How to Ask the Right Questions to Get the Best Candidates

Finding fresh faces for your business is never easy. Sometimes, it can feel like a never-ending process which rarely yields the results you want.

As the years go by, the talent pool grows into a wonderfully diverse group, where some incredible candidates are waiting to be discovered. To ensure you have the best candidates coming into your company, you must ask some important questions. Figuring out how to do this can be a challenge, but with flawless tips, it is far from impossible.

Define your own values

If you don’t know what your company identity is, how can you expect to attract the best candidates? Your candidates will be looking for the perfect match, just as you are. If their core values don’t align with yours, or if they feel as though they don’t know what you stand for, you are likely to be disappointed with who applies to the role. More importantly, if your company possesses a set of values that is out of date with the modern world, you risk being left behind.

Recently, a keen focus on mental and physical wellbeing is key. If you prevent injury and offer mental health support at work, the right candidates will flock to you- before you even need to ask any questions.

Take inspiration from successful employers

Successful businesses are successful for various reasons, but a big part of this success is hiring the right candidates for the job. With this in mind, it would be foolish not to take inspiration from their interview process. Of course, using the same questions means your approach won’t be as personal. Putting your own twist on some useful questions means you can tailor your candidate pool to your business.

Finding this inspiration can be tricky, but you can reach it by thinking outside the box. There could have been a question you’ve been asked at some point in your career which stood out, or it could be that old but golden questions form the basis of your interviews. The more ideas you collect, the easier it will be to ask the right questions.

Don’t overlook the basic questions

When you are trying to be adventurous with your interview questions, it can be easy to get carried away. This often means overlooking the basic, but essential questions that can truly sway an application. Without these basic skills, you could be stuck in a rut with a group of candidates who have no idea of how to use their skills in the workplace.

The main areas you need to tackle are: communication; teamwork, and flexibility. You may have an extremely talented individual sat in front of you, but if they are unable to be flexible with their time, this could mean they are incompatible with your business. If they do not possess some of these attributes, but they have a spark that you are looking for, it’s wise to consider training.         

And don’t be afraid to ask the big ones

If you aren’t bold in the boardroom, you won’t attract bold candidates. Asking the big questions can be scary, even for the most experienced of employers, but it is vital for bringing fresh, confident candidates into your company. These can involve asking how they would improve your business, what they think they can bring to the company, and how they can take it into the modern world. Their responses - direct and indirect - will give you all the answers you need.

These days, you must also make sure your prospective employees know how to navigate modern technology, from HR and EHS software to CRM, ERP and other web apps. With the technological sphere only growing in workplaces, it helps to have forward thinking employees surrounding you at work. Luckily, finding these candidates is easy when you are choosing from an increasingly millennial pool.

Be honest with your applicants

If you are expecting your candidates to be honest with you, then you must be honest with them. In today’s world, there is a lot of value placed on transparency in the workplace. There is nothing to say this idea can’t be implemented before you bring new employees into the fold. If you want honest, ethical and inspiring candidates to come forward, you can attract them with your own honesty.

Developing this trust early on means that your selected candidates will do their utmost to try their best throughout the interview process, and well after they have been hired. At the end of their interview, ask candidates if they have any questions for you. If they are happy with you, and you with them, you can move onto your next step with confidence.

Keep the cycle going

It can take a while for you to perfect your interview process. Eventually, you will find one which works for your company, so you must make a note of it as soon as you find it. There will be some changes that you need to make every year, which will keep your candidate base (and therefore company) up to date with the ever-changing business world. At the end of the day, you always need to strike the perfect balance between inspiring awe in your candidates, and making them feel welcome.

To streamline your process even more, make sure you ask your current employees what they thought about your questions. Using their feedback, you can keep attracting the right candidates to your company.