Screening Questions to Help You Narrow the Candidate List

Interviews aren’t just stressful for prospective employees; they can also be a challenge for the people doing the hiring. Because job turnover can cost companies a great deal of money in the long run, it’s important to screen potential workers carefully. An essential part of the hiring process, interviews should tell you more about a candidate than what’s listed on his or her resume. At Here’s Help, we have been providing trusted staffing services for more than 25 years. Here are just a few of our suggestions for great screening questions to help narrow your candidate list and find the best employees for your company:

Why are you leaving your present job?

Although you won’t always get a straight answer, asking a prospective employee why he left his last position can offer valuable insight into his personality and work ethic. While it’s common for workers to change jobs more frequently these days, candidates who seem especially negative about previous positions may not last long in your employ either. When it doubt, go with the candidate who left to seek new opportunities rather than to escape her present situation.

How would you describe your best supervisor?

Just as it can be useful to ask candidates about their reasons for leaving previous positions, hiring managers should take the time to inquire about past supervisors. By inviting prospective employees to describe their best bosses, you can gain valuable information about work and communications styles and even determine if candidates will jive with your existing managerial staff.

How would you rank your skill at BLANK on a scale of 1 to 10?

These days many businesses are streamlining their staffs in an effort to cut costs. As a result, there may be little time allotted for training employees who aren’t up to the task. To maximize your odds of hiring workers with appropriate experience, ask candidates to rank their skills in various areas using a 1 to 10 scale. Want to save time during the interview process? Email a questionnaire as a first step to ensure your candidate has the necessary Microsoft Office skills before conducing that phone or in-person interview.

What can I tell you about our business?

The best employees are the ones who not only listen and follow instructions but also engage and ask questions, and the same holds true for job candidates. By asking their interviewee to ask questions of them, hiring managers can boost their chances of finding candidates who are truly interested in helping the company grow.

Contact Here’s Help for Your Hudson Valley Staffing

At Here’s Help, we pride ourselves on providing expert staffing services to companies throughout the Hudson Valley area. From locating candidates to conducting thorough and effective interviews, we specialize in helping you find the right candidate the first time, every time.

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