The Carlton Connection

Interview Questions that Discover a Candidate’s True Personality and Cultural Fit

As a hiring manager, have all your candidate interviews begun to feel like a blur? Even with the best intentions, many hiring professionals struggle to get a sense of a candidate’s character, personality and attitude during the interview process. Unfortunately, failing to “break through” and learn more about a candidate can often result in a less than ideal hiring outcome for your organization. As you refine your interview process and aim to bring on only the best quality talent, there’s a great value in evaluating candidates for more than just their professional skills – but who they are as a person.   

Check out these three interview questions that can help you discover a candidate’s true personality – and how well they’d fit within your culture:   

Tell me about an interesting experience or encounter you’ve had recently.

This question opens the door up in a way that will let candidates describe something meaningful specifically to them. Whether it’s a personal or professional experience, you’ll give candidates an opportunity to share something that had an impact on their lives – which will indirectly reflect upon their character, personality and interests. Often a candidate’s answer may expose other aspects of their skills, knowledge and expertise. Providing an outlet for candidates to give their own narratives will ultimately enhance the interview, allowing you to better gauge cultural fit  

What attracted you to this industry?

While many employers take the route of asking candidates why they chose to apply at their company, there’s an even greater value in asking about candidates about their interest in the industry itself. Not only will this reflect upon a candidate’s knowledge of the field but show how informed they are about the latest industry trends and developments. For example, a candidate may explain that he or she entered the field because they like how it’s always changing. From this type of response, you can deduct the candidate is adaptable to change and will take a more innovative approach to their work. It’s fair to say that employees who are committed to growth and development will be best positioned to give your company a competitive edge moving forward.   

What are your pet peeves in the workplace?

There’s perhaps no better question than this one to reveal how a candidate behaves at work. Depending on the candidate’s answer, you can learn a lot about how he or she interacts with colleagues and overcomes challenges on the job. For example, candidates who immediately begin complaining about their former bosses or coworkers will indicate poor teamwork skills, as well as an overall lack of professionalism. Everyone has some pet peeves, but the way in which candidates describe them can tell you a lot about their emotional intelligence and how they conduct themselves in the workplace  

As retention becomes increasingly important, interviews continue to present the best opportunity to delve into candidates’ personalities. Incorporating the questions above in your interview process will ultimately help you make the best hiring decisions for your culture and company at large.    

Looking to Add to Your Talented Team? Contact Carlton Staffing! 

Headquartered in Houston, TX, Carlton Staffing has remained committed to providing innovative staffing solutions to Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth companies for over 30 years. Get in touch today and learn how a staffing partnership with Carlton Staffing will help your organization reach its workforce development goals.  

 

 

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