4 Questions to Determine if a Candidate is the Best Person for the Job

Dec 5, 2017

The interview process is long, time-consuming, and expensive, and this is all before you even get to onboarding and training. Naturally, it makes a lot of sense to determine whether or not a candidate is the right fit before you bring them on, but knowing how to recruit the best talent is easier said than done. Luckily, we’re here with four questions to ask in the interview to help ensure the candidate will really be a great fit for your team.

1. When Do You Rely on Others in the Workplace?

The novice answer to this is “Never,” or “Honestly, I’m pretty self-directed.” Although that might sound like the best response superficially, in truth this indicates a candidate who probably won’t do well as part of a team.

Your hires need to know what they are not good at in order to be good at their jobs, so the “right” answer is an honest assessment of weaknesses, and a list of knowledge of when to work with other members of the team. Both self-sufficient candidates as well as team player are equally as important.

2. What Makes You Want to Stay Home from Work?

Think this is a harsh question? Think again. We all have those days where we wake up and think, ‘anything but that’. It’s what a candidate does with the feeling that sets them apart. Asking what makes them feel that way, and how they deal with it, is a great window into their approach to challenge, strife and other unpleasant situations – which, whether or not we like it, crop up all too frequently in the workplace.

3. Which Is Most Important: Money, Recognition, Challenge, or Stability?

Be sure to phrase this question exactly as is. If you include vague, higher-level options like “making a difference,” most candidates will pick that. You want to know what they really prize on a more fundamental level, especially since their answer will categorize them as more suited to some jobs than others (for instance, “challenge” in a startup but “stability” in an insurance role). There’s always the candidate who will give you a different answer, and that might be illuminating all on its own.

4. Pro Tip: Pose Your Questions to LinkedIn First

Many people don’t know that LinkedIn is one of the biggest search engines in the world, capable of trolling through and cataloguing hundreds of thousands of candidates in the blink of an eye. If you want to find the perfect candidate, someone who will be an excellent fit for your company, try “asking” LinkedIn first. With an advanced search, you can input geographic areas, experience, titles, school, and more.

Once you find good candidates, you can reach out to them whether or not they’re currently employed. Those that agree to interview are bound to be a pretty close fit before you even ask your first interview question.

It may take some practice to gauge your candidate’s answers and determine whether or not they’re really qualified. Soon enough, though, you’ll develop a working proficiency with these high-level questions, and they’ll give you the information you need to make a truly smart choice. If you want to develop an excellent system of how to find good employees, start with these questions today.