Mrak1985
commented
2 years ago How to formulate interview questions (recommendations)
1) Why did the candidate agree to communicate?
How active are you looking for a job? What are the main reasons for looking for a job? What do you like about your current location? What's not to like? Have you discussed this point with management?
If the conversation stalls after the first question, and you received an answer in the format “so you found me yourself, I’m not looking for a job,” you need to send a candidate.
For example: "And yet, you agreed, so there is something that I would like to improve." The candidate will either answer himself, or you will ask a supplementary question: “What could be better?”
Further clarify: “And what moments, on the contrary, do you like at the current place”?
You can ask a question about priorities: “What factors are your priorities when choosing a new job?”. Listen to the answer, ask a clarifying question: “What if we rank? What is the most important? What is in second place, etc.?
You can also ask about the specific company you are offering: “Have you heard anything good or bad about …?”
2) What companies are interesting or not interesting (product / outsourcing, start-up / large company, field of activity, social significance)?
It is logical to break the dialogue with the candidate into parts.
First you ask: “In general, which companies are you more interested in: grocery or outsourcing?”
If you get an answer like “mmm, I don’t know”, give examples: “For example, e-commerce, banking, blockchain, crypto, platform, infrastructure, cloud computing, IoT (Internet of Things), medical software, game dev, advertising technologies, edtech "?
Or you get some kind of answer and still interrogate: “What else? For example, e-commerce, banking, blockchain, crypto, platform, infrastructure, cloud computing, IoT (Internet of Things), medical software, game dev, advertising technologies, edtech.”
And finally: “In terms of size, what attracts more: startups or large companies? Why?"
3) Tasks and technologies: what tasks will be interesting or not interesting, what technologies does or does not want to work with; pet projects (orientation, specifics).
Option 1.
What tasks will be interesting for you? What, on the contrary, would you not like to face in your work? What technology stack are you interested in? What technologies would you like to be exposed to? Do you have pet projects? What kind?"
Option 2.
Give input: “Development, conditionally, can be divided into 2 parts - business (complex ornate business logic) and technical (this needs to be accelerated - speed up, algorithms, optimization). What type of tasks are you more interested in?
Listen to the answer. Ask the second question: “What technologies would you definitely not want to see on the project?”
Listen to the answer. Ask the final question: “Is there something that, on the contrary, would be interesting to touch? Maybe you are studying something for yourself or doing a pet project?
4) Team and processes: what attracts and repels in group work, in processes, preferred type of leadership (what is accepted and not accepted), development culture, transparency of processes - it is clear who to contact, stable workflow, need for a mentor, need to learn from companies.
How do you think teamwork should work? What type of leadership do you find most effective? What episodes in team work would you like to avoid?
5) Career development: are there any plans, ideas, desires and what kind?
How do you see your further professional development? Maybe you have some formed plans or desires that you are ready to share?
Or you can ask the following questions in sequence: How do you see yourself in 2-3 years? “Are you interested in growth in people management?” “Would you like to build a product architecture?”
6) Money: current, minimum, comfort (net, i.e. the amount "on hand") income level.
“And everyone’s favorite question regarding salary. Ideally, these are three numbers: minimum (“I will think about the transition”), comfort (“I will get up and go”) and how much you are earning now.” If the minimum is too large, ask: “What did you start from when you named the minimum”? If it doesn't say current salary: “It's quite normal, often this information is under the NDA. Generally speaking, how close is the minimum expectation to that amount?”
7) Income structure: what income is built from, whether there are bonuses (size, what they are tied to, regularity), relation to total income (for example, when income consists of salary + bonuses + shares).
“When salary expectations were announced, were bonuses taken into account?” "How is your income built?" “Are you ready to consider total income (monthly salary and New Year’s bonus, or salary and bonuses, or salary and stocks)?” “How would you react if the salary is a little lower, but with bonuses there will be a very good amount?”
😎 Which of the benefits is critical for the candidate?
“Is it important for you that the company provides benefits (for example, VHI, education or sports at the expense of the company, a parking space, etc.)? Maybe there is something especially important for you?
9) Schedule and format of work: which is more convenient - a hybrid (and which one) / office / telecommuting? If the candidate is in a different time zone, ask about the willingness to work in the Moscow time zone. Features of the beginning and end of the working day. Ready for processing.
“How do you feel more comfortable working: in a full-time office, in some kind of hybrid schedule (combining office and work from home), completely remotely? When do you feel comfortable starting and ending your work day? How do you feel about recycling? *Only for candidates from other time zones: "Are you ready to work in the Moscow time zone?" **If a specific job has a specific time zone: "Are you ready to work in the time zone ... (give details)?"
10) Business trips: willingness yes / no, if yes - duration and conditions.
“How do you feel about business trips? Is this acceptable for you? With what frequency and duration?
11) Readiness for relocation (to the city-location of the company and somewhere else) + with whom they will move (if not alone, specify how old the children are, whether they discussed relocation with their families, whether they studied the target country / target city).
“Are you considering moving for yourself? What locations do you find attractive? Perhaps you have already studied this issue in some way? What attracts you to the country/city of relocation?”
“May I have a personal question? Tell me, are you married, do you have children? How might this affect your decision to relocate? Do you know how your spouse feels about this? Have you discussed it?
What other factors might influence your relocation decision? For example, the presence of real estate, friends, parents.
Or: “Please tell me, are you in a relationship? If yes, is the marriage registered? This is reflected in the relocation package.”
*If the candidate wants to relocate but has not studied the subject, please recommend www.numbeo.com
12) Marital status.
“The decision to change jobs, accept or reject an offer often affects not only us, but also our loved ones, our family. Therefore, let me clarify your marital status?
13) Communication with other companies, parallel processes: yes / no, how much / where, at what stage, if so, which companies are in priority and why.
“Do you communicate with other companies now? At what stage are the processes? Do you have offers in hand? What companies are your priorities right now? Why?"
14) How much time is there for processing (the period from the initial interview to the offer).
How much time do you have to complete the interview? How long should we meet from the first interview to the offer? How strict is this deadline?
If in response to the previous question you received specific data, then you can do this: “How much time do we have? When do you think … (company name) will roll out the offer? How strict is the deadline? If you get an offer, would you still be willing to end the process with … (our company)?”
15) How long will it take to make a decision on the offer: after such and such a period of time, or only after receiving specifics from some other company, what factors can speed up or slow down the decision?
“When you receive an offer, how much time do you need to think?” If the candidate replies that more than a week is needed, ask "Why?" Or: “Are there any factors that can speed up or slow down
16) Were there any offers that were received and rejected in the last six months? Which? Why refused?
“If you look at the horizon in the last six months, have you received job offers from any companies? Could you please share why you were rejected?
17) When you are ready to go to a new place of work: if the period is less or more than the period of standard working out according to the Labor Code of the Russian Federation (2 weeks), give an explanation.
“In case you accept a job offer, when will you be ready to move to a new place?” If the candidate names less than the standard 2 weeks, ask: “Why a week? Just the standard turnaround time is 2 weeks.
18) Does the current company have a retention policy, and how will the candidate perceive counterfeit; what can they offer (money, project, growth) and how will the candidate react to different options?
“Does your current job have a retention policy? How do they usually hold back (for example, they offer a new project or a new position, or a salary increase)? How would you react to such proposals? What contra-offer conditions might be of interest to you?”
Or: “It often happens that an employer remembers that he has such a brilliant employee at the moment when this employee decides to leave. And he tries to keep - to give more money, to offer another project. Has this happened in your company or with you personally? What are they holding?
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