Questions that an employer may ask at an interview. What changes would you make in your new job? Can you show the workplace and equipment

How not to make a mistake when choosing an employer?

The portal site has repeatedly covered various aspects of preparing a candidate for an interview with a potential employer. In the article “How to prepare for an interview”, among the recommended actions was the following item: think over questions for the employer, since an interview is not an interrogation, but a conversation between two potential colleagues.

What will be included in my official duties?

Each company has its own rules. Therefore, the functionality may differ from what was on. “Having found out exactly what duties the employee in this position will perform, the candidate will be able to assess his strengths and understand whether this work suits him, whether he can handle it, how much his professional knowledge and skills correspond to this position,” says Ekaterina Chentsova, HR Director, Vokrug Sveta group of companies.

The main job responsibilities are usually spelled out in .

Is this the new position or the old one workplace?

“This question allows us to clarify several points at once,” notes Anna Lenda, Head of Human Resources at Creative Media.- If this position has existed for a long time, then what is the fate of the previous employee? If it is, then why? If this is a newly opened vacancy, then why is it necessary to introduce it, and what exactly is expected from a new employee?

What results are expected from me in time probationary period?

“The employer can vary the duration of the probationary period from one to three months, - says Ekaterina Chentsova.- Depending on this, certain tasks are set before a person. As a result of their decisions, conclusions are already being drawn on further cooperation. The salary of the candidate also depends on this. Employers often reduce salary for a probationary period, and then do not increase it. We need to be reminded of this."

With an opinion Ekaterina Chentsova agrees Anna Lenda: “The probationary period for employees cannot exceed 3 months, except for the heads of organizations and their deputies, chief accountants and their deputies and heads of branches - a probationary period of 6 months is provided for them. The duration of the trial period will allow you to think over the approximate strategy of your work for this period. It is also necessary to take an interest in the criteria in order to clearly know what results will be expected from you after the end of this period.

To whom will I report directly?

Can you meet this person? To communicate and discuss the main points of your proposed work? “It’s better if you talk to your immediate supervisor at the interview stage, try to understand how psychologically it will be comfortable for you (and him) to work together,” explains Anna Lenda.

Is participation in additional projects, business trips expected?

“According to our legislation, an employee on business trips receives a higher salary than on business trips. regular time, and sometimes this amount is quite large, - comments on this issue Ekaterina Chentsova. “Therefore, be sure to check how business trips are paid in the company-potential employer.”

The frequency of possible trips and their duration - two more important moments that should be mentioned in the interview. The questions will help the applicant understand how acceptable such working conditions are for him. A big plus would be life insurance for the employee during business trips.

So you've been invited for an interview. Do you really want to work in this position and are very afraid of not being selected? Then you need to gather all the will into a fist and prepare for the conversation: think over the style of clothing and rehearse the speech, taking into account likely questions.

The 11 Essential Interview Questions and Smart Answers You Can Find Here. How to answer complex and non-standard questions in order to please the employer? What questions a recruiter will ask depends on what position the employee is being hired for, however, as a rule, there is a standard set of questions that are asked to all applicants, which will be discussed below.

Before conducting an interview, the employer usually invites the applicant to fill out a special questionnaire, a sample of which can be viewed.

AT recent times situational questions are very popular when the employer describes the situation and invites the applicant to choose the right behavior in this situation.

Top 11 Interview Questions with Answers

1. What to answer the question - Tell us about yourself at the interview.

When answering this question and other questions from the interviewer, remain calm and speak in a confident tone. Tell us what it would be important for the employer to hear: place of study and specialty, work experience, knowledge and skills, interest in this particular job and personal qualities- Stress resistance, learning, diligence. This point is considered in more detail in, where approximate story the applicant about himself, as well as recommendations on how best to answer.

2. What to answer at the interview to the question - Why did you quit?

When asked why you left your previous job, don't talk about conflicts at your previous job or speak badly about your boss or co-workers. You may be suspected of conflict and inability to work in a team. It is better to remember the positive moments from past experience, and the reason for leaving is the desire to fully realize one's abilities, the desire to improve professional level and wages.

3. What to answer the question - Why do you want to work with us?

Start with good points in the work of the company - stability and a professional, well-coordinated team, interest in the field of activity, and then add what attracts the position and work schedule, proximity to home, decent wages.

4. Why do you think you are suitable for this position?

What to answer the question - why should we take you? Here you must clearly and convincingly prove that you the best specialist in this region. Tell us about the work of the company and the industry in which you are going to work, do not hesitate to praise yourself, tell us about your achievements.

5. How to answer the question about the shortcomings at the interview?

The issue of disadvantages is a tricky one. Spreading your cons as a spirit is not worth it. Name such “disadvantages” that look more like advantages. For example: I am picky about my work, I do not know how to step back from work. And it is best to say neutrally: I, like everyone else, have shortcomings, but they do not affect my professional qualities in any way.

6 secrets of a successful interview

6. What are your strengths?

• sociability;
• learnability;
• punctuality;
• performance.

These are standard examples of advantages that are included in almost every one; for the employer, they are not of particular importance, and do not distinguish the applicant from others in any way.

It is better to talk at an interview about professional merits that will be useful and interesting to the employer:

• I have experience in negotiations at various levels;
• easily conclude important agreements and contracts;
• I can rationally organize my working day, etc.

Such answers will attract attention and stand out among other answers.

7. What salary do you expect?

Services a good specialist cannot be cheap. There is an option - to name the amount above the average salary or focus on the salary that you received at your previous job and overestimate it by 10 -15%. Stick to the golden mean, otherwise they may think that you are either a bad specialist or too ambitious.

8. Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?

Persistent and purposeful people set long-term goals for themselves, plan their personal and career growth. If you have not thought about this question yet, then do it before the interview. Emphasize your desire to work in the same company, but during this time to climb the career ladder.

Do not hide the place of the previous work, be prepared to give phone numbers of former colleagues and managers. If, when answering this question, you hesitate or even evade the answer, then the employer may feel that you want to avoid negative reviews.

10. Are you ready for a professional workload?

The employer can hint at processing in this way. In this case, ask how often they are possible: how many times a month or for how many hours. If you are ready for such conditions, then confirm your readiness for stress.

11. Do you have additional questions?

It's time to find out the details of future work: starting from the schedule and social. package, up to the requirements for the employees of the company. A person who doesn't ask questions after an interview is showing their disinterest. So there must be questions, and it is best to think them over in advance.

Examples of great, good, and bad answers to interview questions:

Video - uncomfortable interview questions

Want to know the most common interview questions? Here full list(with the most successful answers).

Some companies approach interviews in an unconventional way, but for the most part they ask standard questions (and get standard answers).

Here is a list of the most common interview questions best options response:

1. "Tell me about yourself"

If you're interviewing, you probably already know a lot. You've read the resume and cover letter, browsed the candidate's pages on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

The purpose of any interview is to find out if a particular candidate is suitable for the vacancy that needs to be filled, i.e. whether he has the skills and personal qualities that will enable him to do the job. Do you need a leader who can put himself in another person's shoes? Try to find out if the candidate can become one. Do you want the general public to know about your company? Ask if the candidate can get the message across.

If you are looking for a job, tell us why you did what you did. Explain why you left your previous job. Describe how the university was chosen. Tell us why you decided to study in graduate school. Do not forget to mention that you traveled around Europe for a year and about the experience that you managed to get during this time.

When answering a question, do not limit yourself to listing the facts (they can also be read in the resume). Tell the other person why you did certain things.

2. "Name your biggest flaw"

Every candidate knows how to answer this question. It is necessary to choose an abstract weakness and turn it into dignity.

For example: "Sometimes I get so carried away with work that I lose track of time. When I come to my senses, I see that everyone has already gone home. I know that I need to keep track of time more carefully, but I really like what I do, and I just I can think of nothing else!"

So your "flaw" is that you spend more time working than everyone else? Hmm.

It would be much better to describe the actual flaw you are working on. Talk about what you are doing to improve. Ideal people does not exist, and you must prove that you can objectively evaluate yourself and strive to improve.

3. "Name your main advantage"

I don't know why company representatives are asking this question. The answer to it is always contained in the summary.

If you are nevertheless asked about this, formulate a precise and specific answer. It doesn't take long to argue. If you are a problem solver, be sure to provide examples that are relevant to the job you are interested in. Confirm your words! If you are a leader with high level emotional intelligence, give examples that prove that you can answer questions that have not yet been asked.

4. "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

In answering this question, candidates follow one of two possible scenarios. Some begin to describe their ambitions (it seems to them that the interlocutor wants to hear exactly this) and show with their whole appearance: "I need this job!" Others are modest (they also think that the other person is experiencing a similar reaction) and give a self-deprecating answer: "There are so many talented people around ... I just want to get a job and see what success I can achieve."

Both types of responses do not provide any information about the candidate - except perhaps their ability to sell themselves.

If you're interviewing, rephrase the question: "If you could start your own company, what would it do?"

This is a universal question, because everyone needs employees with an entrepreneurial streak.

The answer to it will tell about the dreams and hopes of the candidate, his interests and true passion, preferences in work, people with whom he easily converges ... All that is needed is to listen carefully.

5. "Why should we hire you?"

Since the candidate cannot compare himself with those he does not know, he can only describe his love for the cause and a burning desire to be useful. In fact, the company is making candidates beg to meet them. When asked this question, many companies sit back and cross their arms over their chests. This gesture is as if to say: "Come on, I'm listening! Come on, convince me!"

Alas, this is another uninformative question.

But it can be changed: "What do you think we forgot to talk about?" or "If you had the opportunity to re-answer one of the previous questions, what would you say?"

At the end of an interview, it's rare for candidates to think they've done their best. Perhaps the conversation went in an unexpected direction. Maybe the interlocutor emphasized the resume in his own way, focusing on some skills and forgetting about others. Or maybe at the beginning of the interview, the candidate was too nervous and could not correctly formulate everything that he wanted to talk about.

After all, interviews are designed to learn as much as possible about a candidate, why not give them a second chance?

Be sure to keep the conversation going at this stage, don't let the candidate talk to himself. Do not listen in silence, then to say: "Thank you, we will contact you." Ask clarifying questions. Ask for examples.

If the candidate asks you a counter question, be sure to answer it and try to post new information, which until then remained in the shadows.

6. "How did you hear about the vacancy?"

Job search portals, newspaper and Internet advertisements, job fairs... Many people look for their first job there, and there is nothing wrong with that.

But if the candidate constantly uses these channels, most likely, he has not yet decided what and how he wants to do.

He's just looking for a job. Any job.

Therefore, you should not just talk about how you found out about the vacancy. State that a colleague or employer told you about it, that you followed the vacancies of a particular company because you want to work in it.

Companies don't want people who just want jobs. Companies need people who need a company.

7. "Why do you want this job?"

Let's go into details a little. When answering this question, you need to tell not only that you want to work in this particular company, but also why the vacancy is ideal for you and what you want to achieve in the short and long term.

If you don't know why the job is right for you, look for another job. Life is too short.

8. "Name your main professional achievement"

The answer to this question should be directly related to the vacancy. If you say that you have increased production by 18% over the past year and a half, claiming to be the head of the personnel department, the interlocutor will find your answer interesting, but not at all informative.

Rather, tell us about a troubled employee you "saved", or a conflict between departments that you paid off, or about subordinates who have received a promotion in the last six months ...

9. "Tell me about your last conflict with a colleague or client. What happened?"

When people work hard to achieve common purpose, conflicts are inevitable. We all make mistakes. Of course, the good ones are remembered better, but the bad ones should not be forgotten either. Perfect people don't exist, and that's okay.

However, people who seek to shift their blame and responsibility onto others should definitely be avoided. Employers prefer those who focus not on the problem but on the solution.

Everyone needs employees who are willing to admit they're wrong, take responsibility for the mistake, and most importantly, learn from the experience.

10. "Describe your ideal job"

Formulating the answer, remember - it must be related to the vacancy!

However, it is not necessary to invent it at all. You can learn and develop no matter what you do. Try to identify what skills you can acquire in the position you are applying for, and then imagine how those skills could be useful to you in the future.

Don't be afraid to admit that one day you might leave looking for another job or maybe even start your own. own business. Employers no longer expect employees to stay with them forever.

11. "Why do you want to leave the job you have now?

Let's start with the things you don't need to talk about (if you're representing an employer, you should be wary):

Don't say that you don't like your boss. Don't talk about how you can't get along with your co-workers. Don't slander the company itself.

Focus on the benefit that this step will bring to you. Tell us what you want to achieve. Tell us what you want to learn. Tell us about how you plan to develop. At the same time, do not forget to mention the benefits for the potential employer.

People who complain about bosses and colleagues are like gossips. If they gossip about someone else, the day will come when they will gossip about you too.

12. "What are the most attractive working conditions for you?"

If you enjoy working alone but are applying for a call center operator position, an honest answer may sound out of place.

Think about the job and the culture of the company as a whole (every company has a culture - artificial or spontaneous.) If flexible work is important to you, but you are not offered it, focus on something else. If you need constant management support and your employer encourages self-management, forget about it for a while.

Find ways to align your needs with company policies. If you can't do that, you should probably look for another job.

13. "Tell me about the most difficult decision you've had to make in the last six months."

By asking this question, the employer wants to assess the candidate's ability to solve problems and find arguments, as well as the willingness to take risks.

If you don't have an answer to this question, that's too bad. Everyone has to take complex decisions, regardless of position. My daughter once worked part-time as a waitress at a nearby restaurant. She constantly made difficult decisions - for example, about how to behave with a regular client, whose actions sometimes bordered on harassment.

A good answer should include the arguments that helped make the decision (for example, analyzing large amounts of data to determine the best direction to go).

A great answer also describes the relationship with everyone involved in the decision-making process, as well as its consequences.

Of course, the results of the analysis are a great argument, but almost every decision affects people. The best candidates usually look at issues from different angles and make informed decisions.

14. "Describe your management style"

This is a question that is difficult to answer without resorting to platitudes. Try to give examples. Say, "Let me tell you about the challenges I've had in my leadership position. I think they'll give you a good idea of ​​my style." After that, describe how you solved the problem, motivated the team, overcame the crisis, etc. Explain what and why you did, so that the interlocutor understands exactly how you manage other people.

Don't forget to mention the results you have achieved.

15. "Tell me about a situation in which you disagreed with a majority decision. What did you do?"

The people around us sometimes make decisions with which we do not agree. And this is normal, it is only important how we show our disagreement. (We all know those who like to stay after meetings to challenge a decision they publicly supported.)

Showcase your professionalism. Prove that you can constructively express your concerns. If once you managed to change the general opinion, and this change was successful, good. If there are no such examples, emphasize that you can support the decision, even if it seems wrong to you (we are not talking about unethical and immoral decisions).

16. "How would other people describe you?"

I hate this question. This is a waste of words! True, one day I nevertheless asked it and received an answer that I really liked.

"People would say I am who I appear to be," the candidate replied. “If I say something, I do it. If I promise to help, I will definitely help. I don’t think that everyone likes me, but they can count on me because they know how I work.”

What could be better?

17. "What should we expect from you in the first three months of work?"

Ideally, this question should come from an employer who wants to define their expectations for a new employee.

You need to answer like this:

• You are trying to determine what value your work brings. You don't just pretend to be busy. You do what it takes.
• You learn to help all participants in the process - management, colleagues, subordinates, customers, suppliers, implementers...
• You find out what works best for you. You were hired because you have specific skills and those skills need to be applied.
• You achieve positive results, work with enthusiasm and feel like part of a team.

Use this answer plan, adding details specific to your work.

18. "What do you like to do after hours?"

Many companies consider their culture to be very important and use information about a candidate's preferences outside of work to determine if they will fit into the team.

When trying to convince the other person that you're the perfect fit, don't admire activities that you don't really like. Focus on activities that allow you to develop - learn something new, achieve higher goals. For example: "My children are still very young, so there is almost no free time, but on the way to work and back I learn Spanish."

19. "How much did you get paid at your previous job?"

This is a difficult question. This is usually asked before you make a salary offer, and you must answer honestly, but not miscalculate.

Try the method suggested by Liz Ryan. Say, "I'm currently focusing on jobs that would allow me to earn roughly $50,000. Your job fits that criteria, right?" (Actually, you probably already know the answer, but why not play along?)

20. "A snail sits at the bottom of a well 9 meters deep. Every day it crawls 2 meters, and during the night it slides down 1 meter. How many days will it take for it to get out of the well?"

These kinds of questions have been getting more and more popular lately (thank you, Google!). Perhaps your interlocutor does not expect you to immediately rush to calculate. Most likely, he wants to understand how you think.

Try to solve the problem by commenting on each step. If you make a mistake, don't be afraid to laugh at yourself - perhaps this is a stress test, and the interlocutor wants to see how you react to failure.

21. "Did you want to ask something?"

Don't miss the opportunity! Ask a smart question - not only to highlight your personality, but also to make sure you choose the right company. Don't forget that an interview is a two-way process.

Sample questions:

22. "What results should I achieve during the first three months of work?"

If you haven't been asked this question, ask it yourself. What for? Good candidates tend to get down to business without delay. They don't want to spend weeks and months "getting to know the organizational structure." They do not see the point in orientation activities and prefer to learn on the go.

They want to be useful now.

23. "Name three qualities that your best employees possess"

Good candidates want to be good employees. They know that every company is different and requires different qualities to be successful.

Maybe everything good employees work late. Maybe you value creativity more than following a protocol. Maybe you are trying to conquer new markets, so attracting new customers is more important to you than long-term relationships with old ones. Or maybe you need someone who is willing to spend an equal amount of time on a novice buyer and a regular wholesale customer.

Good candidates need to know this. They want to make sure not only that they fit into the team, but also that they can succeed.

24. "What really determines the results of work in this position?"

By investing in employees, employers expect that they will bring him a profit (otherwise, why pay them at all?).

In every job, there are activities that bring more returns than others. You need an HR specialist to fill open vacancies, but in fact he must find the right people, thereby minimizing the percentage of employee turnover, reducing the cost of training new employees and increasing overall productivity.

You need a repairman to fix appliances, but what he really needs to do is to effectively solve customer problems and build relationships with them so that they come back to him again and again.

Good candidates want to know what qualities will allow them to make the most contribution to the common cause, because their personal success depends on the success of the entire company.

25. "List the company's priorities for this year. How can I contribute if I take this position?"

Every candidate wants to know that his work is important to others.

Good candidates want to work important matter, serve highest goal and work with people who share their values.

Otherwise, the work loses its meaning.

Employees who love their job definitely recommend the employer to their friends and acquaintances. The same goes for managers - they always bring with them those with whom they previously worked. It took them a long time to prove their competence and build relationships based on trust, so people instinctively follow them.

All this speaks of the quality of the working environment and the atmosphere in the team.

27. "What will you do if...?"

Every company has problems - technologies become obsolete, new competitors enter the market, economic trends are constantly changing. Not everyone has economic moats capable of protecting them.

Even if the candidate views the employer as a launching pad for a high jump, he still hopes for growth and development. By accepting the offer of the employer, each employee hopes to leave him own will, and not because the company was forced out of the market.

Let's say you own a ski shop. Another store has opened about a kilometer away. How do you plan to deal with competition? Or suppose you own a poultry farm. What will you do to reduce feed costs?

Good candidates don't just want to understand how you think. They want to know what you are going to do in the near future and whether there is room for them in your plan.

Jeff Haden inc.com. Translation: Airapetova Olga

• Career, Work, Study

Employment is the most important stage of life for any person. This is the moment when you start to do something responsible, bring social benefits, take the initiative to organize your destiny, your working day.

For an employer, the placement of another employee is also a certain significant moment that significantly affects his company and his business as a whole. After all, making a mistake at this stage can cause serious consequences for the entire business. That is why, as we all know, if an employee is required for some significant vacancy, they will be interviewed, they will be tested and checked to determine if they really fit.

It is this article that will be devoted to this issue - the selection of personnel, their verification. We will describe what such a process as the search for employees includes and how it should be done. Attention will also be drawn to some key points that every employer must remember. In addition to general, specific recommendations will be given on what to do and how to behave with the employee. This will include a discussion of what questions to ask a candidate during an interview and how to evaluate the answers received during this.

How to search for an employee?

Every company needs staff to service it and perform the tasks that arise in the course of work. Therefore, the selection of personnel is a normal process that is inevitable in any field of activity.

The task facing the manager every time he is looking for personnel is to find the most suitable employee for this or that vacancy, who could best cope with the assigned tasks. And in fact, employers are guided by some of their ideas when they select candidates for a position. Although this is not entirely correct.

The best example that an employer, as a living person, can also do wrong and look for the “wrong” employee is the following illustration. Imagine that a company is looking for an employee for a certain vacancy. The person who comes to the leader does not like him, although he can ideally cope with the tasks set.

The second applicant, his competitor, seems to the employer more attractive in terms of human qualities, but at the same time he has lower qualifications and, perhaps, will be worse at his job. Who do you think will be hired for this position?

That's right, such a search for employees will end with the fact that a less competent employee will get a job. And, unfortunately, nothing can be done about it - it plays an important role in the selection process of candidates.

This example, of course, illustrates a situation in which an employer is not doing the right thing, both from the point of view of their business and from the standpoint of some kind of conditional fairness. Therefore, we urge you to abandon this model of assessing people. The main thing in your employee is not that you like him or that he somehow especially treats you, but how well he is ready to do the job. In order to somehow help employers make a choice, we present you with selection mechanisms in this article.

Interview is the best form of assessment

In fact, nothing better than two forms of selection - interviews and testing - (to find employees in your company) have not yet been invented. These are universal tools with which you can get to know a candidate, find out his personal and business qualities, and test his skills. It's just that such a form as testing candidates is not appropriate in all cases, because not all positions require some kind of practical skills.

Sometimes the duties of an employee include more than a set of practical knowledge. Or, on the contrary, there are situations when the selection of personnel cannot be carried out solely on tests in a particular subject. It all depends on the specification of the work, what field of activity we are talking about.

Therefore, they came up with an interview as a complementary (or as a single) tool for finding professionals for certain vacancies. With the help of a simple conversation, the employer understands whether a real candidate for the position is sitting in front of him, ready to start working and cope with it qualitatively, or whether this person is not competent enough.

What to expect from the conversation?

In order for a conversation with a potential employee to be successful, you need to know what questions to ask the candidate at the interview. Only in this case, the head of the company will be able to form for himself an approximate picture of who is in front of him and what goals this person is moving towards. Therefore, we recommend that you work out an assessment mechanism for yourself in advance, come up with questions that will allow you to find out this or that information about a person.

To do this, we will write it down, and you will analyze this information and decide on your own how to build a conversation with your next applicant.

Common Questions

In general, we all know approximately what questions to ask a candidate during an interview. Ask any person about this, and he, without hesitation, will answer that these are questions about your hobbies, about past work, about some personal qualities, about mistakes made and about achievements in life.

In fact, all these questions are typical and most common, they are asked always and everywhere. They help establish necessary minimum about your candidate for a job, which will allow you to understand whether it is worth talking to him further. And most often this set is supplemented with some non-standard questions, something more original. At the very least, a proper interview should combine both of these types.

Atypical questions

Among the most non-standard questions should include such questions as: “Why are you an inadequate person?”, “What kind of animal are you?”, “Why are you - is that you?” and so on. It is not difficult to come up with such “tricks”, in fact, you can ask any nonsense, your goal (as an employer asking this) is not to find out what animal is in front of you. It is necessary to understand how the employee reacts to a non-standard situation for himself and how easily he gets out of it, how he solves the current problem.

Professional Moments

Naturally, when talking about what questions to ask a candidate during an interview, do not forget about professional quality(if the position, of course, requires some special knowledge and skills that not every person is endowed with).

In addition to clarifying what and where this employee previously worked, what problems he solved and what tasks he coped with, it is also important to ask something from the professional sphere. Of course, the nature of this part of the interview depends on what field of activity can be discussed.

Question Categories

There is also another classification of what is asked at the interview. These are questions related to certain characteristics of the employee's psychology. For example, allowing you to establish his motivation, self-confidence, experience, ability to resolve conflicts, and so on.

Rather, these questions can be classified as the “typical” ones described above, since every interview example that you can come across uses them in one way or another. Now we will also give a number of approximate options for how you can ask them and what you should focus on when you get answers to them.

Motivation

Most often, the employer is interested in what motivates the employee: the desire to work in a particular company, the need to earn money or the opportunity to work in an area of ​​interest to him. This is the initial idea of ​​​​a person about work, the factor that will determine the quality of his work and what results this employee can achieve. In order to check the real motives of a person, ask him why you need to work, why he works, why he came to your company, what he expects from working for you, and so on.

Naturally, you should be prepared for the fact that the applicant will respond in such a way that you hear what you want from him. Therefore, psychologists recommend asking questions several times in cycles in order to confuse the interlocutor and prevent him from thinking in advance what he will say. If what he said is not true, you will quickly reveal it through the inconsistencies that “surface” in the conversation.

About myself

It is important not to miss the opportunity to ask the applicant something personal, so you will know what kind of person is sitting in front of you. In this case, questions about hobbies are required, or something like “tell us about yourself”, or “how do you spend your time?”. In most cases, the first thing the applicant will do is describe what he does more often and what he devotes more time and attention to. So you can understand his priorities in life and actually what he lives and is interested in.

Income level

An important issue, which should also not be overlooked, is the question of the expected level of wages. You need to ask how much the employee would like to receive, what level of salary he considers the “ceiling” in his field, what level he would like to reach in 5-10 years, and so on.

It is important to understand how this person relates to money and what he expects both from his profession in general and from your company in particular. So you will be guided by the approximate requests of this particular employee and will be able to understand how capable they are of providing them and how generally he meets the desired in terms of his professional capabilities and business qualities. Feel free to ask how much he was paid at his previous job and other “embarrassing” questions about money and income.

Achievements

Do not forget to find out the self-esteem of the person who came to you, his attitude to his achievements and the results of his work. Questions such as: “What did you manage to do in your last job?”, “What are you proud of in the professional field of your life?”, “What is the biggest success of your life in your career” and so on, will help you best with this. So you will understand what is the value of a person, what are his ideals in work, what he aspires to.

Reaction

Always pay attention to how the employee responds to all your questions. Moreover, the most interesting, in this respect, reaction for you will be the one that comes to your strangest and most unexpected questions. After all, you as an employer should know that at first all people behave in interviews the same way. They are nervous, trying to show their best side, trying to look their best to please you and get the job of their dreams.

Only gradually do they stop worrying and begin to speak more beautifully and harmoniously. Your task is to take them out of this balance and make them start to get nervous, annoyed, even angry with you. Only in this way, by provoking a person, will you find out what he really thinks and what he is ready for in the present. life situation. After all, it is obvious that in real life we are all different, and it is on how such an employee behaves in real “combat” conditions that his success at work and, therefore, how useful he will be for your company depends.

Combination

Combine different ones, try to confuse and confuse your interlocutor. At the same time, with the help of your questions, try to cover as much as possible wide circle his interests, his spheres of life - this will allow you to understand what kind of person is in front of you.

And remember: recruiting is a very responsible task. Try to give some tests at the interview, provoke a person, test him, so you will weed out all those who could be an unsuitable candidate for the position.

The interview is in full swing, and you have already managed to talk about your education, achievements and explain why you would like to work in this particular company. What to add to consolidate success and make the right career decision? It is very important to ask the right questions about future work. Moreover, their sequence (which question to ask first, and which one is better not to rush) also matters.

In order not to miss the vacancy of your dreams, read the recommendations.

Question one: about the content of the work
Of course, during the interview, you probably already discussed what your duties will be. In addition, this is usually described in the job advertisement. Therefore, in your question, you need to clarify what remained unclear in the functionality.

For example, you apply for a position as a PR manager in an existing public relations department. Specify what exactly your role will be in establishing PR communications. What is more important for a specialist accepted into the team - to be a competent and creative writer of texts or a talented organizer?

Another example is an interview for the position of a sales assistant in a perfumery store. You have already discussed that the duties will include advising customers, working with the cash register and displaying goods. Specify exactly how it is customary to advise customers on the trading floor - to wait for their questions or to present information about the assortment of the store yourself?

Questions about the functionality must be asked, even if everything seems clear and understandable to you: this will emphasize your high motivation and show the recruiter that he is a responsible and professional person.

Question two: about tasks
Be sure to ask about the strategic objectives of your future work. What does the future employer expect from you, say, in an annual perspective? What are the criteria for assessing the effectiveness of your work?

For example, an applicant for a sales manager job might ask what the sales plan for next year. A candidate for the position of Human Resources Inspector - ask about the expected growth in the number of staff and, therefore, the volume of work.

By doing so, you will show that you can think strategically and plan your activities. In addition, a clear understanding of their tasks in the company is a real career engine. You will always be able to independently evaluate your work, applying the performance criteria agreed upon at the interview.

Question three: how to quickly join the team
Be sure to ask what your first working days will be like. Is there an introductory briefing or training? Will you have a mentor to turn to for any question? What are the criteria by which the success of the probationary period will be assessed?

This question is especially important if the work will be something new for you. For example, if you used to work in a small firm, and now you have come to international corporation. Or if you were engaged in PR in the field of retail, and now - in the restaurant business.

Question four: why did this vacancy appear?
The answer to this question may give you food for thought. If the vacancy is new, then you will have to draw up a work schedule yourself and discuss in detail the responsibilities, as well as strategic goals with the manager and HR manager. You will also have to think about the means to achieve these goals - after all, the vacancy is new, and this work has not been done before you.

If the position has been in the company for a long time, pay attention to the reasons for the dismissal of the previous employee. Of course, they can be very different - the specialist found more interesting work, failed in his duties, went on parental leave or was even fired for unethical behavior ...

It is not a fact that the recruiting manager will give you reliable information on such a sensitive issue, but it is still worth asking and thinking. If five people have left the position you are interested in in a year, it is worth looking Additional information about the company and the atmosphere in the team.

Question five: salary, vacation, lunch ...
There is no need to hurry with these questions - ask them at the very end of your meeting, discussing all the duties, tasks and work plan. The main thing is to adequately assess your own value in the labor market and not overestimate the importance of a lunch break in your career.

We wish you not only to ask the right questions at the interview, but also to hear the answers that suit you.