Use these questions to identify a candidate’s technical knowledge and abilities
Use these questions to determine how a candidate handled situations in the past
Use these questions to assess a candidate’s personal traits and cognitive skills
Why this matters:
This question can give you a sense of both the candidate’s process and their priorities. How do they measure success? The mark of a good recruiter is their ability to find and hire great people as quickly as possible—but the best recruiters are also deeply invested in finding candidates who will thrive at the company and stick around for the long haul.
What to listen for:
- Listen for a robust process, including steps the candidate took to understand the hiring manager’s needs before they began their search.
- Top answers will highlight specific metrics like time to hire and new hire retention.
Why this matters:
Successful placements are great, but if it takes 25 offers to get there, the recruiter’s process may need retooling. Learning the interviewee’s acceptance rate can also tell you whether or not they’re capable of creating a positive candidate experience. If top candidates feel like the recruiter respected their time and helped them get to know the company better, most won’t hesitate to say “yes.”
What to listen for:
- An offer acceptance rate that is in line with other recruiters at your company.
- If the candidate doesn’t know their offer acceptance rate off the top of their head, this may indicate that they’re not particularly data-driven.
Why this matters:
Social media accounts can tell you a lot about a person. The best recruiters use every tool at their disposal to get a full picture of candidates, so they often look at what people are posting online to inform their decisions. If a candidate is posting thoughtful content about the industry, for example, this may convince the recruiter to reach out to them.
What to listen for:
- Strong candidates will show fairness and good judgment when distinguishing between acceptable online behavior and red flags.
- Top answers will highlight how they used something shared by a candidate online to build a personal connection.
Why this matters:
Most recruiters have been asked to find at least one “purple squirrel”—a candidate so perfect they probably don’t exist. Hiring managers want their new hire to have it all, and this can sometimes lead them to make unrealistic requests. It’s up to recruiters to work with them to set the right expectations and align on requirements—while fostering a strong relationship.
What to listen for:
- A great answer will cover how the candidate worked with the hiring manager to distinguish “must-have” and “nice-to-have” requirements.
- Excessively complaining about the hiring manager’s request could be a red flag.
Why this matters:
Recruiting can be challenging, and even the best recruiters have made a few mistakes throughout their careers. You need to know that your candidate can take responsibility and commit to never making the same mistake again—whether it was making a hire they didn’t feel right about just to fill the position or failing to fill it at all.
What to listen for:
- Listen for answers which demonstrate that the candidate takes ownership of their work.
- Great answers will show thoughtful self-reflection and an ability to apply lessons learned to future assignments.
Why this matters:
Recruiters and hiring managers don’t always see eye to eye, but top recruiters know that strong working relationships are the key to making better hires. If a hiring manager isn’t happy with the candidates a recruiter brings them or with the person they ultimately hire, great recruiters will work to strengthen the relationship and understand how the misalignment occurred.
What to listen for:
- Look for answers that show diplomacy and a commitment to transparency.
- Top answers will focus on how the recruiter figured out the root cause of the misalignment to avoid the same problems in the future.
Why this matters:
This question can help you screen for empathy and culture fit. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, and recruiters need to be able to tell the difference between an honest mistake born from nerves and one which indicates a lack of judgment or attention to detail. If your company has a forgiving culture, someone who takes a hard line on errors may not be the right fit.
What to listen for:
- Listen for evidence that your candidate believes in giving everyone a fair chance.
- Top answers will show that they work to understand the circumstances and context before making any decisions.
Why this matters:
This question screens for ambition. An ambitious candidate will have an action plan in hand, ensuring they can hit the ground running. You can’t expect them to transform your company and solve all your problems overnight, but you want to know that they’re eager to get stuck in and make an immediate impact.
What to listen for:
- A thorough action plan may include getting comfortable with your systems and setting up meetings with leaders and hiring managers to understand business challenges.
- Top answers will emphasize a desire to learn your company culture to find candidates who share your values.
Why this matters:
Recruiters have lots of responsibilities to juggle, from sourcing high-quality candidates to holding phone screenings and scheduling interviews. As such, it’s important for them to be highly organized and to possess excellent time-management skills—otherwise, the hiring process may stall, leaving candidates and stakeholders frustrated.
What to listen for:
- Listen for references to specific strategies, like blocking off time on their calendars to dedicate solely to critical tasks.
- Top answers will show a dedication to moving candidates swiftly through the pipeline to improve their experience.
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