To Identify the Best Candidate, Ask the Right Questions

Are the questions you’re asking potential employees truly helping you identify the best candidate? Increasingly, employers are learning that questions don’t need to be interesting, just effective. Instead of asking a candidate about their favorite superhero, which is essentially another way of asking them what their super power would be, ask them what they like to do for fun. Ask about the good they care about in the world.

Do you really need to know the one historical figure your candidate would like to join for dinner, or is the real question about how well they would get along with the current team? Ask about sports, films, or other passions, as these will likely reveal many more valuable details than a random historical question. Plus, questions that build (as opposed to ones that come at random) will keep the interview flowing smoothly and coherently, resulting in a more organic conversation with your candidate. You can even encourage storytelling by asking questions like “Tell me about a time…” or “Describe a situation where…” Try it next time, and see what happens.