Job Interview Questions

Ok, I have to interview these three finalist for a secretary job tommorrow. I dont have a clue as what to ask them, they are rarely going to assist me at all, but the bosses said they want my input. Any suggestions?

This job is for a basic secretary, writing letters, answering phone, taking payments.

"Do you know how to shear a badger?"

Is your boss setting you up as the fall guy in case he chooses unwisely? I would try to find out the strengths and weaknesses of the candidates and then report them to your boss without making a recommendation.

castlecraver said:

"Do you know how to shear a badger?"

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If I get that out without laughing, i would ask.



Can you imagine the look there faces......

What is your most significant career achievment (or what are you proudest of)?
What characteristic of your previous supervisor(s) did you find most helpful? Least helpful?
Do you prefer to interact with customers and co-workers in person, by email, or by phone?
What traits in coworkers do you find frustrates you?
What word processing program are you most comfortable with?

As long as they know how to use all the software they will need to use (I assume excel, word, and some sort of email application) and they seem to have an IQ over 80, what more could you want?

If you just want something to ask them so that it looks like your taking an active part I would just ask them if they have experience with the software already mentioned, if they didn't have to state that stuff on the application.

Walravine said:

Is your boss setting you up as the fall guy in case he chooses unwisely? I would try to find out the strengths and weaknesses of the candidates and then report them to your boss without making a recommendation.

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Well I am sure if the one i pick gets hired, and then it doesn't work out, i will here about it for the next several years.

On the other hand, my boss is sort of like my wife, if she says "should i wear the blue or red shirt" I say "Blue" she wears red.

That is what happend to the last secretary, i picked one, he picked the other and 4 months later she quits, citing mental issues with herself

What are your strengths?
What are your weaknesses?

Come up with scenarios that could come up in this environment and see how each of them react to the situation. There may not be a solution, but you get to see how the person handles themselves and their thought process or troubleshooting skills.

Why are manhole covers round?

What was a challenge that you had at a previous job and how did you handle it?

All questions should be worded in a way that a person needs to give examples of a skill or talent.

skills and personality compatibility (if skills are about equal)

Describe me a situation at your previous/current employment where you were faced with a challenge. Then please describe the outcome thereof.

When the big hand's on the little hand...



Cheers


Jeremy

If a train leaves New York at 1:14 PM going 49 mph and another train leaves Chicago at 2:05 going 35 mph....

The best interview questions to ask are not direct questions like what are your strengths and weaknesses. The best questions to ask are having them provide SPECIFIC examples of how they handled certain situations in their past.

For example:

BAD: How do you handle stress?
GOOD: Think back to a time where your boss gave you a last minute task that was impossible to get done in the amount of time he gave you. Tell me specifically what you did and what the outcome was.

BAD: How do you feel about process and procedures?
GOOD: Think back to a time when you were required to follow a process that you didn't agree with. How did you handle the situation?

The good questions force them to provide specific examples form the past. They can't use BS prepared answers and have to think on their feet. They will obviously tell the stories in the most favorable light, but you can get a sense of their personality.

For example, to the first question, here might be some respondent answers.

Candidate A:
There was this time where I had to make bound copies of an information packet 1 hour before the presentation. I knew there wouldn't be time to get it done so I told my boss that I would print out the slide deck and while they were giving the presentation I would have the full packets printed at the copy center. he agreed and the situation worked out quite well.

Candidate B:
There was this time where I had to make bound copies of an information packet 1 hour before the presentation. I knew it couldn't be done, so I pulled my boss aside privately and described to him why it couldn't be done in time. He understood and agreed to push the meeting back 1 hour so I could get the materials completed. The client didn't seem to mind, and everything went off professionally and smoothly.

Both are valid and good answers to the candidates, but they show the way people handle situations which is a good indicator of what they would do in similar situations in the future.

Ask situational questions like these that focus on the traits that you most value for the job specified. Do NOT let them off the hook. Make them provide SPECIFIC examples, no matter how long it takes them to think of an examples. if they start talking in generalities, get them back on track.

Just be a little carefull what you do ask, as there are laws which I am sure are slightly different in each state as to what you can't ask in an interview. You wouldn't want one of the individuals not hired to file a claim later with some labor board saying they weren't hired because you asked them something you legally shouldn't have. Sometimes it can be questions that most people would consider totally innocent but again I am sure it varies somewhat from state to state, hopefully your boss advised you of what you can't ask even if he don't advise you of what to ask.

What is the average air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?

No, seriously though, I would give them a series of tests. Small, seemingly simple tests. One of my bosses used to do this. They were seemingly simple things to do, but it gave them an insight into how much effort he would have to put into the new hire, and how ready they were to hit the ground running.
For example, he would hand them a catalog and ask them to put it away for him. He would then look to see if they would take the initiative to find where things were located, or simply ask for instructions. He would then look to see if they took care to notice that all the other catalogs were in alphabetical order and to place the one in its proper position. Simple tasks that taught him how independent and capable they were, especially when he had it narrowed down to just a few qualified individuals.

Sheww wee they are over. Thanks for the help everyone.

I think i was more nervous than they were.


I now know i have no future in a Human Resources Dept.

The last time I had to do that I couldn't decide, but you shouldn't have any trouble guessing which one got the job.

ouch said:

The last time I had to do that I couldn't decide, but you shouldn't have any trouble guessing which one got the job.

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The one with the biggest boobs?