The Art of Questioning
,The primary goal of the interview is to get the best information possible so the interviewer can make a good selection. The best tool for getting good information is to ask good questions. There are two different types of questions: close-ended questions and open-ended questions.
1. Close-ended questions. Close-ended questions are questions that can be answered with a yes or no. For example, if you asked an applicant if he or she likes his or her present job, the answer could simply be yes or no. The disadvantage of using close-ended questions in an interview is they do not produce the maximum amount of possible information. Close-ended question begin with words like “Is,” “Can,” “Do,” “Did,” “Will,” and “Are.”
2. Open-ended questions. Open-ended questions are questions that need expansion to be answered. They usually start with words like “What,” “Where,” “When,” “Why,” “How,” “Tell me,” “Explain,” and “Describe.” The advantage of using open-ended questions is that you will receive more information rather than less. For example, if I ask, “Tell me what you really like about your present job?” I am going to receive much more information than if I asked, “Do you like your current job duties?”
The following examples illustrate how you can change close-ended questions (CL) to open-ended questions (OP).
| CL | Do you have good communication skills? |
| OP | What do you feel your key strengths are in the area of communication? |
| CL | Were you attracted to work here because of our benefits? |
| OP | What attracted you to seek employment with our company? |
| CL | Did you make any major mistakes in your last job? |
| OP | Can you describe a major learning point from your previous jobs? |
| CL | Have you ever had a personality clash with a boss? |
| OP | Tell me what you have liked and disliked about previous bosses. |
| CL | We have a very fast-paced environment here. Are you motivated? |
| OP | What type of business environment do you enjoy best? |
There are many other useful open-ended questions for interviewing purposes.
How would you describe your past job in detail?
Tell me how you spend a typical day on the job.
Why do you want to leave your present job?
What are your greatest strengths?
What are your biggest weaknesses?
What are you doing to overcome them?
On your past jobs, what significant contributions did you make?
What specific tasks do you enjoy most? Why?
What specific tasks do you like least? Why?
Tell me about the most challenging project you have ever had to tackle.
Open-ended questions are powerful questions because they do not lead the applicant in a specific direction. For example, if you asked the question, “Do you enjoy working on computers?” what candidate would disqualify himself or herself by saying no? But, if you asked an open-ended question like, “Tell me what you disliked in your last job?” and the applicant responds that he or she disliked working on the computer all day, you have a pretty sound indication this may not be the best applicant for a position that requires extensive computer work.