Staffing Management 101: Interview Questions You May Want To Ask (Or Not)

Staffing Management 101: Oddball Interview QuestionsManaging a staffing business requires bringing the best candidates to your clients (of course!)people who fit the job criteria and culture. Maybe the candidate also needs to think critically, communicate with aplomb, and act quickly. Possibly he or she needs to be creative, too. That’s a lot of requirements! You may need more than the standard batch of questions to whittle your way down to the best selection for any given job. Here are a few tips.

Take Charge of the Interview Process

If you are managing a staffing business you need to fit the right candidates into your open positions. Take charge of the interview by having a clear idea of the potential employees you wish to hire. Really understanding the role you are aiming to fill and the type of person best suited for that role is an essential part of the process. Without this the search can be futile.

Ask The Character Questions

Focusing solely on job responsibilities and skills won’t necessarily reveal all you need to know. Many candidates will be heavily prepared for these questions. The answers can also demonstrate little about the individual’s drive and character. Asking questions such as “What do you find interesting about this job?,” “Have you visited our website?,” and “What salary do you need?” can elicit telling answers. It shows whether they have researched your staffing company, whether they care about the organization, and informs you of their needs. It shows you whether they are a strong fit as a person first.

The Fact-Based Approach

Many candidates can answer your questions by telling you what you want to hear. Interview questions that eke out facts instead of opinions can be powerful tools. Consider asking questions such as “What is the toughest decision you’ve had to make?” or “Tell me the last time a co-worker got mad at you?” The past is a fairly reliable indication of the future. A great employee will almost always shine in a fact-based interview.

Why Not Consider The Oddballs?

More times often than not asking a candidate their strengths and weaknesses will yield a polished answer. And more times often than not, you won’t be able to judge a candidate’s true character from the memorized response. Maybe garnering a revealing answer demands asking an unexpected question. 

Glassdoor.com recently compiled a list of the top 25 oddball questions that some big businesses have been known to ask during their hiring processes. Have you considered asking: “What song best describes your work ethic?” Or “A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he here?” Or “Estimate how many windows there are in New York?” If you are managing a staffing business some of these may be worth considering. While oddball questions may seem silly, in fact they can be more telling than the standard interview questions. The surprise question that requires creativity, inductive reasoning or a measure of true self-confidence can be an excellent way to relax a candidate’s defenses and reveal the real person.

So the next time you find yourself in “the same old interview,” maybe you should ask: “On a scale of one to ten, rate me as an interviewer.” Who knows what you’ll discover?