Interviewing can be a daunting task even for seasoned HR professionals. It can be even more overwhelming for those with limited experience in finding the perfect candidate. What makes it even more challenging: interviewing a candidate with limited or no experience.
I am often asked by employers what questions they should ask a young high school or college student with little to no experience. Luckily, there are questions you can ask to make sure you get the right person for your internship or entry level position. Of equal importance is your level of preparation going into an interview. This can be just as critical to selecting the right person as knowing what questions to ask.
Knowing what to ask
First, let’s start with the basics. For anyone who will be conducting interviews, it is important to start with a solid list of questions you can ask each candidate. For the most part, you’ll use the same questions during each interview. This allows for consistency in the type of information you are gathering from each candidate. There will be times you may stray some from your questions based on information you learn about each interviewee, but you’ll have a good solid base of information that will stay the same with each person you interview.
When developing questions to ask less experienced candidates, you should focus more on work ethic and academic success rather than job specific questions. Your questions can address the needed skills for a position rather than the specific experience. Here are some examples you can use:
Focus on future goals rather than past experience.
• How do you think this internship will help you in career goals?
• What are your plans immediately after graduation?
Frame questions around academic experience rather than professional experience.
• Tell me about a time when you had a heavy course load. How did you manage your time? Is there anything you would change if that happened again?
• How do you feel your campus and community involvement (if they have had any) relates to a professional workplace?
• What made you choose your major?
Ask questions to determine a candidate’s work ethic.
• What will motivate you to do well in this internship?
• Why do you think you will be successful in your chosen field?
• What makes you stand out as a candidate?
Ask questions that address problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Tell me about a time when you had to complete a project and you thought you would fail. How did you complete the project and what did you learn about the experience?
Develop questions that seek to discover leadership and interpersonal skills.
• What do you do differently from your classmates?
• Describe a time when your work was criticized by someone. How did you handle the criticism? What would you do differently if presented with a similar situation?
• Tell me about a group project you competed in which a teammate was not fulfilling their requirements. How did you handle the situation?
Preparation is key
I know many career services professionals who continually tell students that they should be prepared when they walk into an interview, but I think the same is true for interviewers. You must be just as prepared for the interview as the candidate is. If you are not, you will never be able to conduct a good interview. Here are a few tips:
• Be prepared! You can’t conduct a good interview if you haven’t looked through the candidate’s resume and application materials. This seems very basic but I have even sat through interviews in which it was obvious the person interviewing me was not prepared. It’s a painful experience and generally does not leave the candidate with a good impression of the company.
• Know what you’re looking for. Read through the job description and skills that are needed for the job you are interviewing for. It can be difficult to spot the right candidate if you don’t know what you’re looking for.
• Always be on time. This is another basic but again it comes up often in interview training. Things will come up that will be important and may cause you to stray from your schedule, but it is important that you try to stick with the times you have asked someone to come to your office.
• Keep the interview space free from distractions. Basically, unless the building is falling in around you, give the candidate your full attention. They deserve that from you.
Regardless of the candidate you are interviewing, whether for your internship program or a full-time hire...treat them like your guest. Get to know them as a candidate before you make any judgments, and above all, always be prepared for the interview. By doing so, you will ensure that you are ready to find just the right intern!
