Others’ Responses:

– OK, I read most of these and you’re right, lots of tricking and cajoling going on. Why try to trick and cajole a potential employee instead of asking genuine questions to find out who they are and if they fit the job and culture or not? I don’t like it one bit when someone asks me what environment I work best in. Next time, I’m just going to say, “Yours.” I mean why not? If I’m being tricked and cajoled, I might as well show my best asset, a sense of humor, impeccable work ethic and a no-nonsense approach to work. You don’t need to trick me to find out. Call my references or call anyone you like at my previous jobs. Call outside customers I handled. I don’t care. If companies think tricking folks is a good idea, they are dead wrong and they are passing up good candidates. A creative interview, to me, is great fun, but companies who pin hopes on a person who says they want to be a shark over a koala, please. The best interview question I’ve ever been asked is, “When do want to start?” which is the way I got my job at both IBM (11 yrs) and Hewlett Packard (17 years).

– The best interview question I had was: “If you were to die tonite, what would your friends say at your funeral, describe them one by one”

– My favourite question is “Tell me about a time when you failed and what you learned from it?”. An interviewee will tell me enough about their positive attributes & skills. I want to know when adversity strikes how they’re likely to react!

– You asked for an interview “piece.” I can give you a few questions that I would ask, some based upon the last few months of interviews I’ve had. Of course, these or any questions depend upon what you are looking for.
1. How do you learn best? What are the steps you would take to teach someone a skill or set of skills.
2. If you find yourself being pulled in many directions on any given day at work, how do you go about getting everything done?
3. What would cause you to quit a job?
4. I need someone to learn otj by asking questions of busy co-wokers all day.
Can you handle this and still get the job done?
5. Tell me about your favorite manager – what made them so good?
6. How would you handle the following: Ask about a real and pithy situation that showcases an interviewee’s style, versatility and capability to grasp, handle, resolve a challenge they might actually face.
I would stick to questions like #6 as that is likely to allow you to see and make decisions about the real deal in the chair and not impose questions that could confuse or actually cause them to wonder about your intentions. If this occurs, you, as interviewer could end up w/a mismatch or missing out on a great employee.

– The best interview questions ask what the candidate “has done” not what “would you do” speaking to true experiences versus hypothetical situations. If the candidate has not faced the situation then you rate the answer as that.

– Here is a question I like to ask: if there was something you could have done a better job at in your present position or previous position what would it be and what would you do different?

– What can i do for you?!

– Not sure about question eight….perhaps re-phrase, you might open an unintended Pandora’s Box. Someone might feel compelled to reveal something too personal, not related to qualifications or job performance at all, thinking that in this situation they HAVE to, or it is expected. Maybe ask, “What is the biggest mistake you have ever made in your work life….”

– I had jury duty a few years ago. I got call to the jury box and the judge asked me what I did for a living, I’m in market research. He ask, “what was the oddest thing someone asked you to research?” I answered with “over the counter sperm counters”, now keep in mind that the trial was about and man exposing himself. The lawyers dismissed me. If your looking for a way to get out of Jury Duty, your welcome to use the over the counter sperm counter story.

– I think it was “if you were to write a book about your recruitment process what would be the chapters of your book.”

– Best by far: “In about ten minutes, walk me through your résumé. Tell me what you did, why it was important, why and how you transitioned from it to your next role, and how it is relevant to the position you’re applying for today.”

– How have you helped the development of your peer group professionally and personally

– Follow along with me here. In the age of social media, pretend you have 500 Facebook friends. 50 of them are true, close friends and/or family. The rest you have met in passing, etc. If I called one of the 450, and they said they did not like you, what would be their reason for not liking you?

My Response:

– Best Question I Ever Asked: “Why do you have 10 jobs in the past 10 years?” I love grilling people on work history because it saves the hiring manager time.

– Best Question I Was Asked: “What’s the vacation days like?” or “When do I get paid?” from a general laborer on his first day of work at his very first meeting. Don’t be that guy. Wait until a few days in if you’re unsure and missed that information during the interview process. Or if you must on day one, maybe at lunch at least.