List of Interview Questions

When you are in the process of looking for a new employee, it's a good idea to come up with a list of interview questions that you can choose from when speaking with applicants.

Find out how to conduct an interview.

If you try to conduct a series of interviews without having a list of interview questions, it can be difficult to make sure that you get all of the information you need from each applicant. While you don't have to literally say the same exact thing in every interview, it's important to make sure that you are getting sufficient information from each person who is being considered for the job to make a fair and unbiased assessment of who is most qualified for the job.

Remember that you need to be able to defend your hiring practices as being clearly nondiscriminatory if the decision you make is challenged. Following a fairly standard list of interview questions is a good way to demonstrate that the interview process at your organization is designed to ensure that all qualified applicants have an equal chance of being selected.

When conducting interviews, it's beneficial to ask three different kinds of questions. You'll want to ask each applicant (1) general background questions, (2) specific questions about job skills and qualifications, and (3) work habit and history questions that can help you determine what kind of employee the individual is likely to be.

• Can you tell me about yourself?
• What types of jobs have you held in the past?
• Can you describe your ideal job?
• Why did you leave your last job?
• Why do you find this position to be appealing?
• Where do you see yourself in five years?

• What is your understanding of the skills necessary to perform this job?
• What special training have you completed that qualifies you for this job?
• What certifications do you hold?
• Can you describe how to ______________________ (fill in with essential job functions, repeating as many times as necessary to get a good idea of necessary job skills)?
• This job requires the ability to ______________________ (fill in as stated above). Can you give me an example of a time that you have had to _______________________ (restate requirement).
• An essential function of this job is ___________________ (fill in as stated above). Is there any reason you cannot perform _______________________ (restate requirement).

• What kinds of jobs have you held in the past?
• Can you describe the best supervisor you have ever had?
• What did you dislike about your lease favorite former supervisor?
• How would your previous coworkers describe you?
• If you had to write a reference letter for yourself, what would you say?
• What's the most important lesson you learned from making a mistake at work?

Avoid asking questions provide you with information that cannot legally be used to make hiring decisions. Do not make any inquires during the interview practice that could lead to applicants revealing information about their ethnicity, age, religion, or other characteristics that could pose legal problems if your hiring process is brought into question. It's also important to avoid inquiring about disabilities, family status, and sexual orientation.

Avoid including the following questions, and other similar ones, when interviewing prospective employees:

• Do you have any children?
• Is English your first language?
• When did you graduate from high school?
• Where do you go to church?
• You are a citizen of what country?
• What is your ethnic background?
• Do you have any disabilities?
• Other similar inquiries

Paying attention to what applicants say in response to the questions you ask is just as important as making the right inquiries. Listen carefully to identify if candidates truly seem to have the skills you are looking for as well as to determine if they have personality characteristics and attitude that are likely to be positive additions to your company's culture.

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