Since the Great Resignation is still in full swing, it’s key to get the right employees in the door to fill any job openings.

To better wade through the sea of applicants and increase your chances of successfully onboarding and retaining new people, you need to start off on the right foot during the interview process.

Gaining insight into candidates

Once a candidate makes it to the interview stage, knowing exactly what questions to ask is crucial to finding the right fit.

Here’s a rundown of the four best types of questions to ask job-seekers. Their responses will provide insight into the types of workers they are, and help you make the most informed decision when hiring.

  1. Informational questions. Asking candidates to tell you about themselves or their reasons for picking a career can help you find out general information about their experience and background. These questions also give you an overview of their strengths and weaknesses, along with what they’ve accomplished and their motivations for working in your field.
  2. Functional questions. With these questions, you can delve deeper into the person’s nitty-gritty knowledge of your field. Ask them specifically about their experience with tasks important to your line of business. Other good questions include: How well do you work with other departments? What kind of technology are you familiar with?
  3. Behavioral questions. These questions will give you an idea of how candidates will react to typical work situations. For example, having job-seekers discuss how they’ll tackle year-end prep or how they’d respond to big changes helps you determine if they’re adaptable and can think on their feet.
  4. Situational questions. Similar to behavioral questions, these give you a better idea of how a job-seeker would handle a specific situation they would encounter. Topics could include talking to an angry customer, discovering a mistake, or handling an emergency.