When interviewing to fill a role, you should ask questions that speak to the specific skills and experience required for the job, but you should also ask questions that will help you determine whether the person is a good fit for the team and the company. For a more robust and useful conversation, incorporate these questions into every interview.
Why Did You Apply For This Specific Job?
This question will tell you whether a candidate researched your company, paid attention to the job post and spent time thinking about whether they’d be a good fit for the role. You are looking for answers that speak specifically to a candidate’s perception that they are well-aligned.
Tell Me About A Time You Were Asked To Complete A Task You Didn’t Understand
We have all received tasks and directions that we didn’t quite understand. First, make sure that the candidate is willing to admit this has happened to them. If someone pretends that they’ve never received confusing directions, they are telling you what they think you want to hear. Second, pay attention to their process for achieving clarity. Do they ask the person who assigned the task? A colleague? Or do they suffer and attempt to do the task poorly because they won’t ask for help.
Which Types of Tasks And Responsibilities Are You Looking Forward To?
This question will help you understand whether the candidate grasps the role and whether their expectations are aligned with reality. Misaligned expectations will cause problems once someone is hired, and they feel unhappy with the work they are given.
Tell Me About A Time When Things Didn’t Go The Way You Wanted At Work?
Everyone has experienced disappointments, failures and setbacks at work. Whether it’s a failed project, being passed up for a promotion or making a major mistake, it has happened to all of us. It is important to identify candidates who can admit hardships and articulate the lessons they learned in those situations.
What Type Of Leadership Experience Do You Have?
Even if the role is not supervisory or managerial, take time to ask about leadership experience. It is important to get a feel for the experience that a candidate has, motivating others, managing projects and taking ownership of outcomes. This question can help you identify people with growth potential, as well.
How Do You Keep Your Skills And Industry Knowledge Updated?
Someone who doesn’t keep up with agriculture industry trends or who doesn’t keep their skills sharp isn’t very passionate about what they do and may struggle to keep up if hired. This question also provides a great segue to a conversation about professional development.
Do You Want To Improve Your Interviewing Process?
If you are looking for top sales and marketing talent for your agriculture business, contact the expert recruiters at Morris Bixby today. Our process is designed to help improve your hiring process, delivering accurate matches quickly and cost-effectively.