News

Search News

Five Good Questions to Ask During an Interview

  1. What are the other types of roles you have been applying for? This seemingly innocuous question can quite often give a lot of information as to the style of industry or position the person is after. If you can get a theme that is similar to yours, it is one tick in the box but if the candidate tells you that they have had a series of interviews in another style of industry, it may make you question them as to their commitment to yours?
  2. What are your long-term plans? With the increased availability and access of University and Tafe courses, study is a real option for a lot of people. It is also a preferred option to work, if they can get into the right course at the right time. Whilst we encourage our employees and colleagues to study, be mindful that some people will take a position in your business until they are accepted into a mid semester or New Year university intake.
  3. What would your previous employer say about you? This is a particularly useful question especially when the candidate may not have the most recent place of work down as a reference
  4. What are your salary expectations? I hear of people going for a full hour interview and talking about money right at the end and realising that they are poles apart. Get it out in the open nice and early (if it is that sort of role where you have a band) and don't waste either of your time, if you are at cross purposes.
  5. Tell me about what you do in your spare time? Apart from some of the hair raising answers I have heard in the past (such as shooting pigs from a helicopter) it really does give some good information as to how much get up and go they have. We all talk about having employees with the right attitude and generally, I find that people with a good attitude will throw themselves into some sort of extracurricular venture. Sport, community service, travel or the like.

Jamie Smith

Back to News