Questions to ask applicants during interviews...ideas?

Nitefly said:
I'd suggest just providing easy questions and let them convince you. It shouldn't be a trick test... I've had some really mean questions before and I'm not entirely sure what they were trying to prove other than some Jedi mindtricks to see how I would cope with giving an impossible answer!
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Sometimes the questions are meant to give the interviewer an insight into your thought processes so they will ask a question that may have multiple plausible answers just to see how you approach it. That or they might just be messing with you, that's also possible.

Below are a few questions that I've taken from an article on CIMA's website, they're probably not all applicable and you'll have to change the perspective on a few but it might give you a few more ideas.

Results orientation
What was the last long-term goal you set yourself and how have you achieved it?
Describe something you have done to improve your own performance.
Give an example of when you recently failed to meet a target.

Relationship building
Give an example of a client with whom you have developed an effective win/win relationship. How did you go about building the relationship?
Tell me about a time when you relied on another person to help you with a work-related task or problem.

Strategic thinking
Describe how you have changed the way you normally work in response to changes in your industry.
Describe a time you created a strategy to achieve a longer term business objective.
Describe an occasion when you had to think strategically in order to make a difficult decision.

Planning and organisation
When you were planning your day to fit in this interview, how did you decide which task got top priority?
Describe an occasion when your schedule was suddenly interrupted.
When was the last time that you had to take on extra work at short notice?
When was the last time that you had to work to a particularly tight deadline?

Candidate questions
Lastly, here are some closing questions that the candidate might want to ask in interviews for roles such as these.
What do you expect me to accomplish in the first 60 to 90 days?
What are the common attributes of your top performers?
What are a few things that really drive results for the company?
What do your employees do in their spare time?
How do you plan to deal with [something relevant to the business or industry]?
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semi-pro waster said:
Below are a few questions that I've taken from an article on CIMA's website, they're probably not all applicable and you'll have to change the perspective on a few but it might give you a few more ideas.
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this is exactly the sort of utter guff you should probably avoid

as per D.P. just stick to questions related to the role
 
SideWinder said:
I'm starting to carry out interviews for my manager for a vacancy in my team. The chosen applicant will be reporting to me and i was wondering if you guys had any good interview questions that i could ask?

My company provide quideline questions (main questions and follow up ones, 20 in total) but i wanted to find a few more that i could ask.

I haven't interviewed anyone before so i thought it would be good to be prepared etc!

Cheers.
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if you want to be prepared have you thought what they may ask you?

"so how much sock will i be expected to manage"

"what sort of system do you currently have in olperation and have you any existing plan s for improvement or change"

"how many people are involved in the process"


etc?
 
"How often do you deal with difficult people?"
My answer other day for an interview was "everyday - when I have to speak to my team!".

Followed by "how would you deal with a difficult person and resolve the situation?" etc.

I start this job a week Monday all expenses paid for a few months.... lol. :D
 
A friend of mine got asked

"What was the last book you read?"

And

"Which character did you identify with in it?"

That was for a pharmaceutical sales job.
 
Use situational based questions relating to the role, for example ask them about something they are proud of achieving and then you can drill down into their examples and get a good idea of whether someone is suitable or not. Or maybe to expand on a question someone else put above "Can you name a time you've had to deal with someone who you've disagreed with, and how did you resolve the situation". Once you get people talking about specific examples I find if they are telling the truth the answers come back as a natural and evolving conversation.
 
If your boss gives you a new responsibility or task do you take time to think things through and consider the best way to approach it? Or alternatively, do you just post on the internet in the hope someone will do your job for you?
 
So, the role would involve managing physical samples through a department. How good are you at handling physical samples, and will you let me put them in your department?
 
Ask person-specific questions and not a bunch of irrelevant BS open ended generic toss gleaned from Google that every average boring company across the world asks.

I interview quite often and always get them talking, anything but the details of the job they're interviewing for. I work of the assumption that we do things different here and that they'll need to be trained anyway so details don't matter. I usually start by telling THEM a random story or occurrence at the company which greases the wheels for a good chat. They respond with their own stories and we're off to a good long conversation.

I might ask them about their previous roles if conversation lags but usually it never does. Me asking the usual 'why do you want the job' nonsense is pointless. Everyone that interviews for any company in any role gets that question or others like it.. It serves no purpose. Generic questions, generic answers.
 
-Questions about items on their CV that you find unusual/interesting/troubling
-Questions related to the work you they are going to be performing for you
-Questions about skills they claim to have that are relevant to the position you are hiring for
 
You're in London right?

A good one I like is, give me a rough estimate of how many tubes are running on the underground just now?

its not about the numbers themselves, its wether they actually give working it out a good go.

i.e they may say 'take 20 lines, 30 stations per line, 1 tube in each at every other station...

etc etc

a lot of people can't even give that a go, surprisingly
 
"Where can you see yourself in 5 years time?"

If they reply "A mirror" then that is one damn on the ball applicant, hire them on the spot,
 
rogan said:
You're in London right?

A good one I like is, give me a rough estimate of how many tubes are running on the underground just now?

its not about the numbers themselves, its wether they actually give working it out a good go.

i.e they may say 'take 20 lines, 30 stations per line, 1 tube in each at every other station...

etc etc

a lot of people can't even give that a go, surprisingly
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That question is very London-Centric...

What if you had to estimate how many combine-harvesters are in the fields in Wiltshire right now..
 
I always used to ask candidates: "What makes you get up in the morning and go to work?". I always used to get the usual stuff about making a difference, enjoying the challenge etc. and then one guy replied "Because I want to get paid". I liked the cut of his jib so he got the job.
 
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