18 Best Recruiter Interview Questions To Ask [And Why]

When interviewing a candidate, you have to gather as much info about them as possible in a short period of time. 

This info will help determine whether a candidate is the best fit for the position but asking the right questions can be challenging.

The questions you ask the candidate need to give you a better idea of their skills and experience, as well as their ability to think quickly, hold a conversation, solve problems, and any other job-specific skills. 

To adequately assess a candidate for their skill and culture fit, you need to ask them both questions that are specific to the role and the company. 

You also need to ask questions that are more broader and that will give the applicant the opportunity to show their personality and convince you that they are the best candidate for the position. 

In this post, we explore the best recruiter interview questions to ask.

1. What made you want to apply for this position?

 

This is one of the best recruiter interview questions to ask because it goes into all the specifics about the role.

It can show how carefully the candidate has read the job description. This question also gives the candidate the chance to share why they think they would be a great fit for the role.

A truly thought out answer to this question should reference both the skills that the applicant has as well as what skills they want to develop or improve in the future.

2. Why do you want to work here?

 

This question is a bit similar to the previous one, but you should still ask to get a better idea of what the candidate is looking for in an employer.

When you ask this question, be sure to pay attention and catch any details about your organization as well as any parallels the applicant is drawing your company and them as a candidate.

3. Share something about yourself that cannot be found on your resume

 

Most candidates spend a great amount of their time on their resumes in the hopes that their resume is the best summary of their professional experience.

However, you simply cannot learn everything about a candidate just from what they put down on paper. 

This question is a bit vague because it leaves the candidate the opportunity to choose whether or not they want to share something work-related or not.

How they respond to this question and the story they decide to share with you will tell you a lot about the type of employee they will be if you hire them. 

4. How do you run meetings?

Any candidate worth your time has developed their own tricks and tools to help them better accomplish the work they have to do. 

Of course, not every trick is right for every purpose, so the candidate should demonstrate that they are open to experimenting as well as learning from others to achieve the desired outcome.

5. What are you passionate about?

 

This question is a favorite of many recruiters and hiring managers.  Whether it is NBA, video games, or their family, most people are passionate about something.

If the candidate is not passionate about anything, they may not end up being passionate about working for my company.

6. What career accomplishment are you most proud of?

 

Hiring someone who can do the job well is important. However, it is also important that you hire someone that is proud of their work. 

This is one of the best recruiter interview questions because it allows the candidates to share a career highlight they think is important for you to hear. 

This question can also help you get a better understanding of the type of work that they enjoy working which should make it easy for you to see whether that works for the role or not.

7. What are your greatest weaknesses?

 

By asking this question, you can quickly learn a lot about a candidate. The answer to this question can help you see if the candidate’s weaknesses could conflict with what the job requires or if it will potentially hinder their ability to excel in the role. 

It can also help you determine whether or not a candidate is self-aware about their weaknesses.

8. What are your greatest strengths?

 

The same as you need candidates to address their weaknesses, you also need them to talk about their strengths. Their strengths show their level of humility as well as self-awareness. 

It also gives the candidate a chance to discuss how they will use their strengths to help the company reach its goals and how their qualities align with the needs of the role.

9. Why are you leaving your current employer?

 

This may shock some candidates but it is a great question to ask. Make sure you pay attention to how they talk about their former job and whether they are focusing on the negative or positive sides of their previous job. 

If a candidate shows respect for their previous employer and their workplace, it will demonstrate their professionalism, which is essential in any role.

10. What are your long-term career goals?

 

One of the best recruiter interview questions to get a feel for how ambitious, hardworking, and goal-oriented a candidate is. 

Seek out candidates whose career goals align with your company’s values and mission. This question can also reveal how long the candidate plans on staying at your company.

11. If you could go back to any point in your career, what would you change and why? 

 

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