Help me be an interviewer

[cheezer]

Last minute I have been thrown into interviewing for a new position that will be working under me.  Surprise!  I have to interview someone this afternoon and then I will have a few phone interviews as part of a screening process.

Any tips or recommendations for questions?  Would have been nice to have longer than 5 hours to prepare while doing my day job.

Also want to add this is an entry level position for right out of college or maybe a few years out.

[Deleted]

I don't think it is something you really have to prepare for. Read the resume like 5 minutes before the interview, and try to find things you have in common ("I went to [school] too! Who was your favorite professor?"). Ask why the person thinks they'd be a good fit for the job. Ask why they're interested in your company specifically. Ask what questions they have for you. And then at that point, I'm so bored with talking about work stuff that I start asking about what they do in their free time because really, I'm sure anyone who got an interview is smart enough that they're fit for the job (or well-connected enough that who cares what I think anyway?) that really I just want to make sure it is someone I'll like working/drinking with.

[busterpup]

If they will be working under you then you must know the job well, so I would ask a lot of specific questions that you are looking for in that position. I would also ask about why they want to work for your company and what is making them look to leave their old one (and what their favorite and least favorite parts of their current job are). That way you will know if that's something they would find at your company, too. Long term goals. What culture and work environment they work best in. Ask if they have researched the company and if they have any questions about it.

And then situational questions are helpful. "What would you do if...?" "Tell me about a time when..." but obviously make them specific to what would happen to someone in that position.

[busterpup]

Jul 24, 2014 13:59:21 GMT -5 @crackhabit said:

LOL

Sorry, I don't know what I would think if I found out the person interviewing me was like, wtf, internet friends, HELP! a couple hours before my interview.

But seriously. Good luck Also spend a few minutes Googling illegal things to ask in interviews, then don't ask that.  My HR department has a whole section on stuff like that, maybe yours does, too?

Disclaimer:
* this is not legal advice.
* crackhabit is not a licensed medical professional.
* crackhabit is not a mother.

haha yes, this is why I worry about asking about their life outside of work.  Because if the person says, "Actually, I spend a lot of time getting treatment for an illness" and then they don't get the job then they could claim it was because you didn't want to hire someone with that illness.  Same with having kids, going to religious services, etc.  I'm not saying they would necessarily win the case since you didn't specifically ask about it, but I still try to avoid anything not work-related because that would be such a hassle to deal with.  

[Deleted]

Jul 24, 2014 14:07:21 GMT -5 busterpup said:

Jul 24, 2014 13:59:21 GMT -5 @crackhabit said:

LOL

Sorry, I don't know what I would think if I found out the person interviewing me was like, wtf, internet friends, HELP! a couple hours before my interview.

But seriously. Good luck Also spend a few minutes Googling illegal things to ask in interviews, then don't ask that.  My HR department has a whole section on stuff like that, maybe yours does, too?

Disclaimer:
* this is not legal advice.
* crackhabit is not a licensed medical professional.
* crackhabit is not a mother.

haha yes, this is why I worry about asking about their life outside of work.  Because if the person says, "Actually, I spend a lot of time getting treatment for an illness" and then they don't get the job then they could claim it was because you didn't want to hire someone with that illness.  Same with having kids, going to religious services, etc.  I'm not saying they would necessarily win the case since you didn't specifically ask about it, but I still try to avoid anything not work-related because that would be such a hassle to deal with.  

But any question can go in that direction, really.  "Why do you want to leave your current company?"  "I want more time with my kids, my current company does not respect my need to take Sundays off to go to church, and the commute is killing me, what with all the medical treatments I have to get all the way across town."

[hocus2]

For a phone screen I think the process is quick. You can ask about the resume. If nothing comes to mind just go for open ended stuff like -- let the greatest challenge you face in your current role?

You can asked some pointed questions about skills needed for the job. I used to ask excel related questions when I was interviewing junior analysts. You can also do scenarios. Describe a common business problem and ask them how they would solve it. I had an example I used regularly and it was great at reveling how candidates thought.

I never ask about personal stuff (kids, marriage etc). I would sometimes ask about hobbies for fresh graduates because they don't have work experience to talk about.

[busterpup]

Jul 24, 2014 14:23:04 GMT -5 v said:

Jul 24, 2014 14:07:21 GMT -5 busterpup said:

haha yes, this is why I worry about asking about their life outside of work.  Because if the person says, "Actually, I spend a lot of time getting treatment for an illness" and then they don't get the job then they could claim it was because you didn't want to hire someone with that illness.  Same with having kids, going to religious services, etc.  I'm not saying they would necessarily win the case since you didn't specifically ask about it, but I still try to avoid anything not work-related because that would be such a hassle to deal with.  

But any question can go in that direction, really.  "Why do you want to leave your current company?"  "I want more time with my kids, my current company does not respect my need to take Sundays off to go to church, and the commute is killing me, what with all the medical treatments I have to get all the way across town."

Sure, but it's a lot less likely and I think it's more defensible to say that you asked a job-related question and they gave an answer that disclosed information about their personal life than for you to have asked a question that is specifically about their personal life.  I mean, I get why people do it since you want to know more about them as a person.  I just don't do it.  

[Deleted]

For a phone screening, just as them questions to ensure their resume is truthful.

Are there any skills key to the job? Make sure they have those--certification, computer programs, whatever.

Ask why they applied and why they are leaving old job.

[bunnysmom]

Please please don't ask those ridiculous questions like "what vegetable/animal/mineral would you be?"

[krystee]

I am interviewing right now and have asked:
1. What interested you most about this position?
2. What responsibilities in the job description would you most excel at, and why? What areas would you need more development in? (Yes, I just ended a sentence in a preposition.)
3. How would your supervisor describe you in three words?
4. Why are you looking to leave your current company?
5. What measurement tools/services have you used?
6. What is the professional accomplishment you are most proud of?
7. What are you looking for in your next job?
8. Talk about a time you faced a challenge related to X (area this job focuses on) and how you handled it.
9. What are your favorite and least favorite things about your current position?

[FishChicks]

If it's an entry level job, I'd suggest asking about how they learn to do new things (make them give you examples from their past, not just BS answers about what they might do), what they've done in the past if they had to perform a task and didn't know how, and how they go about checking their work for errors. Often those are helpful to gauge how trainable they might be.

[y4m]

Something that has really helped me is listing out 5-6 qualities I am looking for, in order of importance at the top of my list of notes on the candidate. Then as I can I can refer back and probe on the areas I haven't hit yet. Tell me about a time when you did X is a good question format--the more specific and recent the examples, the better.