Interview Questions for Managers

Best Interview Questions for Managers

Hiring Employees? It is important for managers to develop great interview questions.

HIRE with FIRE book

Many books have been written regarding the best interview questions for managers to use during the interview and hiring process. There are several types of interviewing questions used by companies today: behavioral, situational, competency-based, problem-solving, and a few others. Some companies even use brainteaser questions to see if the candidate can be creative. For the purpose of this blog, we will leave it to the specialists in your field to suggest which specific interview questions you should ask.

With many interview questions available, it is important to focus on those that will make the biggest impact on your team and organization. To do this, you will need to be organized and strategic with your approach to questioning. Spend time developing interview questions that will give insight into how a potential candidate will perform on the job. This is essential, and you would be surprised how many managers just “wing it.” This lack of preparation causes the interview to mainly be a “get to know” you session. Unfortunately, without appropriate questions the manager is forced to base their hiring decision on their “gut reaction.” Interview preparation may be the biggest secret to a successful hire, and yet, it is not prioritized by most hiring managers.

When you develop specific questions that are well thought out, you have a foundation for your hiring decision. Also, when the same questions are asked of all candidates, it levels the playing field and will give you a better view of which candidates truly stand out. This makes the selection process much easier. You wouldn’t marry an individual without asking them quite a few questions while you are dating. The same goes for hiring. Don’t hire anyone without a thorough interview process.  Avoid surface interviewing whenever possible.

You will benefit from creating a bank of questions that you can use for specific positions. One size does not fit all, but these questions will help you organize as much as 75% of your interview format; the rest must be individualized to that specific job. In the medical sales world, in which we specialize, we attempt to ask questions that will ultimately determine if the candidate can sell. For years, we have successfully identified top talent based upon a candidate’s background, their career preparation, and their past experience. Technical questions based upon a candidate’s competency, such as “How would you approach this…?” are highly appropriate. Again, an open-ended question is always preferred so you can assess a candidate’s thoughtful response.

This has been an excerpt from HIRE with FIRE:  The Relationship-Driven Interview and Hiring Method written by Denise and Randy Wilkerson.  For more information and tips on how to hire an employee , how to hire the right person, and example interview questions for managers, pick up a copy of HIRE with FIRE, available on Amazon and Audible.

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