Ask them to outline the elements of their plan of action for their first 3–6 months. The very best develop a plan before they begin a major project or new job. Consider asking these questions to assess how well a candidate can do that: In fast-evolving environments, employees must anticipate the future. Prior to the interview, make a list of those pain points and flaws.Įvaluate whether they’re forward-looking.
Ask them to examine the process and identify the top three areas where they predict serious problems are likely to occur. Hand them a single-page description of a flawed existing process related to their job. Deduct points if they omit important steps like gathering data, consulting with the team or customer, and identifying success metrics. Prior to the interview, make a list of the essential steps. Then ask them to walk you through the broad steps they would take in order to solve the problem. Provide them with a description of an actual problem that they will face on their first day. The ability to solve current problems is often the number one predictive factor of job performance. Say something like: “Please walk me through the steps of the process that you’ll use during your first weeks to identify the most important current problems or opportunities in your area.” Taking a “job content” approach, by having an applicant do some of the actual work, is the best way to separate top candidates from average ones. If you were hiring a chef, you would ask them to cook a meal. Historical questions also allow a good storyteller to passionately describe how a problem was solved even though they only played a minor role in the solution.Īssess their ability to solve a problem. Why? Because the way a candidate did years ago at another firm may be the wrong answer today at this firm with its unique culture. And according to research by professors Frank Schmidt and John Hunter, those questions predict success only 12% better than a coin flip. Questions that require a candidate to describe how they performed in the past, also known as “behavioral interview questions” (e.g., “Tell me about a time when you led…”), are problematic in a fast-moving world where yesterday’s approaches quickly become irrelevant. So start with a clean slate of questions, and at the very least eliminate overused and easy-to-practice questions with a low predictive value, like “What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?” and ”Why are you the best candidate?” and ”What’s your dream job?” and ”Where would you like to be in five years?” You and Your Teamīe wary of historical questions. If you work for a major corporation, most of the interview questions used by hiring managers at your firm are publicly posted on - along with recommended answers. So it’s time to rethink your interview questions with a focus on work-related questions that are harder to prepare for and to fake an answer to.Īvoid easy-to-practice questions. Research at firms like Google has proven that “brainteaser questions” can contribute to a costly miss-hire, that having a candidate meet any more than four interviewers doesn’t increase new-hire quality, and that for many jobs, factors like grades, test scores, and schools attended don’t predict success in the position. It’s not just surprise questions that are a thing of the past. With that information, candidates now routinely prepare and video their practice interviews to the point where their responses are universally impressive, if not genuine or accurate. With sites like, candidates can identify each of your likely interview questions and expected answers ahead of time.
For example, there’s no such thing as a surprise interview question anymore.
Some of the long-held ideas about how to conduct interviews are no longer accurate.