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HISPANIC NETWORK MAGAZINE www.hnmagazine.com
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
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rticles about job interview ques- tions abound; search job interview ques- tions, and Google lists 3.7 million results. (Second on the list is an article I wrote on the most common job interview questions and answers that has been read by more than 8 million people.) All of which is great for job candidates: The better their interview prep - the better they can answer the interviewers questions - the more likely they are to get the job. But there's a flip side to the process. With the Great Resignation in full swing, great candi- dates are more able than ever to select the job - and the company - they want to work for. Which means you, the interviewer, need to be just as prepared to answer the candidates ques- tions - especially the candidates you really want to hire - as they are to answer yours. Here are questions great job candidates ask you must be prepared to answer.
1. What skills and qualities do your top performers possess?
Great people want to be great employees, and they know every orga- nization is different - and so are the key qualities of top performers in those organizations. What makes your top performers stand out? Maybe creativity trumps methodology. Maybe landing new customers drives greater value than building long-term relationships. Maybe your best leaders - especially if your workplace is largely virtual - are more practical than charismatic. Also, keep in mind that what you value helps define your culture. Culture isnt what you say; culture is what you do . Smart people - smart job candidates - know that.
2. What do you expect me to accomplish in the first 60 days?
Face it - being the new hire kinda sucks. The best candidates seek to overcome newbie syndrome by hit- ting the ground running. By achieving results. By accomplishing things. By proving they belong through their actions, not their credentials or experience. Theyll really want to know your expectations so they can start making a difference immediately - and join the ranks of your top performers as soon as possible. Be prepared to explain, in detail, what you want them to accomplish. Goals. Milestones. Timelines. Sure, mediocre candidates might be scared off. But great candidates will be excited by the challenge.
3. Can you tell me about something that happened at your organization that wouldnt happen elsewhere?
As Adam Grant writes, research shows most companies fall prey to organizational uniqueness bias, assuming that their companys culture is more distinctive than it really is. Pretend I just asked that question. What would you say? Given no time to prepare, youll probably talk about the time an employee went the extra mile to solve a customers problem. Or the time employees took on extra duties to give a colleague time to deal with a family emergency. Or the time you gave a long-term customer a break on payment terms because business is business, but business is really about people. Great - but just about every interviewer can tell those stories. Take the time to consider what really makes your culture different. What you or your employees do that few others do. What sets you apart and makes you the employer of choice for people with the same values and perspectives, and goals.
4. Why is this job open?
Answering is easy. Either the previous person quit, got promoted or moved laterally, or its a new position. But dont stop there. If the previous person quit, explain why. Maybe the job provided experience that allowed them to land a higher-level job elsewhere. Or they weren't a good fit, which gives you the opportunity to describe why the candidate is a good fit. If the previous person got promoted, use that to talk about opportuni- ties for growth. And if it's a new position, definitely provide context. Why the job was created. What the goals are. How the job will create value. How you hope the person hired will shape the job and its duties. If youre unprepared, the Why is this job open? question could make
Want to Hire the Best?
How to Answer 7 Tough Job Interview Questions the Best Candidates Ask with Ease
By Jeff Haden
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