Understanding Talent and Fit with Better Interview Questions

Do you want to conduct better interviews and ensure you make smart hiring decisions? Preparing better interview questions to determine talent and fit will help you improve this step in your selection process.

The first, and most important, step is to have your candidate complete a validated talent assessment specific to the role you are filling before you meet with them.

Use a Talent Assessment Built Specifically for the Position

Ideally, you want to have candidates complete the talent assessment as early as possible in your selection process. That way, you go into interviews with a good understanding of their strengths and weaknesses, which will allow you to spend your time with the people who have the innate talent to excel in the position.

Going into an interview knowing exactly how a person is wired also allows you to avoid “glare,” which is when you instantly connect with the person, find things in common with them, and like them. Maybe you went to the same college or have the same interests.

You don’t want to hire on experience or likeability alone. You want to understand the candidate’s innate talents and how that compares to top performers in the industry, then determine whether or not the candidate is a good fit for your organization.

Understanding Talent and Fit During Interviews

Take a disciplined approach to your candidate interviews by reviewing their talent assessment and preparing good questions that will allow you to better understand their strengths and weaknesses and how well they will fit with your team, your management stye, your company’s culture, your clients, etc.

Here are a few examples of fit interview questions you might consider using that will help you to uncover the information you need to determine whether a candidate is the right fit:

• I have read your resume, but I would like you to tell me about yourself. Give me your two-minute bio.
• How would you describe your ideal company to work for?
• What qualities in your co-workers do you appreciate the most?
• What qualities in your co-workers bother you the most?
• What three character traits would your friends use to describe you?
• How do you take advantage of your strengths?
• How do you compensate for your weaknesses?
• What would you want to be sure to do your first 90 days on the job?
• What is the one accomplishment you’re most proud of? Why?
• Where do you see your career 5 years from now?
• In what kind of environment do you do your best work?
• What would make you love coming to work here every day?
• When have you failed? Describe what happened and what you learned from it.
• What is your greatest fear about this opportunity?

These are just a few examples. There are many other fit questions you might consider that would help you determine if the candidate is right for the role you are filling, but this list is a good place to start.

Based on what you learned in the candidate’s talent assessment, you may also want to ask additional interview questions to better understand specific talents. If the candidate has a weakness, a situational talent or one that doesn’t show up in every situation, or a very intense talent, you should ask a few questions related to these as well. This will give you a better idea of what this talent looks like in real-life situations.  

Improving this step in your selection process by using a talent assessment then preparing effective interview questions will allow you to make smarter hires and reduce turnover.