11 Revealing Interview Questions

Interview questions can take various forms. Some questions are direct and to the point. Others are open-ended, which reveal the most about a potential employee. It's a good idea to include both kinds of questions in an interview. This way you will get the factual information that you need as well as the more personal information that can reveal much about a person's goals, ethics, and work habits.

Here are some interview questions that you may want to consider asking during your next interview:

-Tell me a little about yourself. This question is important because you will get an immediate grasp as to how well a person knows him or herself. You will also get an idea of what is most important to that person, whether it be family, work, hobbies, or other outside interests.

-Why do you think you would be a good fit for our company? This will give the person an opportunity to tell you what he or she knows about your company. It will also give the person an opportunity to talk about ways he or she can be an asset to your company.

-Tell me about a recent problem at work and how you resolved it. This will give you an idea of how well the person is at problem solving, and it will also show you what approach the person is most likely to use.

-Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? This is a good way to find out what the person's future plans are. This is important because it will show you whether or not the employee is likely to be long-term or plans to move on in a year or two.

-Give the person a typical job situation that requires decisive action. Give the person 3 or 4 choices as to how he or she would handle the situation. This will give you an idea of how decisive the person is.

-Tell me about your last job. This question reveals a lot. If the person begins speaking badly about his or her last job, that is an indicator the person might do the same in the future regarding the job being applied for. It may also show you that the person is dedicated, appreciative, and a team player.

-If your most recent employer could say one positive thing about you, what would it be?

-If your most recent employer could say one negative thing about you, what would it be?

-Would your most recent co-workers most likely say that you are more: helpful, supportive, independent minded, friendly, or a hard-worker? How a person's co-workers view him or her is a good way to determine whether or not the person is a team player.

-What is your greatest strength? This will help reveal the person's strengths to you as well as give you an idea of how healthy his or her self-esteem is.

-What is your greatest weakness? This will show you how honest the person is about him or herself. Everyone has a weakness, and if the person can't think of one, that is not a good sign.

Asking the right questions during a job interview is important, because it will help ensure that you hire the right person for the job. Take your time in deciding what questions are best to ask. The results will be worth the effort.