What kind of interview questions do you ask applicants?

What have you done in your community over the past couple of years that shows how you like to connect with the people you work with and live by?

Yes...  We all have those standby questions we have to ask, but I really like to ask personality questions that are completely oddball to see if a candidate is type A or type B personality.  It helps gauge how well they may mesh with existing employees etc.  Here are a couple of examples:  

Do you squeeze the toothpaste tube in the middle, top, or bottom?  If they squeeze the bottom of the tube they are type A (they will most likely perform with all I's dotted and all T's crossed).  

When refilling the toilet paper roll, do you prefer the roll to flow over or under the roll?  If they like the paper to flow under the roll, they are type B.  (They will be more easy going and laid back)

This is just some ideas to get you started.  Be careful not to ask questions that are offensive or intrusive or that could get misconstrued.... Happy Hunting!

What's your spirit animal? According to a Facebook app, mine is the otter. I'm not happy with that, but since I answered all the questions truthfully, I accept it as a life-aid in my quest to affirm my rightful place in the universe. Cracking open shellfish and eating them off my belly while floating on my back has proved to be a difficult adjustment. How about you?

What has been the most interesting part of your life, so far? Why?

Are you detail-oriented? Can you maintain an intense focus for hours at a time?

How do you feel about color and texture?

Do you understand light?

Do you understand the importance of consistency and organization?

Do you enjoy people and recognize that ours is a service business?

I ask several of the "canned" questions to get a baseline, but then I actually spend a large portion of time just talking to the applicant and getting to know what type of person they are through the conversation. I do have certain ways to bring up different answers that I am looking for of course. You can learn a lot about people by the way they talk and about what they are truly passionate. I hire less on actual skill and more on the propensity for the skill. I can teach the information and processes, but it's much more difficult (sometimes impossible) to teach what I think are the simple things --- punctuality, perseverance, patience, and good people skills. If you have those 4 things, I truly believe you can most succeed at almost any job... so that's what I look for!

I ask what the individual is passionate about?  I watch for their response and pay attention to their eyes which illuminates the fire of their passion and also mirrors the soul's desire!  I then ask what do they want to co-create with others on the planet before they cross over.  The answers to these questions show me immediately their values from their the heart and soul of the individual; and whether they support collaboration and co-creation of a more creative and humane world!

I will eagerly be waiting to hear how others respond to your question.  Being in the floral business and not corporate, all those type questions reveal nothing to me. 

I first look at the vehicle they arrive in. I look to see if it’s maintained and see what style they may have.  

I only ask them two questions:

Do you clean the litter box or does someone else in your family?

Would you wear a polka dot dress with plaid heels to an awards dinner where you were being honored? And why?

Thats it, my secret. Their responses reveals everything I need to know. 

If you were independently wealthy and didn't have to work what would you be doing?

If you could have any living person as your own personal mentor who would it be and why?

What book are you currently reading or what was the last book you read?

I like the above questions because they provide more insight into a persons drive, interest and personality.  

I find the best questions to ask a candidate are;

Tell me more about yourself that I cannot see from your resume?

Tell me the things you liked best about your current position?

Tell me about the things you dislike about your current position

From your past tell about the one position you liked the best and why?

I find talking about one's past is a good indication about what they are looking for today and what they enjoy doing.

Most people ask too many questions and don't go deep enough. I encourage you to look at "Who"  by Geoff Smart and Randy Street. Basically it boils down to the following top-level questions: 

What were you hired to accomplish?

How did your performance compare to the previous year’s performance?

How did your performance compare to the plan?

How did your performance compare to that of your peers?

What are your biggest accomplishments in this area in your career?

What are your insights into your biggest mistakes and lessons learned in this area?

The trick is to dig deeper into the top-level answers with questions like "How do you know that?" "Why did you do it that way?" "Who did you have to convince to do that, and how did you do it?" "Tell me more." When you dig several layers down, it will become VERY clear VERY quickly which candidate is a top candidate, and who is a "serial paycheck collector."