1. Tell me what is your leadership philosophy?

This question is intentionally vague. Most leaders will answer this question in a way that demonstrates their core values or the way in which they lead.

2. Tell us do you have a non-compete?

If I have one more guy tell me his Brother is an Attorney and his non-compete is not valid...I'm going to cry. There is exactly one thing a Recruiter can get sued for - knowingly placing an executive that is in violation of a non-compete. We don't do it, ever. If your non-compete is geographic (Nevada or Las Vegas for example), you will be relocating if you want to make a career change. If there is any ambiguity, I let the hiring company General Counsel review the verbiage and make the call.

3. Tell me if you were going to teach a college course, what course would you teach?

This question helps us understand the subjects the interviewee cares most deeply about, and also provides insight into where they feel their strengths lie.

4. Tell me do You Understand Our Company Culture?

In today's professional environment, the concept of culture fit is increasingly becoming a top priority in the recruitment process. The more senior the position, the more important it is to find a cultural fit, as these characteristics will affect their leadership style. Prior to the interview, candidates can gain an understanding of the company's culture by reading their website, particularly the “About Us” section. Assess how they have chosen to present themselves to their clients, and even the style of the staff photographs. Companies with relaxed and casual photographs of staff are likely to have relaxed and casual environments. The photographs are also a good indicator of the appropriate dress code for their office too.

5. Tell me what's one assumption people make about you that is dead wrong?

This question helps us understand if the candidate has a high degree of self-awareness. It's a great indicator of emotional intelligence – does the person really know how they affect people around them.

6. Tell me how long have you been with your current (or former) employer?

This is a hot-button question if your résumé reflects considerable job-hopping. Excellent performers tend to stay in their jobs at least three to five years. They implement course corrections, bring in new resources, and, in general, learn how to survive–that's why they are valued by prospective employers.

If your resume reflects jobs with companies that were acquired, moved, closed, or downsized, it is still viewed as a job-hopper's history. Volunteer and go to events where hiring authorities may be found. Ratchet up your networking to include anything that exposes you to hiring authorities who can get past your tenure issue because now they know you. Your networking efforts have never been so important.

7. Do you know how would you maximize your ROI on recruitment?

Recruitment is a time and money consuming activity. In order to maximize the ROI through recruitment activities, a company should keep following things in mind:

☛ - Clearly define the achievements you expect from the recruitment process. Establishing the clear goals doesn't leave a place for confusion in the system.
☛ - Develop effective ways to measure critical results.
☛ - Precise estimation of time and cost of recruitment.
☛ - Ensure that the people working in the recruitment process are well trained.
☛ - Estimate the tangible and intangible benefits that have come from the recruitment exercise.

8. Explain me about a time you broke a rule for an employee?

This question helps us understand the candidate's people orientation. We specifically focus on employee handbook type rules, not safety, risk, or other rules that should never be broken. If they've never broken a rule for an employee, chances are they don't deal well with ambiguity and look at the world very black & white.

9. Tell me do You Consider Yourself To Be A Strategic Thinker?

Many interview questions often focus on key skills for the position on offer, so make sure that you have prepared examples of your ability for all key skills that the job requires. Once you have prepared your examples, practice them aloud to enable yourself to speak confidently during the interview.

10. Tell us what are your minimum salary requirements?

Very few applicants indicate their salary requirements on the front end for fear that they'll overprice themselves and be ruled out. But, if possible, I try to at least get them to give me a salary range. This way, if they're way over my budget, I don't waste my time or theirs.

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