Questions for the selection interview

Some of the questions for the candidates that the employers can use in the selection interview are listed. They can be used in the same format for generating/making of new questions or as a reminder. Without any obligation. However, it is not wise to exaggerate with a great number of questions and sometimes it is better not to ask questions at all, rather than asking a question and later not knowing what to do with the given answer. We usually evaluate motivation, personality, views and communication skills and possible compatibility with the team, that is the colleagues. All with the aim of evaluating efficacy at the workplace.

1. Tell us something about yourself… in 2 to 3 minutes.
2. How would you describe you personality/person?
3. What would your friends say about you? And what about your parents?
4. What are your qualities/strong traits?
5. What are your bad traits/traits that still need work?
6. What can you tell us about your former co-workers?
7. Imagine you are not getting along with your colleague/ about division of labor (in which you depend on one another). How would you solve these problems?
8. List some examples of jobs/project which were completed successfully.
9. What can you tell us about our company? What do you know about the position you are applying to?
10. According to you what is an ideal boss like? What kind of a boss/owner/employer would you be (if the conditions were ideal)?
11. Have you ever encountered a great problem, conflict and if the answer is yes – how did you solve it?
12. Describe the most serious mistake you made in the previous workplace. What was the reason for the mistake? How did you correct the mistake? Have you maybe (later, thinking about it…) found better solutions to solve the situation?
13. What is your ideal job?
14. Do you prefer to work in teams or individual tasks?
15. What are your short-term and long-term goals? Or: What are your plans for the next 2/3/5 years?
16. Do you have any recommendations, awards, acknowledgments or certificates on courses completed? Can we verify them?
17. What is your definition of success?
18. What does it mean to you to say you made it in life? What would happen if you won the lottery?
19. What is the most important thing for you in a job? And the least important one?
20. Your hobbies?

And in the end:

• Is there something we should know about you and we didn’t ask?
• Do you have some questions… does something else interest you?

REMARKS:

1.  General and specific abilities and personality traits are determined with a scientifically-based psychological tests which only licensed psychologists can conduct. Contact a psychologist.
2. Questions which cannot be asked at a job interview should also be taken into account, because the Labour Act (revised text – NN 137/04) , article 2, paragraph 1 states:

“Direct or indirect discrimination of a person seeking employment and employed person (worker, civil service employee, civil servant or other worker – hereinafter: the worker) on the ground of race, colour, sexual orientation, marital status, family responsibilities, age, language, religion, political or other belief, national or social background, financial status, birth, social status, membership or non-membership in a political party or trade union, and physical or psychological difficulties shall be prohibited.”