People are your company’s most valuable asset. Even if you know this to be true, finding the best of the best can be a challenge. Still, it’s worth it. Waiting for the right employee over an employee could potentially save you thousands of dollars on time, energy, and investment!

So today, we’re sharing one of our secrets to success: asking the right questions.

There is a right way and a wrong way to interview potential employees. Check out our top eight interview questions, and how they reveal more than the answer themselves. Then utilize our handy template for tracking those interview answers!

8 Interview Questions that Lead to a Great Hire

  • What we ask: How lucky do you consider yourself?
  • Why we ask it: This question gives insight into two things: attitude and work ethic. You want an employee that recognizes the gifts around them, but also one who recognizes that good things require time and hard work.
  • What we ask: What’s the closest thing you have to a superpower?
  • Why we ask it: Every great company strives to use the assets of it’s employees. If your new hire has a superpower strength, use it! They will appreciate being used and having their gifts put to good use. Your company will benefit from their skills!
  • What we ask: If you were hired, loved everything about this job, and are paid the salary you ask for, what kind of offer from another company would you consider?
  • Why we ask it: This question is important. Once a great employee is found, you need to know what will keep them around. One employee might appreciate flexibility the most, while another might value a pay raise.
  • What we ask: Tell about a time when you successfully worked on a team.
  • Why we ask it: Co-workers play a huge part in employee satisfaction. Each new hire will play a part in the company’s culture. What culture are you striving for? How does the new hire play a role in developing this culture?
  • What we ask: Tell about a time when you failed.
  • Why we ask it: Note that this question doesn’t ask, “how do you respond to failure?” rather, refers back to a specific example. Asking hypothetical questions will get you hypothetical answers. We all make mistakes. Look to what the interviewer learned from the failure. Find someone who can own up to his or her mistakes, and uses them as an opportunity for growth.
  • What we ask: What techniques and tools do you use to keep yourself organized?
  • Why we ask it: Regardless of position, organizational skills are important. An interviewee without an answer to this might require more training than another applicant. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it should be noted.
  • What we ask: Where do you see yourself in 3-5 years?
  • Why we ask it: This question alludes to ambition. Is your new employee destined to be a leader? Will they be quick to get bored in the position with which you’re hiring? Longevity matters. If your company will not allow the candidate to grow in the ways they would like to grow, they may not be the right candidate.
  • What we ask: Tell about a time when you realized you had the power to do something meaningful.
  • Why we ask it: Employees are more likely to stay in a position if they find it meaningful. Learn what qualifies as meaningful to the future employee, and then look for ways to create meaning for them within the new position. Have they learned that meaning can come from the little things? Something as seemingly small as great customer service has the ability to make a positive difference in someone’s life.

Great Questions Lead to a Great Hire

The more comfortable the candidate is made, the more likely you are to see their authentic selves. That is what you want! Then you can decide if who they are, as they are, is a good fit your company and your company’s culture.

Have fun, but stay professional. We hope the above questions provide as much insight into your applicants as they have ours!

Building the best,

Scott