Business
Interview Tips and Questions to Help Find the Right Help By Mary M. Barefoot, HR services consultant,
AgCareers.com
B
efore making a hiring decision for your cattle operation, you want to be sure that the candidate
you hire is a good fi t. The intention of an interview is to help you make an informed decision about which candidate matches the skills, knowledge and motiva- tion required for the position. Making the right hire reduces your cost per hire, improves your employee turnover rate and improves your staff quality and work environment. An essential part of interview preparation is for-
malizing a list of questions for the interview. As you think about the questions you typically ask prospective employees, consider the effectiveness of each question. Most questions should center on job knowledge and
whether or not the candidate will be a good fi t for your operation — his or her likes and dislikes. Avoiding questions that can be quickly answered
with yes or no can help maximize the amount of information you collect from a candidate. It is also important not to lead the candidate into responding a certain way with phrasing. For example, “You are a hard worker aren’t you?” Interview questions should help you learn more
about the candidate without being overly forceful or intimidating. Avoid questions that seem accusatory — or using a tone that might suggest an accusation — and avoid making a candidate feel interrogated or uncomfortable. Finally, and most importantly, be sure to consider
whether each question is legal for you to ask. Do not ask questions that could be perceived as related to age, gender, race, color, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, religion or marital status. Questions revolv- ing around these topics are most often illegal. If you are unsure if a question is legal, it is best to
omit it from your list completely. Here is a list of legal, effective questions you may
consider asking during your next interview. 1. What interests you most about this position, com- pany, etc.?
2. What has been your most important accomplish- ment where you now work?
3. Tell me about a time in your current/most recent job when you did more than was required.
4. Describe a problem you have solved in the last year. How did you solve the problem?
80 The Cattleman January 2017
5. Think about a time when your work was above standard and a time when it was below standard. Explain both. What were the reasons for the dif- ference in performance?
6. What is the most diffi cult challenge you have ever faced? Explain.
7. Describe the type of person you would most like to have as your supervisor.
8. Why should I hire you? 9. What additional strengths do you have that we haven’t talked about?
Below are a few examples of illegal questions. You may try different wording to help determine what could be legitimate job-related information.
What not to ask • Are you a U.S. citizen? • Do you have or plan to have children? • Do you live nearby? • Have you had any recent or past illnesses or opera- tions?
• How tall are you? • How much do you weigh? • How much longer do you plan to work before you retire?
Instead, try asking • Are you authorized to work in the U.S.? • Are you available to work overtime? • Are you willing to relocate? • Are you able to perform the essential functions of this job with or without reasonable accommodations?
• Are you able to reach items on a shelf that is 5 feet tall?
• Are you able to lift boxes weighing up to 50 pounds? • What are your long-term career goals? ❚
thecattlemanmagazine.com
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