In our last Silkin Management Group blog, we wrote about some tips you can use when reading and evaluating an employment application. You can link to that blog here: Reading and Evaluating Employment Applications
Because Silkin Management Group clients are often in a hiring mode due to expansion and/or cleaning out past hiring mistakes, we have found that training our clients on correct hiring procedures is vital to their success. One of the procedures has to do with the type of interview questions you ask during an employment hiring interview. Since the purpose of the interview is to gather information to make an informed decision, it’s important that the questions you ask elicit as much information as possible. (Be sure that you know what are legal and illegal questions to ask – this has been the subject of many past blogs that can be found on our various Silkin Management Group blog sites.)
There are basically two types of questions: open ended which allow a person to think and speak, and closed ended, which give basically yes or no answers. You want to ask open ended questions as they are more revealing. Here are some examples of open ended and close ended questions, each concerning the same subject. Look them over and you should easily be able to see how they will elicit different responses and how the open ended question will give you much more data for your hiring evaluation.
Close Ended: Are you highly motivated?
Open Ended: What career objectives have you set for yourself?
Close Ended: Are you qualified for this position?
Open ended: In what ways have your previous jobs prepared you for this position?
Close Ended: Can you accept criticism?
Open Ended: Give me some examples of times you’ve been criticized. How did you respond?
These are several examples of how to properly ask questions in a hiring interview. You can see that the open ended question will provide you with much more useful data to evaluate the applicant. This is an example of just one of the things that Silkin Management Group consultants help their clients with during the hiring process.
If you would like more information about how Silkin Management Group can help you with the management of your practice, you can contact us at 800-695-0257 or visit our website at www.silkinmanagementgroup.com
Jack Hennessy
Silkin Management Group Consultant
