Page 24 - Boost Your Hiring

10 Boost Your Hiring IQ

ANSWERS
The Strongest Question
(A) Although any of these questions could assist you in gaining
valuable information, this question is the strongest because it
asks for information that requires some original thought on
the part of the candidate.
In the event that all the candidates you are interviewing for
the position are equally qualified, you will be looking for a
“tie-breaker” or some quality that will distinguish this person
from the competition.

The Mediocre Question
(C) This question, like question (A), may catch the candidate off
guard. What you are really asking is, “What are the strengths
that you bring to this job?” But by asking the question and
using more original wording, you may find that you get more
information and thought from the candidate.
A bonus from this question is that you can determine what
research the candidate has done and how familiar he or she is
with the job description/posting.

The Weakest Question
(B) Somewhere there is a rule written that states, “You should
never begin a question with the word why.” The word why
puts candidates on the defensive, and they feel they must de-
fend themselves or withhold something from the interviewer
because they feel they will be judged unfairly.
A better way to ask this question is: “What can you bring to
this position that the other candidates cannot?”

RATE YOURSELF
If you chose question (A), give yourself 5 points.
If you chose question (C), give yourself 3 points.
If you chose question (B), give yourself 0 points. _____

You should avoid beginning a question with the word why. It puts
candidates on the defensive.