The interview is one of the most crucial steps in the job search process. It allows everyone involved to get a better idea of each party and what they bring to the table. However, it can be difficult in determining what questions are best to ask in order to get a full understanding of someones competency. Below are suggested questions for an interviewer, but also are a great tool for the interviewee.

Leadership: Defined as acting as a role model, anticipating and planning for change and communicating a vision to a team.

How have you gotten a team to improve its performance?
Describe a situation where you led a team through a change.
How have you overcome resistance from a team?
How do you motivate others in a stressful situation?
When were you least successful in being a leader?
Conflict Management: Managing and resolving conflicts and disagreements in a constructive manner.

How have conflicts been a driving force in your experience?
Describe how you deal with conflict in your team.
Give an example of how you have handled a difficult member of your team.
What have you done to avoid conflict?
Independence: Thinking outside standard policies.

Describe a situation where you went against standard policy to accomplish a goal.
Have you ever made a decision that wasn't yours to make?
When is it OK to go against 'company policy'?
What constraints do you feel you have in your current position?
What type of decisions do you feel are required by a superior?
Decision Making: Being decisive in a timely and effective manner.

What big decisions have you made recently?
What decisions have you put off the longest?
Describe a time when you needed to make a decision without having all the facts.
What has been an outcome of a bad decision you made?
Describe a situation where a decision you made was unpopular with others. How did you handle it?
Integrity: Ethics in the workplace.

Describe a time when it was needed to lie in order to achieve a goal.
Describe a time when someone asked you to lie for them; how did you handle it?
How would you handle it if your boss asked you to do something illegal?
How do you define integrity?


Above are just a few ideas of competency level questions that can be asked. All give an insight into how an employee will contribute to a company's success. Please contact Kunin Associates if you need assistance in phrasing questions that are appropriate to your hiring needs.