1.
3 interview
questions to ask
every candidate
Tips from the Workopolis eGuide:
Interviewing for success

2.
Interviewing is no easy task.

3.
Asking the right
questions can help
you sort out the star
candidates from the
low performers.
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?
?

4.
There are three types of questions that can help
you get an in-depth understanding of your
candidates:
4

5.
There are three types of questions that can help
you get an in-depth understanding of your
candidates:
Skills-based
5

6.
There are three types of questions that can help
you get an in-depth understanding of your
candidates:
Skills-based Behavioural
6

7.
There are three types of questions that can help
you get an in-depth understanding of your
candidates:
Skills-based Behavioural Situational
7

8.
Skills-based interview questions
8

9.
Skills-based questions are directly related to
experience with tools, technologies, and industry
standards.
Skills-based interview questions
9

10.
When you ask a skills-based question, you’re looking
to see the difference between
Skills-based interview questions
THEORETICAL
KNOWLEDGE
PRACTICAL
WORKING
KNOWLEDGE
AND
10

11.
Skills-based interview questions
THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE
comes from researching a task, or
watching closely how a process works.
Theoretical knowledge is useful, but it isn’t
applied knowledge.
11

12.
Skills-based interview questions
PRACTICAL WORKING KNOWLEDGE
comes from hands-on experience. When
evaluating a candidate’s skills, practical
working knowledge is
usually preferred.
12

13.
Let’s look at an example.
Skills-based interview questions
13

14.
If you ask,
Skills-based interview questions
“Tell me about your
experience with
Wordpress.”
14

15.
A candidate with
theoretical
knowledge might
say,
Skills-based interview questions
“Wordpress is a content
management system. It’s really easy
to use, and it has a wide range of
themes let users change the look
and function of their site…”
15

16.
A candidate with
practical working
knowledge might
say,
Skills-based interview questions
“I use Wordpress on a daily basis to
post three to four blog posts on my
clients’ sites. I find it’s the best
option for small businesses looking
to update content often. Last month,
I overcame a challenge I faced by
sourcing and installing a plug-in to
monitor traffic by…”
16

17.
Here are a few examples of other skills-based
questions:
Skills-based interview questions
“Have you ever
been involved in
_________?”
“Explain how
_________
works.”
“Have you ever
done any public
speaking?
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18.
Behavioural interview questions
18

19.
Behavioural questions show a candidate’s aptitude
and approach to a task, based on past experience.
Behavioural interview questions
19

20.
Behavioural questions are useful for revealing
soft skills like:
Behavioural interview questions
ATTITUDE & MOTIVATION
20

21.
Behavioural questions are useful for revealing
soft skills like:
Behavioural interview questions
TRUSTWORTHINESS
ATTITUDE & MOTIVATION
21

22.
Behavioural questions are useful for revealing
soft skills like:
Behavioural interview questions
TRUSTWORTHINESS
LOYALTY & WORK ETHIC
ATTITUDE & MOTIVATION
22

23.
Behavioural questions are useful for revealing
soft skills like:
Behavioural interview questions
MANAGEMENT STYLE
TRUSTWORTHINESS
LOYALTY & WORK ETHIC
ATTITUDE & MOTIVATION
23

24.
How a candidate
handled a past
situation gives you
great insight into
their value as an
employee.
Behavioural interview questions
24

25.
Here are a few examples of behavioural questions:
Behavioural interview questions
“Tell me about a
time when you
set difficult goals
for yourself.”
“How have you
handled conflict
within a project
team in the
past?”
“Describe a time
when you took
initiative to solve
a problem.”
25

26.
Want to learn even
more about
interview
questions?
Check out our recent article,
7 telling questions that reveal a
candidate’s true potential, and more
expert advice on hiring, management,
and HR at hiring.workopolis.com.

27.
Situational interview questions
27

28.
While behavioural interview questions are meant to
be answered through past experiences, situational
interview questions are hypothetical.
Situational interview questions
28

29.
The response to a
situational question allows
you to get a sneak peek
into a candidate’s instincts,
confidence, and decision-
making abilities.
Situational interview questions
29

30.
A quality candidate’s response to a situational
question should include a clear strategy, and ideally
some examples of similar situations from their past.
Situational interview questions
30

31.
Here are a few examples of situational questions:
Situational interview questions
“How would you
deal with a
dissatisfied
client?” “How would you
prioritize two
pressing
deadlines?”
“What would you
do if a team
member took
credit for your
project?”
31

32.
Ready to learn more?

33.
Download the full eGuide:
Interviewing for
success
A concise guide to asking the right
questions to find the right hire.

34.
Download the full eGuide:
Interviewing for
success
Our free eGuide provides a six-step
guide to structuring a candidate
interview, including the types of
questions you should ask – and the
types of answers you should look for.
Learn how to prepare for an interview,
how to structure your questions, and
how to assess candidates efficiently
and fairly.
Plus: printable interview forms for
evaluating candidates.

35.
Workopolis is
here to help
With over 16 years in the
recruitment business,
Workopolis has the expertise –
and the tools – to help you hire
and retain top talent.
To post a job, or learn about our
hiring tools, visit
hiring.workopolis.com today.
35
Visit Workopolis today

36.
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