Some managers encounter a mental block when in an interview. A checklist of questions makes it easier to provide revealing answers from a job candidate. Martin Yate, an employment analyst and best-selling author, has collected more than 20 questions that are of use in most interview settings. According to Yate, some of the most important skill sets we can have for employers in the coming years are:
- understanding the necessity of taking direction
- ability to work with others
- speed and mental processing
- analytical skills.
The following questions serve to outline these areas with a job candidate:
- How do you determine your priorities?
- How do you plan your week?
- How do you plan your day?
- What special characteristics should I consider about you?
- Why are you interviewing with us?
- What have you done that shows initiative and willingness to work?
- If you were hiring for this position, what would you be looking for?
- What was the job's biggest challenge?
- How many levels of management did you interact with?
- What kind of work interests you most?
- How would you describe the ideal job or you?
- What happens when two priorities compete for your time?
- What's the toughest communication problem you faced?
- When have your verbal communications been important enough to follow up in writing?
- Tell me about the time when someone has lost his/her temper at you in a business environment.
- Have you ever worked in a place where it seemed to be just one crisis after another?
- How did you handle it? How did you feel?
- What do you see as some of your most pressing developmental needs?
- Define cooperation.
- What quality should a successful manager possess?
- How have past managers gotten the best out of you?
- A two-part question. Describe the best manager you've ever had. Describe the toughest manager you've ever had.
- And last, for what have you been most frequently criticized?