The Five Best Interview Questions

The Five Best Interview Questions

Here are the best questions I’ve found over the years, starting with my all-time favorite.

1. What is your colleagues’ biggest misconception about you?  In all likelihood, the candidate has never heard this question, but it is a question he should be able to answer with a little thought. Give him a little time to think—after all, that’s part of what you’re trying to uncover: how does he react when something new is thrown his way.  This question can be used at any level of the organization or in any industry.  It doesn’t require special knowledge about anything except himself—and your candidate should be an expert about himself! It does require self-awareness and willingness to think a bit differently.  One frequent answer is “Nothing—I’m a very open person—what you see is what you get.”  I generally probe a bit with that answer, but you have to judge based on the candidate’s reaction. 
2. Case study.  I love using case studies for positions where the candidate will have to make decisions with less than complete information and for positions where the candidate will be required to do analytical problem solving.  The idea is to ask him to think about something in a way they’ve never  thought about before. As long as the answer is reasonable, I don’t worry about it being “correct.” I am interested in how they think the process through and how they deal with the ambiguity of the situation.  I suggest having them think out loud so you can follow the process and answer questions they might have. (No, they cannot use the computer, their iPhone, or anything else. They just have to think the problem through.) Some examples of case studies might include: How many pianos are there in New York City? How many eggs does the local coffee shop use in a day?
3. Please tell me about a time when you changed someone’s mind. What was the situation? What did you do? What happened?  This particular behavioral-based interview question is one of my favorites.  As the ability to work in teams becomes ever more important in the workforce, influencing people and working in a collaborative manner are critical skills.
4. Please tell me about a time when you changed your own mind. What was the situation? What did you do? What happened? Closely related to the previous inquiry, this question is designed to highlight whether the candidate is open to new ideas and new ways of thinking.  Depending on the position I’m interviewing for or the answer I hear, I may ask for a second example just to be sure that she has demonstrated real  adaptive ability as opposed to changing her mind one time in a moment of weakness.
5. If you were going to convince a friend or colleague to apply for this position, what might you tell them? Assuming you’ve done the prescreening well, you can be fairly certain that the candidate has the skills for the position. Hopefully, you’ve also figured out that she has a natural fit, the instinctive modus operandi, to be a good fit for the job and for working with the hiring manager.  Now you need to know if she has desire to bring her passion for the position and the company to work every day.  This question will help you understand how much research she has done on the company as well as give you some insight as to the attitude and zeal she’ll bring to your department.

What are your favorite, most effective interview questions?

Learn more about Judi Cogen and J Grace Consulting at www.JGraceConsulting.net and you can find articles she’s written on www.EzineArticles.com . You can also follow Judi on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/JudiCogen.