10 Interview Questions Employers Should Ask All Job Candidates

As manager of a staffing agency, I had the chance to interview hundreds of people for a variety of positions ranging from administrative and executive positions to blue-collar jobs in factories. Some of the questions I asked in interviews were specific to the position for which the job candidate was interviewing. I found that there were also questions that seemed to work for all positions. They were important questions that employers should ask prospective employees at any level. They measured work ethic, interest in the job, work experience, strengths and weaknesses of the candidate, ability to handle stress, and general availability for starting the job. The following is a list of 10 of those interview questions:

1. What interests you about this position?

2. Why should I hire you?

3. Tell me about your job responsibilities in your last position.

4. Why did you leave your last job?

5. Describe a challenging work project you were given in the past and how you completed it.

6. Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult person. How did you handle the situation?

7. Give an example of a situation where you were under pressure on the job. How did you handle it?

8. If I were to call your former manager, what would he/she say your strengths and weaknesses are?

9. I notice that there is a time period for which you don't have a job listed on your resume. What were you doing during that time? Note: I would ask this if there was a "gap" (usually a period of 6 months or longer with no job activity) in the job history on the person's resume or application.

10. When can you start work?