One of the challenges of being a recruiter is the difficulty in finding the perfect candidate for a role. The process can be very hectic.
There’s also the issue of time, which can be frustrating if you have a long list of candidates to interview that day. More so, finding the best fit for a position may seem impossible within a 30-minute interview because of how short that timeframe is.
Every recruiter needs a candidate with the right qualifications and one that’s easily coachable, honest, and has great zeal.
So, it’s understandable why you think a 30-minute interview isn’t enough time to find your ideal candidate. Fortunately, you can effectively manage your time and get the best out of the interview once you know the crucial questions to ask.
The right questions will save you time and effort and cut through unqualified candidates as quickly as possible. In this article, I have compiled the best questions you can ask a candidate in a 30-minute interview.
So, without much ado, let’s dive right in!
Best Questions to ask Candidates in a 30-Minute Interview
As experienced recruiters, we understand the need to make an interview as concise and straightforward as possible. Hence, you want to spend more of your time asking the most important questions as opposed to the basics.
Aside from the routine process of introducing yourselves and asking about their background, resume details, and salary expectations, there are three categories of tests to include in your interview.
Each of these categories will help you access the candidate’s skills more efficiently and quickly, and they include
- Qualification Test
- Personality Test
- Intelligence Test
Qualification Test
With this test, you get to ask questions analyzing the candidate’s qualifications, skills, and experiences and how they match the position.
Many people can exaggerate their qualifications, so this test is easily the best way to know a candidate and determine if they truly possess the skills needed to succeed at the role. You can easily confirm this by how they answer the following questions:
1. In your research about this company, what did you learn about us?
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Of course, a prospective candidate can’t know much about the hiring company or employer, but knowing basic information shows their level of competence.
A candidate who takes the time to find out certain information about a company shows enthusiasm for working with that organization.
Suppose they can provide basic answers about the company’s sector, values, work culture, and major competitors and are even able to pinpoint challenges being faced. In that case, you are likely interviewing the right prospect.
The inability to answer basic questions available on the employer’s website shows a certain level of disregard, which is automatically a red flag in a candidate.
If they can’t take the time to research the company they’re about to work for, then they may as well not be bothered about important issues when given the role.
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2. What can you achieve if you’re chosen to work with us?
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At this point, you’re not only accessing the candidate’s skills concerning the job. You’re also interested in their unique selling point and how they can help drive company growth.
A candidate who can provide concise and meaningful insights into how they will enhance the company’s success is likely to be a great fit.
Listen for how they approach and answer this question, with special attention to how they match what they hope to accomplish with the skills and experience listed in their resume.
Again, watch out for candidates with answers that seem generic and not tailored to match the employer’s special needs.
Also, observe those willing to describe their work process and the initiatives they’re willing to take to ensure success in the role.
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3. Given your skill sets, which do you think is most needed to perform successfully in this role?
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This question aims to get into the candidate’s mind and discover which skill set is important to the job they’re interviewing for.
If the candidate, for instance, has excellent organizational and management skills listed in their resume, which is also a core requirement for the role, pay attention to how they would respond, highlighting each skill where needed.
If the candidate fails to see where the skills highlighted in their resume match what’s needed to succeed at the job, then their qualifications are likely exaggerated.
You should also pay attention to their willingness to list other skills they think would guarantee success in their role despite it not being on their resume. A candidate who can identify the best skills needed to excel at a role will most likely make a competent employee.
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4. What is your most significant accomplishment, and how did you go about it?
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Regardless of how appealing a candidate’s resume is regarding skills and qualifications, the best way to prove their efficiency is through real-life accomplishments.
In this case, you’re expecting the candidate to share proven and effective results in their past role and how the process was taken to achieve that. This information determines the candidate’s priorities and how much effort they will put into a project to ensure its success.
If a candidate, for instance, talks about an accomplishment that required teamwork, resilience, or leadership skills, this is most likely to put them in a great light because it shows they’re well-rounded individuals.
Candidates who only talk about academic accomplishments are likely to lack experience in tackling work challenges. Similarly, pay attention to candidates who highlight work-based achievements that highlight the strengths and skills needed in the new role.
These types of candidates tend to be the right fit for the position.
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5. Would you willingly take up personal training to improve your work output?
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It’s easy to tell a great candidate by how much they’re willing to upskill to guarantee success in their role.
Aside from what is listed on their resume, a candidate should ideally be willing to take up personal training if it is required to improve work output despite not being a requirement by the employer.
You can easily tell if a candidate is invested in self-development when they can enthusiastic about learning opportunities, even without a guarantee of being hired.
As much as you want a candidate with the right qualifications, skills, and experience for the position, you don’t want someone who isn’t willing to expand their career scope.
A candidate willing to take up personal training to improve company growth is not only a likely choice for the position but also proves easily coachable, which is what most employers look for.
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6. Why do you want to work with us?
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Similar to the ‘why should we hire you’ question, this lets you get into the candidate’s mind and find out why they want the job.
Depending on the candidate’s answer, you can determine if they want the job because of the compensation, the idea of working with your brand, or if they’re just passionate about the job.
Since most employers want to hire someone passionate about the job, look for answers highlighting this passion.
Focus more on candidates who provide based on the employer’s needs and not just theirs. Also, pay attention to answers that highlight certain aspects of the company that appeals to them the most.
Candidates who provide answers focused on improving the company’s growth trajectory are likely the most suitable for the position. These candidates are people who have carried out research and discovered what the company needs and aligned that need with their career aspirations.
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Personality Test
The personality test category features questions that help determine if their personalities match the company’s work culture and values. This set of questions also gives you a glimpse at who they are and the ideas and values that shape their thoughts.
Here are some questions that will help you determine the personality of the prospective candidate:
7. How was your relationship with your former boss?
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This is one of the most important questions to ask if you want to know the hidden thoughts of a candidate, and how they answer says a lot.
If a prospective candidate speaks poorly of their boss, it is enough to be concerned even if the boss treated them poorly.
A candidate who speaks terribly about his former boss, whether true or not, may leave you wondering what they’d say about you as an employer if you both part ways.
If they speak well of their former boss, note what they mentioned and determine what leadership or management style works best for them.
This question is most likely to bring out hidden character traits that go beyond what’s on the candidate’s resume.
As much as you want someone qualified for the job, you also want an individual that can work with teammates without disagreement or one that’s willing to spill the company’s tea in their next interview.
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8. What are you most passionate about?
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Another way to get to know your prospective employee is by asking what they’re passionate about. As expected, most candidates would likely give an answer that aligns with the role’s requirements to put them in the best light.
While this is a great way of selling themselves, you should also pay attention to candidates who give personal answers beyond what the job description requires.
Personalized questions like this reveal how honest a prospective candidate could be.
Say, for instance, your candidate is a website developer but tells you they’re most passionate about charity work; you don’t necessarily have to cancel them out of your list.
As much as you want someone passionate about their career or job, you must understand that people’s passions vary.
You want a well-rounded individual whose life doesn’t just revolve around work unless you’re searching for a robot to carry out work-related duties.
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9. What motivates and frustrates you?
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One way to know how the mind of a candidate works is by finding out what motivates them and what gets them frustrated. Once you’re able to detect what motivates a candidate, you can determine what their work performance would be like when given the job.
Say your candidate says they’re motivated by the high salary, there’s a high chance their performance will drop if there’s a delay in payment or if the company can’t pay that amount anymore.
Candidates whose motivation matches parts of the job description are most likely to make for great employees since they derive satisfaction from the role. In the same vein, find out what frustrates them and would likely cause their enthusiasm or performance to dwindle.
As much as you want a candidate who can tackle work challenges, you also want to remember that they should be kept happy and motivated enough to want to exceed the employer’s expectations.
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10. What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
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One of the best ways to know if a candidate’s skill or experience matches what the job requires is by knowing their strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes, having a stellar resume isn’t enough.
From the answers the prospective candidate gives to this question, you can determine if they have the right capabilities to succeed.
Pay extra attention to candidates who not only match skills to what is in the job description but also highlight unique and relevant strengths that clearly set them apart from other candidates.
Candidates who can give a detailed analysis of how they employed these strengths and how they yielded great results should be your top pick.
Similarly, you should pay attention to candidates who don’t seem to have a weakness, as that may translate into not seeing a need for improvement, which is a red flag.
Candidates who can highlight their professional weakness and what they’re doing to overcome them should be considered as it proves they’re honest. You don’t want to hire a candidate who exaggerates their skills only to end up underperforming.
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11. To what do you owe the success of your previous projects?
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If you’re looking for a way to test the humility of your prospective candidate, this is the perfect question to ask. It would help if you had someone willing to work and share accomplishments with a team.
If the candidate gives themselves all the credit for the success of their previous projects, it should be a cause of alarm for you. As much as every team may have its genius, it is impossible for others not to contribute to a project.
If a candidate fails to acknowledge the role his previous team members played in the success of their projects, then you should know you’re dealing with a self-centered individual.
On the other hand, a candidate who’s willing to attribute their success to others on the team highlights an ability to work with and credit others to yield positive results.
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12. Which has more importance to you-compensations/benefits or aiding the company’s growth and objectives?
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When asked this question, it is natural to expect the candidate to respond in favor of the company’s growth, even if it’s not true.
One trick to finding out the true intention of the candidate is to ask them how they’d react to a reduction in salary amount/benefits or a delay.
While they may give the answer you want, watch out for their initial reactions and body movements. It could tell you what you need to know despite their response.
As much as every employee needs to be duly compensated, you want someone passionate enough to deliver great results when there’s a slight financial problem with the company.
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Intelligence Test
The intelligence test features several interview questions that test the candidates in terms of how they’re able to handle work-related challenges.
You need to know if the person you’re about to hire can efficiently solve problems without conflict and if they have the mental capacity needed to excel at the role.
13. What would you do if you struggled to meet deadlines or experienced work-related stress?
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Asking this question is the perfect way of knowing how intelligent the candidate is and how they can effectively manage work-related challenges.
Although it is normal to expect that most candidates would want to sidestep this question, watch out for those who act like they can handle any challenge.
If a candidate tries too hard to be a superhero who can handle anything, that should ring a warning bell. On the other hand, a candidate that is willing to discuss what their coping mechanisms or strategies are for dealing with work stress is a more suitable choice.
It shows that they have what it takes to proactively manage work-related stress and are willing to work towards staying motivated enough to achieve set goals.
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14. How would you react if you experienced a customer service problem?
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You need a candidate that not only possesses the academic or technical qualifications that match the job but one that has the right people’s skills. One way to gauge how efficiently a candidate is at solving work-related issues is how well they respond to customer service problems.
If their response to this question indicates a willingness to adjust their attitude and opt for peaceful conflict resolution despite being right, then they are likely suitable for the role.
Asking this question will highlight their problem-solving skills and provide insight into their interpersonal skills and ability to handle pressure.
No employer would like to hire someone who would make the company lose clients or customers due to their bad conflict-resolution strategies.
Hence, you should pay attention to the candidate’s response and use it to determine if they would be the right fit for the job.
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15. From all you know about this company, what do you think would be your biggest challenge, and how do you intend to handle it?
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When you ask this question, it provides an insight into how much effort the candidate is willing to put into the job and ensure its success.
Candidates who can identify solvable challenges from the company’s website or job descriptions are more likely to be suitable employees.
An ideal candidate should be able to highlight parts of the job requirements that seem challenging to them and provide a plan of action that will ensure they don’t struggle with this challenge.
For instance, if your job requires using the Slack project management tool, an ideal candidate should highlight this as a challenge if they haven’t used it before. They should also be willing to watch online video tutorials (the plan of action) on how to get familiar with the tool.
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16. Why do you think this position is a step in the right direction for your career?
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An ideal candidate should be able to match their career aspirations with the position they applied for, and how it will improve their experiences in the future.
You should also expect to hear how their previous work experiences have contributed to honing their skills and ensuring they’re on the right track.
An ideal candidate would also list what they stand to gain from the company regarding skills and experience. Please pay attention to answers highlighting how the company’s goals and objectives align with their career aspirations.
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17. How do you plan to achieve your career goals?
If you are looking for an important question to ask prospective employees, you should consider asking this. You can determine the right candidate by how they can match their career goals with the role the employer is offering.
Also, watch out for responses that highlight how they intend to garner experience and skills from the present role if offered in developing a plan of action that will help achieve their career goals.
An ideal candidate should be able to provide working strategies on how they intend to achieve these goals
18. How would you handle a tough negotiation process?
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Negotiation skills are very important in every organization, so it is a crucial question to ask a candidate during interviews. This question will give you an insight into the candidate’s negotiation and influencing skills.
It will also help you understand how the candidate can use their interpersonal skills to their advantage.
An ideal candidate should be able to provide answers that pinpoint effective strategies that can be used to influence clients without being too obvious.
Such a question would let you know if a potential employee can be trusted to win contracts for the company or lose clients.
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Final Words
Knowing the right questions to ask a candidate during an interview will save you a lot of time and money. And truly, you can pick the best candidate in a 30-minute interview with these questions.
However, before the interview starts, let your interviewee know that you are working under a time constraint and would appreciate it if they made their answers short and straight to the point.
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