Top 10 Personal Interview Questions to Ask Your Candidates

Recruiting is often considered to be a daunting task. You need to think about all the aspects related to your company before hiring a candidate. With the current times of pandemic, it has become very difficult to hire qualified candidates. Hiring teams are finding it tedious to conduct preliminary job interviews and have thus, switched to video interviews for recruitment.

The personal interview questions that you ask a candidate during the preliminary round play a major role in deciding the fate of the candidate. Candidates, nowadays, have grown smarter. They search for the likely interview questions on the internet and prepare their answers for the same.

For example – What are your strengths and weaknesses? Why did you leave your last job? What are your distinct personality traits? How do you handle stress?

Now, the question is will you be able to infer anything about the candidate who has rehearsed every answer to your questions? The answer is no. Isn’t it?

Asking common personal interview questions such as the above will not be of any help as you will not know what type of person your candidate truly is. You will not be able to infer if the candidate would fit well in your company culture and follow your work ethic.

Your questions should be such that they compel the candidates to think about it for some time before going for the answer. When you follow this approach, you can observe the facial expressions and body language of the candidate. It will help you in knowing your candidate better.

We have compiled a list of personal interview questions for you.

Question #1 – If you are to describe yourself in one word, what would that word be?

This is a question that will surely surprise the candidates. The word itself will say a lot about the candidate. They will think about the right word that describes themselves. This word could also help portray the candidate’s personal strength.

It is during this time you observe their expressions and body language. You will know whether they are happy with the question or not.

Question #2 – What are your career goals?

A candidate who thinks about his career, and is ambitious enough to decide where he wants to be a few years down the lane is undoubtedly going to take your company to greater heights. The candidate can see himself growing with your company. He is willing to learn new things.

Such a dedicated, ambitious, hard-working candidate will be a boon to your organization. Wouldn’t he?

Question #3 – Why are you looking out for another job?

Look out for the reasons the candidate states for job shifting. For example, he could say he is looking for a change or looking for something more challenging than his current profile.

If a candidate talks about the work pressures at his previous or current employer, a thorough background check needs to be done. There are chances that he could have been terminated.

The reasons that the candidate gives should not speak badly about his previous/current employer. It should be a professional one. You will know the real self of the candidate upon having a discussion about the same with him.

Question #4 – What motivates you?

Motivation and determination to do something remarkable are one among the various ingredients in the recipe for success. Motivation can be derived from anything. The candidate could be motivated by an appreciation from a senior or reading inspiring stories. Know their motivation so that you can motivate them in future if need be.

Question #5 – What do you think is your weakness? What will you do to improve it?

Not every candidate you interview will talk about his weaknesses openly. You should infer that the one who prefers not to or does minimal talking about his weaknesses could be the kind of person who wouldn’t take criticism positively.

Having someone who believes in improving himself for betterment is much better than one who thinks himself to be perfect. Watch out for the measures he takes to improve upon his weakness. If he shows a positive attitude, you are good to go.

Question #6 – How do you find our company? What do you come to know about us from our website?

A diligent candidate will research your company over the web and come prepared for the interview. This question will be a chance for you to know what the candidate has understood about your company from the website. It will also help you test his communication skills.

You could even ask him to suggest a few changes that would make your website more attractive. By doing so, you will be introduced to the creative side of the candidate.

Question #7 – Why do you want to work for us?

A career-oriented person will always look for opportunities to learn something new and demonstrate those in his work. He will be eager to try out new things. He will foresee him as well as the company’s growth.

This direct question will tell you how serious the candidate is about working in your company. It will help you in taking a decision majorly.

Question #8 – How would your current boss and co-workers talk about you if given a chance?

This is one tricky question for the candidates. It is good as the candidate speaks indirectly about his work and his behavior at his workplace. If the candidate is sceptical about answering this question, you should know that something is fishy. Know that a candidate can be modest in some instances.

Question #9 – What did you do when things didn’t go right at your previous workplace? Tell us about it.

At a workplace, there occur many instances wherein a difference of opinion or some minor clashes with the teammates, etc. occur. Knowing the manner in which the candidate has reacted to such situations is a must. These situations depict the candidate’s leadership qualities. It throws light on how responsible he is in a team and his willingness to take up the initiative.

Question #10 – Do you believe in continuous development and acquiring knowledge? How would you go about with it if hired?

Most of the candidates will agree with the first part of the question. But, a candidate who has planned it all will answer the next part. He will have a detailed road map about what he wishes to learn and how long the learning process will be. He will also keep himself updated about the new developments in the particular industry.

We hope these personal interview questions prove to be of help in finding the right talent for your company. Happy Hiring!

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