Getting a Fundamental Sense of the Candidate

Today we were discussing questions that could be appropriate for asking job candidates to get a basic understanding of them and to see if they would be a good “fit” for our workgroup.  On my own I made a list of several “approach to life” questions that I would like to choose from if I were giving the job interviews.  I would even like to select some of these questions to ask politicians now running for public office.  The hackneyed liberal and conservative queries are basically unenlightening for in most cases one knows in advance the reliable responses for each side. 

Approach to life questions for candidates

·        How would you characterize a positive person?

·        Laughter is the best medicine.  Why is a sense of humor important in the workplace?

·        How do you balance “attitude is everything” with the need for job skills?

·        How do you arrive at a required tolerance for complexity and the concurrent need for simplicity?

·        What is your typical response to frustrating situations (emotionally and intellectually)?

·        What is damaging about holding a grudge?

·        The customer is always right.  Do you agree or disagree?

·        Which is more important, the letter of the law (policy & regulations) or the spirit of the law (policy and regulations)?

·        We agree to disagree—explain what this means?

·        Define character and integrity.

·        Is it ever ok to break a promise?

·        Why do people tend to overpromise?

·        Which is more important: imagination or facts?

·        How is empathy fundamental to intelligence?

·        Controversy should be avoided.  Under what circumstances do you agree?

·        Someone is expressing an opinion that you strongly disagree with.  Under what circumstances would you turn this into an issue and make your disagreement known?

·        When solving a problem what is the interplay of intelligence and emotion?

·        In your estimation, what makes a good supervisor; a good subordinate?

·        Do you consider yourself an assertive person?  Explain.

·        Are you more of a leader or more of a follower?  Explain.

·        Name a few of your ultimate allegiances.

·        What are some of your greatest personal fears?

·        One should not take themselves too seriously.  In what sense is this true and not true?

·        Overall, do you feel blessed?  Why or why not?

·        What is your greatest gift?

·        Considering people that you most admire, what do you admire about them?

·        When you make an embarrassing mistake or fail at a task, how do you handle it?

·        Pretentiousness vs. simple honesty: What in your view motivates people to be pretentious?

·        List some of your greatest motivators.

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