“I hate when people ask where I see myself in four years because I don’t have 20/20 vision.”
Human resources professionals undoubtedly get a good chuckle out of this joke, however it’s also fairly indicative that it’s time to revisit and revamp those old interview questions. You want to hire the best of the pack, but the hiring landscape has been seriously changing over the past couple of years. That being said, those old interview questions aren’t going to cut it anymore. Interestingly enough, you’re still looking for the same answer – is this person fit to work for us – but you can go about questioning interviewees differently.
Check out how your HR services can revamp these old questions to make them suitable for a new workforce:
Old: Can you do the job?
Instead ask: What do you like about this industry? Is there anything you would change to make it better?
This question, inspired by Entrepreneur Magazine contributor and co-founder of Bigcommerce Mitchell Harper, gives you insight into the interviewee’s knowledge of your business. You want employees who can contribute new ideas, so Harper suggested that you’ll want to look for someone who talks about the problem 5 percent of the time, and spends the rest of the 95 percent discussing the solution.
Old: Do you think you’ll like the job?
Instead ask: We aren’t sure you’re the best fit for the role…
Throw a wrench in the interview. Right now a big concern for most companies involves retaining employees, so making sure the candidate is both competent and excited about the role is crucial for keeping them on long-term. By asking this question you’re asking them to fight for the position. This might discourage some, but you don’t want an interviewee to agree with you. You want a candidate who hears this and launches into a pitch on the skills that show you there’s no one better qualified for the job.
Old: Will you be a good fit in our company?
Instead ask: What are three things about yourself that aren’t on your resume?
Go off script and get to know candidates on a personal level. It’s important that interviewees are right for the job, but if you don’t think they’ll get along with your other employees then you risk disrupting productivity. This question gives them a creative opportunity to tell them something that might surprise you, something that you otherwise wouldn’t have by just asking them to structure their personality into the values of your company.