7 Unique Job Interview Questions to Ask Your Next Candidate


I’ve learned over the years here at Red Branch Media that there’s an art to the interview process.

It’s an intricate melange of interpersonal communication, company culture, informative questions (and answers), and a touch of the hiring manager’s personality.

Amidst these ingredients for the ideal interview, there are some things you may have missed. You need to utilize certain professional personality traits when talking with potential new hires. Did you remember to ask these seven job-fit interview questions? 

  1. Why do you want to work here? You already know the candidate’s skills and experience (it’s on their resume), so why would you waste their time by asking information you should already know? Candidates were drawn to the company or the position for a reason. Was it the culture? Money? Perks? Were they inspired by your mission or did they hear what a great place it was to work? Those are the ones to pay attention to.
  2. What are your expectations? At this point in the recruitment process, you’ve already made your expectations clear. In fact, your job advertisement should have done at least part of the work thus far. Ask your candidates job-fit interview questions, including what they expect from the company and what their hopes are in the job. I view interviews as a great time to be candid about what it’s like to work here. Their expectations have to align with reality.
  3. Who inspires you? Why? As a business owner, it’s fascinating to learn who serves as inspiration for candidates. It shows a lot about the talent pool I’ve created and provides insight into the worlds of each individual candidate. Learning about these role models allows you to glean information about their behavioral patterns before they start working for you.
  4. What do you do best? Personally, I don’t like asking the similar question, ‘What’s your superpower?’You’ve probably heard about the interview questions from the corporate powerhouses Google and Apple – the off-the-wall queries that can leave candidates baffled and potentially turned off. Our version of this question is, ‘What is your dream job? What would you do all day (professionally) if you could?’

Read more at www.BusinessCollective.com

Maren Hogan is a seasoned marketer and community builder in the HR and Recruiting industry. She leads Red Branch Media, an agency offering marketing strategy and content development. A consistent advocate of next generation marketing techniques, Hogan has built successful online communities, deployed brand strategies in both the B2B and B2C sectors, and been a prolific contributor of thought leadership in the global recruitment and talent space.

BusinessCollective, launched in partnership with Citi, is a virtual mentorship program powered by North America’s most ambitious young thought leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and small business owners.


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