CHOSEN CARE GROUP

Recruit the right talent

Introduction

Getting the right people in the door is crucial to our company’s success. Finding the best fit for each role helps you hire employees who can drive customer satisfaction and results. The interview process is where we have the most control over who will be our next colleague.

Remember that applicants are deciding whether they want to work for us during the interview process, just as much we are trying to decide to recruit them or not.

A wrong recruit can decrease productivity and customer service satisfaction, reduce other employee morale, increase spending on unsuccessful initiatives. Bad hires can also adversely affect our brand by spreading negative word of mouth.

You have only about an hour to make a good impression on the applicant and obtain the critical information you need about their attitude towards care, skills, experience, and personality.

You have only about an hour to make a good impression on the applicant and obtain the critical information you need about their attitude towards care, skills, experience, and personality.

Situational interview questions probe the candidate on how they would respond to a hypothetical scenario in the future. Because candidates don’t know how they react to a situation that might not happen, querying past behavior is thought to be a more reliable way to predict future behavior.

Behavioral interview questions can help you uncover a candidate’s approach to problems, conflict, and stress, as well as illuminate values that are important to your company’s culture.

Six types of behavioral questions (choose a question from each behavior)

1 . Adaptability is essential for thriving in a rapidly changing work environment.

Question: Tell me about a time when you were asked to do something you had never done before. How did you react? What did you learn?

What to listen for → Excitement about tackling new challenges and willingness to leave their comfort zone, knowing they’ll learn something valuable from experience.

Question: Describe a situation in which you embraced a new system, process, technology, or idea at work that was a significant departure from the old way of doing things.

What to listen for → Eagerness to explore new ways of working and improve based on what they learn; if they discovered a better way; whether they embraced the change.

Question: Recall a time when you were assigned a task outside of your job description. How did you handle the situation? What was the outcome?

What to listen for → Understanding that their job may evolve and willingness to try something new and take the necessary steps to ensure that they were successful.

Question: Tell me about the biggest change you have had to deal with? How did you adapt to that change

What to listen for → Acceptance that change is inevitable. They focused on how they could adapt successfully, evaluate a new situation, and find the support they needed.

Question: Tell me about a time when you had to adjust to a colleague’s working style in order to complete a work or achieve your outcomes.

What to listen for → Willingness to be flexible when it’s required. Ability to reflect on what they learned from the experience, both good and bad.

2. Culture adds have the potential to do great things at your company.

Question: What are the three things that are most important to you in a job?

What to listen for → Alignment between what’s most important to them and what the role and company have to offer.

Question: Tell me about a time in the last week when you’ve been satisfied, energized, and productive at work. What were you doing?

What to listen for → An indication that the work environment and day-to-day responsibilities are right for them.

Question: What’s the most interesting thing about you that’s not on your resume?

What to listen for → Signs that a candidate brings something new and unexpected to your culture, even if it’s unrelated to their specific role.

Question: What would make you choose our company over others?

What to listen for → Thoughtful, honest answers that tell you what they’re really thinking—not what they think you want to hear.

Question: What’s the biggest misconception your coworkers have about you and why do they think that?

What to listen for → Self- reflection and transparency. The best answers will demonstrate that the candidate is open with the people around them.

3. When a role requires teamwork, strong collaboration skills make a big difference. .

Question: Give an example of when you had to work with someone who was difficult to get along with. How did you handle interactions with that person?

What to listen for → A willingness to try to see things from the other person’s perspective by identifying the cause of the tension and finding ways to improve the relationship.

Question: Tell me about a time when you were communicating with someone and they did not understand you. What did you do?

What to listen for → Patience. Great collaborators take the time to make sure they’re being understood and can adjust their style to align with others.

Question: Tell me about one of your favorite experiences working with a team and the contributions you made.

What to listen for → Energy and motivation via teamwork. A healthy mix of “I” and “we” statements to communicate both individual and team contributions.

Question: Describe the best partner or supervisor you’ve worked with. What part of their management style appealed to you?

What to listen for → An understanding of their own working style and what kind of personalities they work best with.

Question: Can you share an experience where a project dramatically shifted direction at the last minute? What did you do?

What to listen for → Focus on keeping the team aligned and comfort with tapping coworkers for additional help when a project demands it.

4. Even when you’re not interviewing for a leadership role, hire people who can inspire

Question: Tell me about the last time something significant didn’t go according to plan at work. What was your role? What was the outcome?

What to listen for → Thoughtful reflection and a strong sense of ownership. True leaders don’t try to shift the blame to others, but consider what they could have done differently.

Question: Describe a situation where you needed to persuade someone to see things your way. What steps did you take? What were the results?

What to listen for → Strong leaders establish credibility and use compelling evidence to reinforce their viewpoint, rather than acting like they know best.

Question: Tell me about a time when you led by example. What did you do and how did others react?

What to listen for → Understanding of how their behavior impacts those around them. That they hold themselves to a high standard, and are an inspiration to their team.

Question: Tell me about the toughest decision you had to make in the last six months.

What to listen for → Careful consideration of outcomes. Great leaders seek advice when they need it—but they don’t shy away from making the final decision.

Question: Have you ever had to “sell” an idea to your coworkers or group? How did you do it? What were the results?

What to listen for → Assertiveness without being pushy; the ability to create a dialogue and listen to concerns, with the ultimate goal of making everyone happy with the plan.

5. Hire someone with growth potential so they can develop the role and make it their own.

Question: Recall a time when your manager was unavailable when a problem arose. How did you handle the situation? Who did you consult with?

What to listen for → The ability to rise to the occasion without stepping on toes. Great candidates respect all stakeholders and explore options before making a decision.

Question: Describe a time when you volunteered to expand your knowledge at work, as opposed to being directed to do so.

What to listen for → Eagerness to learn and a willingness to ask for the resources. Invest in continuous learning and actively seek out new opportunities.

Question: What would motivate you to make a move from your current role?

What to listen for → Signs that the candidate is more invested in growth opportunities than they are in an immediate payoff; that they are interested in being challenged.

Question: When was the last time you asked for direct feedback from a superior? Why?

What to listen for → That they regularly request feedback. An indication that the candidate sought constant self- improvement in their current/ previous role.

Question: What’s the biggest career goal you’ve achieved?

What to listen for → Motivation and drive. The candidate isn’t boastful, but they take pride in their achievements and use each one to help them be more successful.

6. Candidates who’ve mastered prioritization can juggle key tasks.

Question: Tell me about a time when you had to juggle several projects at the same time. How did you organize your time? What was the result?

What to listen for → A clear and proactive process for organizing their time, like blocking off their calendar, creating a to-do list, and confirming deadlines.

Question: Tell me about a project that you planned. How did you organize and schedule the tasks?

What to listen for → A methodical approach to planning and strong self-discipline when meeting deadlines and driving a project through to completion.

Question: Describe a time when you felt stressed or overwhelmed. How did you handle it?

What to listen for → Signs that planning and prioritization help the candidate to stay calm and focused, but that they also know how to lighten the load by delegating tasks.

Question: Give an example of a time when you delegated an important task successfully.

What to listen for → An understanding of how to delegate and drive success. Candidates who are great at prioritizing make sure they’re clear about deadlines and expectations.

Question: How do you determine what amount of time is reasonable for a task?

What to listen for → Signs that they think carefully about how they’re spending their time and that they seek a healthy middle ground between rushing and perfectionism.