continue being productive on the |
| would it take you to come fully up to speed if you | | | | other hand? Sometimes change can be radical, |
| were to get this job? CAREER KNOWLEDGE & | | | | dramatic and stressful? If you have experienced |
| SELF-KNOWLEDGE RELATED QUESTIONS How | | | | something like this how did you react? How did you |
| do you see your career advancing over the next five | | | | help your staff? SUPERVISOR RELATED |
| years? Why did you chose your present profession ( | | | | QUESTIONS Tell us about your last performance |
| or trade or line of work)? Tell us about any time you | | | | appraisal? Did you agree with your supervisor? How |
| were laid off? If you don't get this job, what will you do | | | | would you go about telling your supervisor that you |
| ? Where do you see yourself in five years If you | | | | disagree with him/her on a serious moral issue |
| were to get this job and if you had your choice, what | | | | effecting one of your staff members? What do you |
| would you like to do during the first month? Describe | | | | do if you know your supervisor has behaved in an |
| how you progressed through the ranks and landed in | | | | unethical or dishonest manner on an issue affecting the |
| your current/last position? What will you do if we don't | | | | company On what matters do you agree with your |
| hire you? How have you reinvented or redefined your | | | | supervisor most often? Disagree? How would your |
| current/last job to meet company needs? What | | | | supervisor grade with your ability to deal with major |
| should, or should have been, your next logical move in | | | | last minute changes to a project? How do you |
| progression at your current /last job? Why did it not | | | | communicate with upper management? Those who |
| transpire? When you retire, what do you most want to | | | | report to you? SALES RELATED INTERVIEW |
| be remembered for? In the ....... industry, layoffs are | | | | QUESTIONS How do you rank among the other |
| common even for outstanding people, have you ever | | | | salespeople in terms of your production? What are the |
| been laid off, and how did you deal with it (or how | | | | two most objections you face and how do you deal |
| would you deal with it if it were to happen? Why are | | | | with them? What one objection do you most dread |
| you considering leaving your present job? What | | | | getting...and how do you deal with it Role play with me |
| aspects of your current work do you consider most | | | | if you will. Convince me that the product you sell is |
| crucial? What would you say are the most important | | | | worth my time and money. Describe your closing |
| features of this job? What words have work | | | | style? How many times in the last 2 years have you |
| colleagues (or your supervisor)used to describe you? | | | | failed to reach your quota? What did you do about it? |
| CORPORATE CULTURE & VALUES | | | | Tell me about your quality ratios. How many prospects |
| INTERVIEW QUESTIONS How do you define | | | | do you typically meet with before closing a sale? |
| "Corporate Culture" ? Every company, including this | | | | What sales skills do you consider important in a job like |
| company, has its dysfunctional quota. How | | | | this? Take us through one of your recent, more |
| dysfunctional was your current/last company and how | | | | complex sale cycles? How would you describe your |
| much tolerance do you have for dealing with its | | | | sales style? What sales skills do you still lack? Tell me |
| shortcomings? In what kind of corporate culture do | | | | about a time when your morale was low, and what |
| you thrive? If you were to get this job, how would you | | | | you did about it? I personally think that it a waste of |
| try to influence the corporate culture? If you suspect | | | | time following leads for more than 3 months? Do you |
| that a colleague is helping him/herself very liberally to | | | | agree? Tell us how you motive yourself and keep |
| company materials and supplies repeatedly, what | | | | upbeat? What do you dislike about most sales your |
| action, if any, do you take? WORK-RELATED | | | | conduct? What rewards are most satisfying to you? |
| ACHIEVEMENT INTERVIEW QUESTIONS What | | | | How do you plan your typical sales week? What kind |
| makes you stand out among your peers? What have | | | | of people do you like to sell to? When you don't meet |
| you done in your last/current job to increase your | | | | your sales quota, how do you deal with it? Sales |
| companies top-line revenues? What have you | | | | people have to face rejection as a part of the |
| specifically done to reduce the companies operating | | | | process. How do you personally deal with the |
| costs? Why should we hire you in preference to the | | | | rejection? CONCLUDING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS |
| others we are interviewing for this job? What has | | | | When can you start working? What benefits do you |
| been your most creative achievement in your last | | | | expect? Are you having other interviews? What are |
| current jo What do those reporting to you say is your | | | | your salary expectations? In your professional opinion, |
| most enduring quality? Tell me about a project you | | | | how much do you think a job like this should pay |
| were involved in, that you consider to be a great | | | | There is an important caveat to these questions. If you |
| success. What was your involvement and what was | | | | intuition says : don't ask that question, don't. If you feel |
| the outcome? Please describe what you consider to | | | | you should ask another question : ask it! The gut never |
| be your top three strengths, and, if possible, tell me | | | | lies! WHY YOU ARE ABOUT IT, CHECK OUT MY |
| how these attributes would fit into and help our | | | | WEBSITE You may find it interesting. |