2) Create 5 interview questions that are legal
An interview provides the hiring manager a perfect opportunity to identify the applicant best qualified and best suited for the organization. Conducted properly, it is a valuable tool in the hiring process.
Prior to the interview:
As you prepare for the interview consider the following:
Be prepared (develop a list of questions to be utilized for all applicants in the same job)
Ask open-ended questions
Refrain from asking any questions about age, sex, ethnic origin, race, religion or political beliefs, and medical conditions/disabilities.
Ask questions that are related to the qualifications/knowledge/skills/abilities for the position
During the interview:
Record the applicant’s responses
Introduce yourself and your position
Briefly describe the organization structure
Describe the position the applicant is applying for
Write my Essay Online Writing Service with Professional Essay Writers – Explain that you will be taking notes during the interview to assist you in remembering their responses
Write my Essay Online Writing Service with Professional Essay Writers – Explain that all applicants will be asked the same questions
Ask the applicant if he/she has any questions
After the interview has concluded:
Thank them for coming to the interview
Write my Essay Online Writing Service with Professional Essay Writers – Explain that you are in the interviewing phase
Write my Essay Online Writing Service with Professional Essay Writers – Explain that you will be making a decision within the next ____ days/weeks/months
Inform them if they will be asked to come back for a second interview
Inform them whether or not they will/will not be contacted if they are not chosen for the position. (You can refer them to the HR website/STARS system to monitor their job status).
Sample Job Interview Questions You May Use
INTRODUCTORY QUESTIONS
What five adjectives describe you best
Why should I consider you for this position
Why are you the best candidate for this position
Tell me about the one thing in your life you’re proudest of.
You’ve changed jobs frequently. What makes you think that this position will be different
What qualities do you think are necessary to make a success of this job
Describe your ideal job.
How did you find out about this job
What do you know about the job
What do you know about the UTSA/this department
Is there anything that will prevent you from getting to work on time
Is there anything that will prevent you from working the job’s regular hours
What kinds of work interest you the most
What interests you most about this position
NEW GRADUATE QUESTIONS
What extracurricular activities were you involved in
What activities did you enjoy the most
What classes did you enjoy the most The least
Why did you choose your major
Why did you change majors
If you could start again, what major would you choose
Why are you applying for a job in a field other than your major
What did you learn from your summer jobs
In what courses did you get the worst grades Why
Are your grades a good measure of your ability
Give me an example of a problem you’ve had at school and how you solved it.
How does your degree prepare you (a) for a career in [industry] or (b) to excel as a [job title]
What qualifications do you have beyond academics that qualify you to make a successful transition into business
PERSONAL MOTIVATION & TRAITS
How do you feel about your present workload
What motivates you to do your best work
How can we best help you get your job done
Tell me about a time you went “out on a limb” to get the job done.
What are the disadvantages of this line of work
What do you find most frustrating at work
Tell me about a project that got you really excited.
How do you define doing a good job
What makes a job enjoyable for you
Under what conditions do you work best
What is your greatest strength/weakness or deficiency
Tell me about a work task you enjoy.
GENERAL PAST JOB PERFORMANCE/EXPERIENCE
Tell me about your last position and what you did.
Tell me about the last time you made a mistake and how you corrected it.
If you don’t leave your current job, what will happen there How far can you advance
Of all the work you have done, where have you been most successful
I see you were unemployed for a period of time. Tell me about it.
Give me an example of when you’ve demonstrated your customer service skills.
How do you define continuous improvement What is the last new procedure you integrated into your job
What makes you stand out among your peers
What have you done to reduce your department’s operational costs or to save time
What would your current supervisors say makes you most valuable to them
If I asked your boss to evaluate your performance, what would he or she say
Have you held positions similar to this one If so, tell me about them.
What is the most important thing you learned at a previous job
What did/do you enjoy most/least about your last/present job
If there were two things you could have changed about that job, what would they be
How did your job change while you held it
Describe your supervisor’s management style.
What kinds of people do you deal with on the job
What qualifications do you have that make you successful in this field
What have you learned from previous jobs
Describe a typical day at work.
How have your previous positions prepared you for this one
What parts of your job do you consider most important
What job tasks do you feel most successful doing
What special skills or knowledge have you gained to help in this job
Describe an important project you worked on.
What sort of person do you enjoy working for
Define excellent customer service.
You have a lot of experience. Why would you want this job
What do you consider your greatest strength
What is your most significant professional accomplishment
What was the last job related book you read
What was your favorite job Why
You’ve stayed with the same organization for years. Why have you decided to leave
SOFTWARE/TECHNICAL QUESTIONS
What types of office equipment have you used
Tell me about the types of word processing you did on your last job.
What would you say are the major technical skills needed for this position
How do you merge a file in Microsoft Word
What certifications/classes have you completed this last year Were any of them required by your supervisor
Describe the types of documents you deal with on a daily basis.
What software programs do you use most often in your current position
Describe in detail your experience with computer software programs.
Tell me about the spreadsheets you have created.
Give me an example of a technical problem you had to solve. How did you implement the solution
Tell me about the PowerPoint presentations you have developed.
What software do you have experience with How would you describe your experience level for that software
GOALS
What are your 5-year goals
Tell me what “success” means to you.
Do you consider yourself successful
What does “failure” mean to you
Do you set goals for yourself and how do you do that
SUPERVISORY QUESTIONS
You have supervised people in the past. What were their titles and what type of supervision did you give them
How do you motivate people
Have you ever fired anyone What were the circumstances
Have you ever hired anyone Why did you choose them
What do you do when you’re having trouble with an employee
What type of supervisory training have you completed in the last two years
How did you communicate bad news to your staff
What makes someone a good supervisor
Who reports to you What are their job functions
What is the employee turnover rate in your area
What do you think is the reason for this rate
What programs have you put in place to build morale
How do you plan your day
Describe your management style.
How do you measure success as a supervisor
How do you decide who needs what training
How do you measure success in training
If you are hired, what will you do in your first 30 days
Describe one change you made in your last job that was very beneficial.
Describe a time when you and your supervisor disagreed on how to accomplish a goal.
Describe a change you made in your job that you feel is innovative or that you are very proud of.
How do you handle unpopular management decisions
How do you proceed when you need to make a decision and no policy exists
How would you define “leadership”
Describe a time when you were able to influence an outcome in a positive way.
What have you done to become more effective in your job
How do you orient new employees to your department
How do you plan an interview
What do you look for on resumes and applications
What criteria do you use for making decisions on hiring
JOB PERFORMANCE
What were your most significant accomplishments at your last job
What is the biggest failure you’ve had in your career Why do you believe it was your biggest failure
What were your three most important responsibilities in your last job
What was the most important project you worked on in your last job and why did you choose this example
Describe how you have progressed through the ranks and landed in your current position at ABC Company
How have you added value to your job over time
How have you had to reinvent or redefine your job to meet your companies changing needs
What proactive steps did you have to take to increase the output of your position
COMMUNICATION
Tell me about a work situation you had that required excellent communication skills.
Do you prefer to speak directly with someone or send a memo
How would you grade your ability to communicate with upper level management, customers, and peers
What was more important on your job, written or oral communication
FLEXIBILITY
Tell me about the last change which occurred in your office. How did you handle it
I’m interested in hearing about the last time you took a risk. What was it and in retrospect, was it the right decision
How important is communication and interaction with others on your job How many departments did you deal with What problems occurred
Tell me about a time when a work emergency caused you to reschedule your work/projects.
Give me an example of the last time you went above and beyond the call of duty to get the job done
In what areas do you typically have the least amount of patience at work
STRESS
Tell me about a deadline you had to meet. How much advance notice did you have
You have worked in a fast paced environment. How did you like the environment
What kinds of decisions are most difficult for you
What is the most difficult work situation you have faced
What types of jobs do you have the most difficulty with
What do you do when you have a great deal of work to accomplish in a short period of time
What do you do when you’re having trouble with your job
ORGANIZATION/TIME MANAGEMENT
Describe the top of your desk.
Tell me about the last time you failed to complete a project on time.
What do you do when you’re having trouble solving a problem
What do you do when things are slow/hectic
What do you do when you have multiple priorities
Tell me about your typical day. How much time do you spend on the phone In meetings Etc.
Your supervisor left you an assignment, then left for a week. You can’t reach him/her and you don’t fully understand the assignment. What would you do
How do you organize and plan for major projects
Describe a project that required a high amount of energy over an extended period of time.
How do you organize yourself for day-to-day activities
Tell me about a task you started but just couldn’t seem to get finished.
COOPERATION WITH CO-WORKERS
What types of people have trouble getting along with you
Do you prefer to work by yourself or with others
Tell me about the last time you had a conflict with a co-worker, what was the conflict and how did you resolve it
How would your co-workers describe you
The successful candidate for this position will be working with individuals who have been with the company for a long time. How will you mesh with them
What kind of people did you have contact with on your previous jobs (titles/positions)
What kind of person do you get along with the best
Define cooperation.
Tell me about an occasion when, in difficult circumstances, you pulled a team together.
What do you find most challenging in working with co-workers
Do you function more effectively as a team member or as an individual contributor
Describe the most difficult customer you have dealt with. What was the situation and how did you handle it
Describe a group project you were recently involved in. Describe your role, the purpose of the project, how you handled differences of opinion. What was your outcome
What do you do when you know you are right and others disagree with you
How do you build consensus
Define teamwork.
MANAGEABILITY
What do you do when you’re having trouble with a boss
If your boss knew you were interviewing, what would he say
What do you feel an employer owes an employee
Your supervisor tells you do to something in a way you know is dead wrong. What do you do
If your supervisor unfairly criticized you, what would you do
Would you like to have your boss’s job Why or why not
Tell me about a time when your manager was in a rush and didn’t give you enough attention.
What are some of the things about which you and your boss disagree
What are some of the things your boss did that you disliked
In what areas could your boss have done a better job
I would be interested to hear about an occasion when your work or an idea was criticized, what was criticized, who criticized you, and how did you handle it
Describe the best manager you ever had. The worst. What qualities did each of them have
SENIOR MANAGEMENT EVALUATION
Give me an example of your ability to facilitate progressive change within your organization.
How do you typically stay in the information loop and monitor your staff’s performance
How do you typically confront subordinates when results are unacceptable
What kind of mentoring and training style do you have
Do you naturally delegate responsibilities, or do you expect your direct reports to come to you for added responsibilities
How would you describe the amount of structure, direction, and feedback that you need to excel
In terms of managing your staff do you “expect” more than you “inspect” or vice versa
Tell me about a method you’ve developed for accomplishing a task.
What could you have done to be more effective at a previous job
Tell me about a time you were placed in charge of a group of people.
What did you like about being in charge
What did you not like about being in charge
PROBLEM SOLVING/DECISION MAKING
Describe the most difficult problem you had to solve. What was the situation and what did you do Would you do anything different next time
In general, how do you handle conflict
Describe a creative solution that you have developed to solve a problem.
What solution are you the proudest of
Describe a time when you had to use fact-finding skills.
What has been your most important work-related idea
Who or what caused you the most trouble in implementing your ideas
What kinds of problems do you normally experience in a day
Tell me about a situation that got out of control. How did you handle it
Describe the best/worst co-worker you’ve ever had.
Tell me about something you achieved as a group member.
How would you define a good working atmosphere
Tell me about a time you came up with a new idea. Were you able to get it approved If so, how did you go about it
Can you think of a time an idea of yours was rejected Tell me about it.
Tell me about a time an idea or task of yours was criticized.
Tell me about a time you had to work according to a policy you disagreed with.
How do you go about making important decisions
Tell me about the last time you made a good decision and describe what it was and what the results were.
Tell me about an important decision or judgment call you’ve had to make on the job.
Describe the worst decision you ever made and how you corrected it.
NEVER Ask These Questions in a Job Interview!
QUESTIONS ON AGE
How old are you
When did you graduate from high school College
QUESTIONS ON SEX
Are you married
Do you intend to get married
Do you have children
Are you a single parent
Do you practice birth control
Do you live by yourself
How many people live in your household
Do you have someone who can take care of a sick child
What’s your sexual orientation
Are you straight
Do you have a maiden name
Where does your spouse work
QUESTIONS ON ETHNIC ORIGIN/RACE
What’s your nationality
Where are your parent’s from
What languages do your parents speak
Are you bilingual (unless job related)
What language do you speak at home
What’s the origin of your name
QUESTIONS ON RELIGION/POLITICAL BELIEFS
What church are you a member of
Can you work Sundays Saturdays
Are you a member of a religious group
With what political party are you affiliated
QUESTIONS ON DISABILITIES
What health problems do you have
Can you read small print (Unless job related)
Do you have any back problems
When were you in the hospital last
Do you have any medical problems
