When you are in the process of filling an open position, the interview stage is vital to qualify a candidate and understand them as a professional. The interview is also a prime chance to assess how the candidate will fit into your unique company culture. Use these 10 questions to assess the culture fit of a candidate.
1. What gets you excited to come into work?
This first question helps you get into the motivations of a candidate. What motivates them to get out of bed every day? This question is important because it goes beyond just getting out of bed; it’s what gets them excited to go into work. Will the candidate be excited coming in to work for you every day?
2. What is the biggest problem in most offices today?
When a candidate answers this question, you may find that they say something that happens in your office. This could be an indication that they won’t work well with your team or be the right fit.
3. When/where/how do you do your best work?
By understanding how they work their best, you will know how they will perform in your work environment. For example, if a candidate gets her work done the best alone, she most likely will have a tough time working in a collaborative environment. Understand how a candidate works the best and compare that to how your team works.
4. How could a manager best support you?
It’s important to understand how a candidate views the relationship with a manager. As the hiring manager, you will most likely be working directly with this candidate and this question gives insight into what a candidate expects from that relationship.
5. What are you passionate about?
Everyone has a passion. Now more than ever, professionals want their job to align with their passions and sense of purpose. A great fit is an employee that believes in the purpose of your company and is passionate about their role within that mission.
6. What does work-life balance mean to you?
An important part of any job is the balance between a person’s career and their personal life. Some companies are more flexible than others. Maybe your company requires longer hours and there isn’t much room for flexibility. A candidate that needs that flexibility will have a difficult time at your company.
7. Describe your dream job.
Just as there is no perfect candidate, there is no perfect job. However, a candidate will have a list in their mind of what a dream job would look like. This is an effective way to find out exactly what a candidate is looking and why they chose your company.
8. Why did you choose to apply here?
What about your company interested the candidate? Is it specifically your strong company culture or is it the overall mission of your company? As you understand a candidate’s motivation for applying, you can get a clearer idea of how well they will fit in with your team. Are they just looking a short-term gig or are they in it for the long haul?
9. When you work with a team, describe the role you are most likely to play on that team.
Depending on how collaborative your team is and what type of personalities are already part of your team, this question gives insight into how a candidate will fit in with the team.
10. How do you handle disappointments?
Every job has high and lows, successes and disappointments. It’s how a candidate can handle and come back from disappointments that’s important.
Need more help getting the right candidate or want to learn about other questions to assess culture fit? No problem, contact us now and we will connect you with candidates that are sure to be a great addition to your team!