Finding the right employees is very important for your company. Whenever you leave, or simply want to take a break, you should be able to rely on your staff. Leaving your business in the hands of other people is never easy, but leaving it in the hands of the right people is always a relief.

On most cases, we won’t be able to tell whether a person is genuine or not when they interview. That is because most of the times, people put on different masks when they are interviewed. These are the people pleasers, and the employees that you don’t want. They will try to look differently than they are just to please you. Make sure you analyze them carefully before giving them the job.

Other times, we find awesome people with awesome personalities ready to take the job, but that is when we ask ourselves – are they really that awesome? We just can’t believe it. Everything seems to be perfect about them, so we are afraid we might find out something new that could disappoint us.

In any case, even though everyone’s behavior is different, you can usually tell whether a person is telling the truth or not by using some simple observation techniques.

I made a list of tips you can look into before you interview your prospective employees. Hope it helps! Leave a comment and feedback below the article if you like it, and tell us your experiences!

Amazing Tips on How to Evaluate Candidates During Interview

#1. Ask Personal Questions That Takes Them Out of the Comfort Zone

Taking a person out of his or her comfort zone says a lot about that person. Asking an out of the box question will give you a real perspective upon your interviewee. The way in which they answer these types of questions is going to reveal many things about their personalities. And you have to find out as many things about them as you can, in the shortest period of time, right? So ask away! Here are some ideas of out-of-the-comfort-zone interview questions:

• How would your best friend describe you? – if they answer the question using too many formal words, you know they are not honest. I mean, seriously, who would describe their friend as being “proactive and dynamic in the work place?”
• What is the reason why I should hire you? – if they stop for a second, think, and come back with a poor answer, they do not know their qualities very well, and they are not sure of their potential.
• What was your first thought after seeing the job description? –Their opinions do not really matter, honestly. What it matters is their honesty regarding the subject. If all they have to say about the job is a good thing, your company is either perfect in all aspects, or they’re lying.
• If you could be any other person in the world, who would you be? – Depending on their answers, you can tell whom they admire, and how their personalities could develop.

 #2. Ask Them About Previous Jobs

A good employer has knowledge of his employees’ previous work experience. Asking them how they felt about their jobs makes you understand their expectations. It is not only about you hiring the right person – it is about mutual respect and ability to communicate. It is about them fitting into the work space. For example, you could find a person with the best qualities in the world, but they might simply not get along with your other employees. Knowing what fits where is your job, so make sure you get a clear background of their pasts.

Daniel Cusco, CEO at RushMyEssay UK, shares his opinion. “It is crucial that you ask your interviewees to develop on their past experiences. That shows how devoted and involved they were, and how much impact they are going to bring in. If they didn’t make a big difference at the former office, there is a high chance they won’t make one here either.”

Here are some examples on what you could ask:

• What are your work life expectations?
• When you came in, did you notice something that could be changed? What about in your past working space? Was there anything that needed to be added, or dismissed?
• What was your relationship with your ex-colleagues?
• How would you respond to somebody’s personal attack on you?
• Give me an example of a time when you stood up for yourself in the office.

#3. Ask About Their Personalities

The best way to make the best out of your interview is ask a lot of questions. As you’ve seen, we have already given you some ideas. But hey! There are more to come. Personality wise, it is very hard to make a choice between employees. Sometimes, the energetic people fit better in your office, but other times, the quieter ones are more appreciated. It really depends on your work setting, and eventually, on how people interact with each other. Here are some questions that could help you determine whether a person is the right fit or not.

• Would you rather take initiative in solving a new task, or wait for guidelines?
• Do you prefer team work or solo work, and why?
• What are you passionate about, and what is your most interesting life-fact?
• How did you react when a manager did not respond well to your work results? Give examples.

By using the above questions, you can tell many things about a person. For starters, leaders will stand out and take initiative. They will like working in a team because that means they might get the chance to lead it. On the other hand, quieter people might choose to work solo, and might have less leadership skills. That does not mean that they are not good workers – it just means they might not be as active and outstanding as the leaders. So, it pretty much depends on what you need in your office.

#4. Ask About People That Influenced Their Lives

Asking your prospective employees about their role models is a good strategy to know them better. For example, if someone’s role model is Barack Obama, you pretty much know what to expect, and where they are in the political spectrum. That is good information, since you might already be familiar with your office’s political views. You don’t want to bring in a person whose views might create conflict. I am not talking about republican vs. democrat. I am referring to extreme cases (e.g. A. Hitler being their role model).

When you ask them about their favorite person, make sure you ask for the details as well, so you can get a complete picture of why they admire that person. Here are a few examples (as always):

• What is your favorite character in our country’s history? Why?
• If you were to change something about our world, what would it be?
• How do you respond to opposite points of view (even political)?
• Would you be able to work with someone whose views are different than your own?
• What did your favorite person in the world accomplish, and by what means? Do you find yourself in him/her?

#5. Ask About Their Productivity

In order to get to know them even deeper, make sure you ask relevant questions. Try not to deviate from the subject, as tempting as it might be. In the end, you need to know if they are fit for your company or not, so make the best out of your time.

You must be aware of your employees’ productivity rates. Their resumes might show it, but asking is more relevant, and it gives the discussion a personal note. You might ask questions such as:

• What is the most enjoyable work you’ve done? Why was it enjoyable? – It gives you clues on what type of work they enjoy and do best
• What would your colleagues/former employees say it’s your biggest weakness? – It shows where they lack confidence
• What kind of volunteer activities have you done and why? – It gives you a sense of whether they are more productive working in a team or not
• Are you a punctual person? – Give me an example of a moment when you have not been punctual. What were the consequences? – Gives insight in their private lives, see if they feel bad about not being on time.

#6. What is Their Favorite Role in a Company?

Your job description has certain requirements. The person applying must have read them thoroughly, since they are attending an interview. Make sure you ask specific question to see how much they know about the job. Focus on what responsibilities they would like to have, and how that could have a positive impact on the company. Pay attention to their briefness, and if they do not use enough words, ask them as many questions as you wish. Don’t let a good candidate slip through your fingers only because they haven’t answered a question entirely. Take a look at some potential questions:

• Why did you apply for this position?
• Why are you the best candidate for the position?
• What do you know about the job, why did it interest you in the first place?
• If I won’t give you the job, where are you going to end up working? Why?
• What skills do you have that could benefit this job and implicit, my company?
• How effective were you in the past? Was your performance good, very good, close to perfection? Give examples.

#7. Ask a Random Question

Random questions do not have to be icebreakers. They can be part of the interview, especially if you are looking for a candidate with good imagination. Creativity is really important in the work place, regardless of the job description. Thus, make sure you test the candidates on their imagination, and see how they do if you put themselves in a think-fast kind of situation.

If they answer quickly, and smartly, they might be great sales men. If their response is slower, they might not have such great creativity skills. But hey! That’s fine. Maybe they are good at something else! Most of the candidates won’t have it all anyways! If they are funny, that is a big plus too!

Some questions you might want to look into:

• What do you think about when you drive alone?
• What is your best high-school memory? Your worst?
• What is the funniest thing that happened to you in the last month?
• What inspires you?
• Describe the color red to someone who is blind.
• What songs describes your work ethic the best?

#8. Test Them Using a Made-Up Scenario

A behavioral interview is recommended for salesmen or brokers, but other employers could benefit from these questions too. First, give your interviewee a context. For example, “You have a customer who is not willing to discuss features of your merchandise because they had a past altercation with the company.”

Next, ask them to take action, and ask questions such as:

• What is the first thing you would do?
• Would you talk to a supervisor before coming back with an answer?
• How would you convince them to listen to you without being too persuasive?

You will get different answers. One example could be “I will listen to that person’s story and understand her point of view. I would then go on and explain why this time things are different, since she has me now. I will make her trust me by all means, and I would never let her down.” Such an answer deserves a 10+ on problem solving!

If her answer is not directly connected to the question, make sure you note that down. That means she might have issues understanding the message, and that is not a good thing for communication within the company.

Wrapping Up

My advice for you – do not have expectations. Because with every answer that you get, you will only be more and more disappointed; you might even end up not hiring anybody.

Listen to the candidates’ perspectives, and try to understand where they come from. Do not be too harsh on them. They might be emotional, or even a little bit anxious. Make sure you use icebreakers, but do not hesitate to ask personal questions: that’s how you know if they are the right fit or not. Act formal, but give the interviewee the feeling of openness – they have to want to work there too, you know?

Author bio:

Brandon is interested in marketing, writing and editing. He writes on different topics related to career and HR-management. He really loves playing the piano and collecting unique books. He is also a contributor to RushMyEssay. You can find him on Twitter and Facebook.

* * *

There is a subtle difference between a good and a great HR management software. Know how we deliver nothing but “Great” by starting your 14-day free trial at CakeHR!