MightyRecruiterThe questions you ask job applicants will do more than help you find the right person for each job opening. Your queries will also give the candidates information about who you are as an employer and what your company’s culture is like. Being well prepared for interviews is crucial for productively using your time and for hiring the right team members. A big part of the prep is carefully selecting and wording your inquires. Here are some things to ponder regarding what your interview questions reveal.
Tell Me About Yourself
The classic interview question ïTell me about yourselfï is commonly asked in the early stages of the screening process. It can be a good way to learn how an applicant presents him or herself, as well as an opportunity to gather insight about the person’s background, education, and career history. It may also tell the individual that you don’t have the authority to actually hire and are just screening for a follow-up interview. If you are in charge of hiring and want candidates to give you their full attention and remain engaged, you may want to rethink this question.
When Can You Start?
If you ask this question too early on in the interviewing process, the applicant might think you are desperate or in the middle of some sort of management crisis, which can reflect negatively on your company. He or she may also think you’re testing his or her loyalty to a previous employer. A smart interviewee will carefully listen for follow-up questions in order to gauge where you’re coming from.
How Do You Feel About Working Overtime?
By inquiring about overtime right from the start, you are giving job applicants the message that the open position has a heavy workload and isn’t your typical eight-hours-a-week job. If the job is paid by the hour, candidates may or may not be interesting in working extra hours for additional pay. If it’s a salaried position that requires more than 40 hours a week, applicants might get nervous about what will be expected of them. On one hand, you need workers who can perform the required hours and complete their tasks, but on the other hand, you don’t want to scare off potential team members. Think carefully about including this question during the initial screening process.
Do You Have Children?
Illegal interview questions reveal to job applicants that you, as a representative of your company, are unsophisticated about labor laws, arrogant, or clueless. Even if an individual volunteers information about his or her offspring, it’s not okay to follow up with questions about childcare arrangements, ages of the kids, or related inquiries. If you aren’t sure what is legal and what is not in terms of your hiring questions, it’s time to educate yourself or you put your company at risk for a lawsuit and