The job interview has long been considered the main event in the recruitment process – https://resumegets.com/. But some recruiters now suspect that their interactions with candidates are in fact useless.
According to a LinkedIn study, 63% of typical job interviews miss candidates’ soft skills. Over 40% of interviewers are said to be influenced by recruitment bias.
Convinced by the figures, more and more recruiters are starting to recruit data-driven, and seek to make their recruitment criteria objective.
The Recruitment Questionnaire is proving to be an indispensable tool for data-driven recruiting. He helps HR teams prepare interview questions and tests that will highlight the best candidate on an objective basis.
Find here a list of job interview questions to inspire you and create your questionnaire.
Build a recruitment questionnaire from the candidate persona
Far from the clichés of a spontaneous meeting between the company and its future employees, an effective job interview is prepared with meticulousness.
It all starts with the ideal candidate persona. The HR teams have identified the skills, qualities and talents necessary for a successful position. The candidate performs the same analysis from the recruitment advertisement.
It is now a question of taking this reference profile and assigning a score to each element according to its importance.
The recruitment questionnaire must translate this list of priority characteristics into an interview guide common to all recruiters. This one covers:
- the eliminatory aspects of the candidacy (eg: availability…);
- the technical skills and professional experience mobilized by the position;
- the candidate’s personality and motivations;
- and its compatibility with the corporate culture and its talent acquisition strategy.
Of course, the answers to some questions will contribute to several categories. The ability to analyze the candidate’s speech and the behaviors observed during the interview is among the recruiter’s talents.
He is not alone in the face of the challenge. Data-driven recruiting encourages collaborative recruiting. By weighing their ratings, interviewers come closer to making the most objective hiring decision possible.
The questions put to the candidate are not intended to “trap” him. The candidate experience plays out in large part during the job interview. A recruiter who adopts an antagonistic or condescending position risks the reputation of his employer brand.
Better to foster a candidate relationship of trust. Moreover, nothing prevents recruiters from extending their recruitment questionnaire to all the talents sought by the company. Candidates rejected in an initial procedure often top the company’s talent pool.
Validate the prerequisites of the position
The most successful recruitment processes include a pre-screening step before the physical meeting, such as a delayed video interview. If this is not the case, it is high time to validate the prerequisites for the position.
- Can you introduce yourself?
Starting with a classic subject, this question demonstrates the candidate’s ability to enhance his career. A fluid speech and an emphasis on the most relevant assets inform the recruiter about the objectives and the determination of the candidate.
- What interests you about this job?
The candidate unveils their motivations in outline, and the recruiter determines their compatibility with the company’s vision.
This is also the opportunity to initiate the first exchange and implicitly confirm to the candidate that the position meets their expectations. It is up to him to listen attentively to the presentation of the HR teams and to draw the necessary conclusions.
- What are your three main qualities?
- Variant: What are your three main flaws/areas for improvement?
Needless to say, the candidate who settles for clichés (“ I’m too perfectionist ”, really?) loses points. Now is the time to prove a sincere desire to talk to the recruiter. Moreover, he will refrain from drawing hasty conclusions. The purpose of this question is to build trust, not to immediately judge the character of the candidate.
- What are your salary expectations?
Recruiters have an unfortunate tendency to approach the issue of salary later and later. On the contrary, it should be addressed from the pre-selection stage. On the one hand, to avoid wasting time if the figures given prove to be incompatible. And on the other hand, to give both parties time to think about room for negotiation (benefits, salary progression, etc.).
- What are your availabilities?
We think about it less, but the professional and personal availability of the candidate can prove to be eliminating. For example, it is possible that the candidate is subject to long notice, or that the company does not offer a satisfactory work-life balance. This logistical question can also inspire arguments for wage negotiations.
Test the candidate’s skills and experience
Recruitment tests are another crucial step in an objective process. If this does not include a skills test, personality test, or even validation of experience, the recruiter may choose to use the interview for this purpose.
- Do you speak English?
- Variant: What is 325 x 12? Where is the error in this line of code?
The well-prepared candidate suspects that their skills may be tested during the interview, especially if the process does not include an HR test. And his expertise should allow him to respond without difficulty.
However, the recruiter risks sending a negative signal to the candidate. Does he really claim to measure his talents in a few quick questions? Rather, he gives the unpleasant impression of trying to “trick” his interlocutor.
In short: nothing can replace a recruitment test carried out under good conditions.
- How many McDonald’s do you think there are in France?
- Variant: How would you escape from a burning car? Who will be our next Prime Minister? Or any pseudo-cryptic question of the same ilk.
Typical of certain sectors such as strategy consulting, these “puzzles” test above all the nerves of the candidate. And why not! Self-control and eloquence are essential for many professions. They also validate reasoning skills, as well as certain general knowledge.
Unfortunately, the more mature candidates rarely enjoy the “little games” that recruiters seem to lend themselves to at their expense. To test the same talents, it is better to opt for a case study related to the position. Or better: gamify the job interview and strengthen the candidate experience.
- Tell me about a situation where you led a difficult negotiation / convinced a new client / coordinated an outsourced team…?
Much more consensual, the exchanges on the candidate’s experience deepen the exploration of the CV. The candidate can turn them to his advantage, by showcasing both his skills and his ability to organize his remarks. The STAR method gives some benchmarks to structure an effective response – and objective analysis on the recruiter side:
- Situation – description of the context;
- Work – or challenge;
- Action was taken by the candidate;
- and results obtained.
Bonus if the candidate takes the initiative to indicate tangible and relevant results, which help the recruiter to take the measure of his professional performance.
Identify the candidate’s personality thanks to the recruitment questionnaire
For the recruiter, it is neither a question of trusting his instinct nor of “playing shrinks”. His objective is limited to objectively validating a few character traits deemed essential for the position.
To this end, it mobilizes:
- His sense of observation. Many personal qualities can be detected in the field, during the interview. For example, to assess the sense of organization, the recruiter may ask if the candidate has obviously prepared for the interview if he is punctual if he thinks before answering if he has a good career plan. arrested…
- His ability to take a step back. The answer to a question on the personality of a candidate can only be understood as “good” or “bad” in relation to a specific professional context. Moreover, despite their natural tendencies, most employees adapt their behavior to their professional environment.
- A recognized personality test, of the MBTI type, and ideally conducted by an expert who will know how to interpret it in a way that is useful for the company.
- Failing that, a few targeted questions may reveal certain personality traits of the candidate.
- How do you like to recharge your batteries?
It is always interesting to discover the candidate’s hobbies. But the real point of this question is whether the person is more of an introvert or an extrovert. You might as well know from the start if people-to-people exchanges wear out an aspiring sales manager!
- What can make you decide to change your schedule?
Sounds like a trick question, but some occupations require flexibility in adapting to constant changes in priority. Other positions will favor candidates who can stick to Plan A without being distracted.
- What would you do if, in order to achieve a goal, you had to alienate part of your team?
Business life requires employees to prioritize their requirements. Depending on the context, it will be better to pursue a result alone or to maintain team cohesion at all costs.
- Why are you leaving your current employer?
- Variant: Looking back, what do you think of your studies?
Mistrust of the candidate who openly denigrates his former employer – even with good reason! Codes of professionalism require candidates to explain themselves tactfully, remaining positive.
- Which project are you most proud of?
- Variant: What is the most constructive criticism you have ever received?
Please note, we are not talking about formal success or failure, but rather an experience that the candidate personally values. It’s about exploring your values and motivations.
Create the meeting between candidate and corporate culture
Critics accuse data-driven recruitment of dehumanizing recruitment. Yet, on the contrary, it aims to place corporate culture at the heart of hiring decisions. And for good reason: 9 out of 10 unsuccessful recruitments are due to cultural incompatibility between the employee and his new company.
The recruitment questionnaire will therefore seek to assess the candidate’s behavior, in particular his interactions with (future) members of his team.
Some markers of cultural compatibility can be identified during the interview.
To do this, the recruiter lists the characteristics of the corporate culture that will have the most impact on the open position. Then he observes the modes of interaction that the candidate spontaneously prefers.
For example, we can imagine a recruitment questionnaire seeking to score the following behaviors:
- Does the candidate adopt a relaxed level of language and dress, or on the contrary very formal?
- Does he show visible enthusiasm towards the recruiter or rather a professional reserve?
- How much effort does the candidate make to collaborate with the HR team?
But nothing beats a few direct questions to supplement recruiters’ observations.
- What characteristics are you looking for in your next business?
- Variant: What makes you get up in the morning?
This question is similar to another, asked during the preselection. But a broad question like ” What interests you about this job? ” mostly tests interview preparation. Here, it is about giving the candidate the opportunity to further explain his motivations. It lists its motivational levers, and facilitates their comparison with the company’s vision.
- Who is our main competitor?
- Variant: What will be the main challenges for our market in the next 5 years?
The business vision is obviously a decisive part of the corporate culture. Moreover, beyond their content, more informal exchanges between candidate and recruiter give them the opportunity to assess their mutual behavior.
- What do you plan to do during your first 30 days in office?
- Variants: How do you think this position will have evolved in 5 years? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? How do you organize your work? What’s the best way a manager can support you?
A good recruiting questionnaire should include several such questions; but their purpose remains the same. They aim to better understand the working methods favored by the candidate, and to assess their compatibility with those of the existing team.
- What can annoy you about your colleagues?
Beyond testing the candidate’s courtesy and adaptability, this question can prevent serious interpersonal tensions.
- If you had to hire someone for this role, what profile would you look for?
The role reversal helps the candidate to project himself into the company, and to put forward his critical thinking. To the candidate who is content to sell his profile, we prefer the one who takes the measure of his weak points, or who shares a vision of development of his talents.
- How would you describe the culture of the company?
The data-driven recruiter must keep in mind that he too is subject to an evaluation by the candidate. And the job interview is an opportunity to get direct feedback on the effectiveness of the HR marketing strategy! A discussion of the employer brand helps to correct any erroneous messages about the company’s vision. And soliciting a candidate return strengthens the relationship of trust between him and the company.