New Hires, New Job - Best questions to get it right

I love this time of year. I love that the energy is high and everyone is ready for new, big, different, and better. The trick is to hang on to that energy through the first quarter and into the rest of the year. 

Many of you may be starting the year by hiring new staff or you may be the one looking for a change to a new job or career field. I had my own massive shift in 2022 by returning to my true passion of working with corporations through my own business, HAVe Strategy, where I create better people processes, from hire through retirement. I help them create “Raving Fan” employees. 

That process starts with interviewing and as you start thinking about what to ask, I would like to offer you a set of questions to help you find the right fit. And for those who are planning to start a new job search, these questions will also help as you get prepared. 

While this style of questions may seem new to you, it is a system that has been proven with decades of research and use. It’s called Behavioral Based Interviewing and it goes a step further then just finding out what they can do for you. It helps you really get to know the person.

Let’s dive into the questions. 

Question: Tell me about YOU? 

This is not a question where you are looking to get a repeat of what is already laid out on their resume. This is a question to dive into who they are as a person.

Often candidates assume that you want a resume rehash…so rephrasing this question can help create a more open conversation.

– What are the things that are most important to you in your life outside of work?

– What is your preferred work style?

– Tell me about the toughest decision you have had to make recently?

These “getting to know you” questions help you learn about the candidate as a whole person. Learning how they think, deal with challenges, and how they best work will help you understand how they will fit into your team and organization. 

Question: What concerns do you have about the company? 

Seems like an odd question, but if the candidate has done their research, they will have a few concerns and questions as no job or company is perfect. It will also allow you to address any future concerns or correct misconceptions they have about the company or where it’s headed.

Question: Tell me about a time you felt company leadership was wrong. What did you do?

Sometimes you need people to challenge decisions. To ask WHY or sometimes WHY NOT? You also want to get an idea of how they handle conflict or potential conflict with those above them and around them. 

Question: What movie, no matter how many times you’ve seen it, do you have to watch when it’s on?

This gives you an insight into their personality and what things they like. This helps you know how they will fit in your team or organization. You can also try asking for favorite movie quotes.

Question: What would you most like to learn here that would help you in the future?

Knowing where people want to improve or learn more is helpful in knowing where they want to go with their careers. This question is a better way to ask “what are your weaknesses” and highlights what they want to improve on or build on for their jobs or life. You want life long learners in your organization. 

These questions are designed to work with the basic foundations of interviewing, such as:

1. Make sure you read the full resume before you enter the interview. I can’t tell you how many managers I have worked with that forget to do this one simple thing. 

2. Have clear expectations and specific requirements for the job. Be very sure of what you are hiring for and what the job really is. Set them up for success from the beginning. 

3. Know what this position will do, how it will fit it into the team and growth plans of the organization. Knowing this yourself and being able to explain it to new hires is critical to creating raving fans and the retention of top performers. 

4. Know what success looks like for this position. Be able to articulate what success is for this position and what the time frame is for this expectation. Again, set people up for success. 

Hiring new people is the first step in creating your “Raving Fan '' employees, so it's important to be able to incorporate all of these things effectively. And, learning more about them will increase the likelihood of hiring the right fit and retaining great employees. 

If you have questions or just aren’t sure where to start in creating people processes for your company or team - hiring, retention, transitions - reach out to HAVe Strategy for support and guidance.