4 Questions “Not” to Ask When Hiring Talent
Recruiters in various organizations recruit hundreds of candidates every year. All the while these recruiters are more worried about what to ask the potential employees than what not to ask them. Dallas recruiters are not an exception to this.
Asking the most relevant questions can expedite an interview process and help gather information on whether a candidate is the right one for your organization. Learn why you need to avoid the following four questions that nearly all companies have been asking for decades during interviews.
Question to Avoid #1: “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”
Answers to this question aim towards showing optimism and commitment, which can be vague at times. You hardly learn anything more. At best, a candidate will say something like, “I want to see myself in XYZ position,” or “I want to go where my talents take me.”
Instead, you may ask a question like, “If given a chance, what kind of business would you love to head?” This will elicit a more specific response regarding all the interests, passions, dreams, and hopes the candidate has, as well as the type of work they are eager to.
Question to Avoid #2: “What is your biggest weakness?”
Nearly all candidates know how to mask their weakness with strength. For instance, one with poor time management skill may answer like this, “I often get so absorbed in my work that I lose track of time.”
Instead of a question like, “Tell me how do you handle an escalation which originated in a work you’ve done?” will reveal how good the candidate is at owning up responsibility without passing the buck.
Question to Avoid #3: “Tell me a little bit about yourself.”
Be honest with yourself in admitting that the goal of scheduling an interview with someone is to evaluate their skills and ascertain their suitability for a job. Asking this redundant question can dominate a discussion longer than you like, prompting the potential candidate to narrate their entire life history.
Instead, you may ask how their career has progressed over a period and whether they are taking any continuing education. The answer will shed light on which jobs worked and which ones didn’t work for them, and whether the candidate is open to upskilling himself or herself.
Question to Avoid #4: “Why should we hire you out of all the other candidates?”
Does the candidate know the caliber of the other candidates? No. So, he is not in a position to compare himself with them. A better question would be what he thinks you need to know more about him that you haven’t discussed yet, or whether there is anything in the interview that he wishes to go back and modify.
The best way to select the right candidate is to start by asking the right questions and eliminate those that don’t add much to the final selection. As Dallas employment agencies, you have this responsibility that you can never renounce. Think about it.
