Employer Interview Questions

As a business owner you will eventually need to ask employer interview questions. This article talks about employment interview questions and gives you a list of best interview questions to ask when interviewing job applicants.

This article on employer interview questions has been contributed by Michael Petras of Job Interview Wisdom. Mike has over 14 years recruitment experience and he shares some of his best interview questions with you here.

Best Employer Interview Questions

By Michael Petras

These proven employer interview questions will definitely make your hiring decisions easier for you.

Fact:
The number one complaint of business owners during normal economic times is..."we can't find enough good talent". Hiring the right people at the right time can minimize the pain of your start up and shorten your ramp up time.

Wise Old Saying:
A company doesn't compete with another company. A company's people competes with another company's people. Whoever has the best people has the competitive edge.

What does it mean to hire the best people? How do you define best?

True Story:
I owned a small executive recruiting business from 1996 to 2009. Several years ago, one of our client companies made the comment, "We are only going to hire the brightest candidates with the greatest potential for advancement. We want the best of the best."

Candidates were put through a rigorous panel interview process. Good candidates were often eliminated because they didn't have an MBA, or they didn't attend a prestigious enough university to suit management. Even after running a dozen candidates through their hiring gauntlet, it would often take 2-3 months before a candidate was worthy enough to be hired.

At the time, this seemed like a reasonable hiring strategy. After all, how could they possibly go wrong hiring the best and the brightest?

Fast forward 3 years. The best and the brightest were leaving the company in droves. What happened?

Two things.

First, these all stars hired on with the expectation that they were on a fast track to a promotion. With so many All-Stars in the ranks and only a couple of promotions opening up a year, they felt betrayed by the company. So, they folded their tents and rode out of Dodge looking for greener pastures.

Second, sometimes people hire on with a company to tread water until something better comes along. They need a job to pay the bills, or they need to pick up a specific skill set that your company may provide them. When good times return, they leave.

The impact on this company was significant. It is expensive and time consuming to hire and train new people, only to watch them walk out the door in less than 3 years. No one likes turnover...especially customers. This company learned the hard way that the best person for the job could be "Steady Eddie"...a graduate of a local community college, but loyal, hard working, and dependable.

Fact:
Often times the most dependable workers in an organization seem pretty ordinary. They may not light up a room or even prepare eye popping resumes. But, you can depend on them to follow your lead and deliver results for you day after day.

I'm not suggesting you hire a bunch of mediocre people for your company. You definitely need a high performer or two on your team. But, the secret to building a cohesive, balanced organization is to avoid setting your hiring standards too high.

Hiring good, solid support people along with a 1 or 2 All-Stars will create the ideal work environment to put your company firmly on the map. And, they will likely stick with you for many years to come.

Best Interview Questions

1. What are your strengths?
2. What was one of your greatest accomplishments?
3. What are your weaknesses?
4. Where do you see yourself 3-5 years from now?
5. What was the biggest mistake you ever made, and what did you learn from it.
6. Tell me about a time when you had to work with someone who was difficult to get along with or you didn't like.
7. What qualities do you look for in a boss?
8. Describe the ideal working environment to do your best work.
9. Share with me an idea or improvement you implemented that made a difference.
10. Give me an example of an important goal you set and describe your progress in achieving that goal.

Professional Bio:
Mike Petras is a veteran Executive Recruiter of 14 years and also spent 20 years in the Recreational Vehicle Industry as a Sales Director. He hired and trained over 50 sales professionals. Many of these individuals have since gone on to become Directors, Executives, and Presidents of companies both inside and outside the RV Industry. Mike conducts community workshops for job seekers and career changers on a volunteer basis. Visit his free website for more job interview tips and advice at:
http://www.job-interview-wisdom.com.

Copyright 2009. Job-interview-wisdom.com. All rights reserved.

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