According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 77.8% of businesses were looking for strong leaders who can work well with a team. Technical skills are important, but finding a candidate who can seamlessly integrate with your key players is vital to the success of your workplace environment. One way to unearth the best candidates is to ask behavioral questions. Behavioral questions hone in on applicant’s non-technical strengths and provide insight into character and inter-personal aptitude.
Question Everything
Behavioral questions should form the foundation of your interview, as they can tap into the candidate’s character, leaving you with a clearer, more complete picture of the applicant. Behavioral questions can enhance your interview process, but since every company culture is different, the questions noted here may need to be refined (Need more questions? Henderson State University has posted every possible type of behavioral question on its website.)
Shepherd or Wolf?
Questions or scenarios concerning leadership should focus on integrity in the position and interpersonal skills. A true leader will have an understanding of others and an appreciation for various points of view.
- “Describe a situation when you needed to persuade a person or team to accept a decision you made.” Leadership is beyond being the boss: it’s about helping others embrace your vision. The applicant may have never held a formal leadership position, but this request will highlight the applicant’s capability.
- “Have you ever made a mistake at work?” This type of question goes beyond the typical “Explain your weakness” query. It asks for a specific instance of failure. The answer here should be specific; the interviewer is listening for how the applicant took responsibility for the mistake and corrected it. Red flags should wave if the applicant claims no mistakes or places the blame for problems on others.
- “How do you handle two team members who cannot work well together?” Striking at the heart of leadership, this question elucidates the approach to management style. The interviewer should listen carefully for how the applicant managed to get the employees to harmonize.
Everything is Awesome…
Teamwork is central to the work environment, but every employee brings something special to the table. These questions open up the conversation about participation.
- “Think of the teams you have been on. What was your role on those teams?” Not every person will be the team leader all the time. This question provides insight to the various positions the applicant has taken in different teams. The title of the position on these teams is not necessarily important; this question is designed to extract the nature of the applicant’s interactions.
- “Do you work better on a team or as an individual?” The best applicants can work well in either situation, but will show some strength in a particular direction. While teams move the company forward, it is the individual efforts of employees that make your company great.
Sounding Them Out
Engaging in business requires you to constantly make decisions. Applicants who have exercised sound judgement in the past are more likely to create value at your company than those who haven’t.
- “Was there a situation at work that required you to exercise a lot of self-control?” Interacting with others on a regular basis always leads to some difficulties: dissatisfied clients, crabby co-workers, or stressed managers. Self-control is critical to driving a positive work environment and developing beneficial outcomes.
- “Our company manages confidential information for high-profile clients. What is your approach to protecting client data?” Privacy is a key component to doing business—any applicant with a strong understanding and powerful respect for others’ information is going to be an asset to your team. On the other hand, an applicant who shrugs off confidentiality issues may not be the right person for the job.
If you are looking to be proactive in your IT recruiting, Resolute Technologies can help. Our understanding of market trends, strong industry connections, broad applicant base, and solid recruiting experiences can serve to support and connect you with the resources you need.