If you're in charge of recruiting new employees, writing articles, or just want to find out more about someone you idolize, you may want to interview them. Preparing yourself with well-organized questions will go a long way in helping you get the information you need from the interview. To structure interview questions, understand or find out the purpose of the interview itself, who you are interviewing with, and what you need from the person you are interviewing.
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Method 1 of 3: Interviewing Prospective Employees
Step 1. View the prospective employee you are interviewing as a smart person
No matter what type of job you're offered, you'll need to craft smart questions that a capable person can answer. You certainly don't want to hire someone who isn't a good fit for the job because you assume the candidate being interviewed can't answer the tough questions.
- When drafting pre-interview questions, think of yourself as both the interviewer and the candidate being interviewed.
- Putting yourself in the candidate's shoes will help you generate answerable questions. You should be able to answer your own questions. In fact, it's a good idea to write down the answer for comparison.
- By treating candidates as intelligent individuals, you can create challenging questions that will allow you to determine not only the right candidate, but also the most suitable.
Step 2. Start with open-ended questions
Open-ended questions cannot be answered with just a “yes” or “no” and usually do not have a right or wrong answer.
- Open-ended questions are one way to calm the candidate down. During the interview, you need to make the candidate feel comfortable. And if he feels comfortable, he tends to be more open to talking.
- Open-ended questions are also a way to find out a candidate's basic qualifications, and as a clue to the next question.
- Try questions like: “How is your relationship with the people you've worked with? What kind of partner do you think is the best? And the worst? With this question, you will immediately get a sense of whether the candidate will fit into the team at your company. Candidates usually don't like to talk badly about co-workers or bosses, especially in interviews. This question lets you see how it tells you what you want to know.
Step 3. Formulate questions that compel the candidate to demonstrate their knowledge of your company
You need to make sure the candidate has learned about your company. And you have to find out if he just knows the facts, or really understands.
- Questions that ask the candidate to visualize himself already in the employee's position will show how well he knows your company.
- You could ask, “Offer me [your company name] product or service.” This question will show how well the candidate knows what your company does and whether he or she has the ability to speak with the company's voice.
- Depending on the position being offered, you may be lenient in assessing the candidate's ability to promote the company. If you're hiring for an internal non-sales position, you just need to know if he or she already knows the basics about the company.
- You could also ask, “What do you want to achieve with this company ten years from now?” Questions like these allow you to gauge how well the candidate sees the job description in your company, and that he or she is not only doing his or her job, but is committed to being a part of the company. Questions like these will help screen out candidates who only read the job description.
Step 4. Be prepared to summarize the candidate's answers and move on to the next question
Repeating what the candidate just said will give you one second to digest the information and press the candidate with the next question.
- You need to find out if he really understands your subject. For example, if a candidate says, “I managed a large-scale systems implementation project with my past company.” You can repeat the answer and move on to the next question which will follow up on the previous question and dig up more information about how this candidate is performing in your company.
- After you've rehearsed the candidate's answers (not repeating word for word, but rephrasing in your own words), you might ask, “Can you tell us what the key activities were related to you while managing the project? And how can that experience be related to this job?
Step 5. Formulate questions that will enable you to gain the fundamental qualifications
During the interview, you need to gauge how well the candidate's job resume applies in real life. Prepare a list of questions that will give you an idea of the candidate's skill level for the job.
- Ask the candidate to describe some of the basic job responsibilities and functions. Ask him what he thinks will be challenging. You need to prepare a list of basic questions that have correct answers.
- For example, if the candidate lists Photoshop in their skills list, you can ask how long they have been using Photoshop. Or, if you know about Photoshop and the program will be a part of the job, you can ask specific questions about it. You might ask, “If I want to make a banner and want to place a photo of someone's body from another photo onto the banner, how do I do that?” If the candidate can describe this process clearly and use the right terms, you know he or she has a certain skill level.
Step 6. Write down questions that challenge the candidate
You need to structure questions that will allow you to see how well the candidate performs under pressure and provide information about his abilities in the role.
- You need to ask simple but challenging questions, such as “Which is better, perfect and late, or good and on time?” The candidate's answers will indicate what type of employee he or she is. The answer will also show how well the candidate knows about the company, depending on the answer to your question.
- Ask him if he ever made a mess, and how he could fix the problem. This is a classic and good interview question. You will see how self-aware employees are and their ability to solve problems.
Step 7. Ask casual, open-ended questions
Dig into his personal attributes. You need to know all the attributes of the candidate, such as personality, dedication, loyalty, communication skills, etc. In the world of work, all these attributes are called soft skills.
- When composing interview questions, you need to structure the questions in such a way that there are no breaks and the interview continues to flow. The first question is meant to relax the candidate and let you know his history. Then, you need questions that tell the candidate's actual ability level for the job you're offering. Now, you need to step back a bit. Write down some questions that will allow you to know the candidate's personality.
- Please prepare a list of questions that have little to do with work. You might ask, “Who is the smartest person you know personally? Why?" Questions like these will test the candidate's aspirations and values. By asking the candidate to explain why their chosen person is so intelligent, you can assess how the candidate perceives other people.
- Ask, “What would you love to do every day of your career?” This lets you know what makes him happy at work. If the answer is a cliché, you know he won't be very happy. If the answer is thought out and work-related, you know that he will probably be loyal to you.
- Consider asking, “If you worked with us, were paid the salary you wanted, and liked everything about your job, what other offers would you consider?” This question will give you an idea of the candidate's principles. Based on the answer, you will know if it can be purchased. Or whether loving his job and company is a principle he values.
Step 8. Prepare some experience-based questions
Depending on the answers to the previous questions, you may already know some of the candidate's experiences. However, it's a good idea to write down questions you can ask to find out more.
- You might ask, "What achievements have you made in a previous position that indicate you are growing in that position." A person's past performance is a good indicator of his future success with you.
- Ask him if he has ever succeeded professionally but didn't like the experience and wouldn't want to repeat it. These types of questions let you know how he acts when he gets things done that aren't always fun. And this question also lets you see if he understands the value of a particular role or function.
Step 9. End the interview
When drafting interview questions, take time to give the candidate the opportunity to ask questions.
- The questions the candidate asks will be invaluable. These questions will show how far he is prepared and how he perceives the job role offered.
- During the interview, make sure you always say thank you. Then, explain what the next steps are and when you will contact.
Method 2 of 3: Interviewing Someone for an Article
Step 1. Do some research on the person you want to interview
Before crafting a good question to ask someone for an article, podcast, or other medium, you need to gather as much information as possible.
- Know who he is, his accomplishments, failures, and personality, so you can craft solid questions for the best results.
- Search the internet for information about the person and see if there are other articles about him or her. Write down the personal data. Highlight the specific achievement you want to talk about.
Step 2. Write down the purpose of your interview
Once you know who you will be interviewing, it's a good idea to write down what you want from the interview.
- Goals will help you craft questions that can guide the conversation in the right direction. Goals will also make sure you stay on track should the conversation flow off the track you want it to.
- The objective should be a short declarative statement. For example, “I want [name of the interviewee] to take me on the process of writing his latest novel, and to know the challenges he faces.”
Step 3. Start with easy questions, or softball questions
You need to create questions that allow the conversation or interview to flow naturally.
- Softball questions will help the person you are interviewing to relax and open up. This type of question should be simple and not at all controversial. Questions should not be challenging and allow him to boast a little about his work.
- Ask questions. The first question should be something you can ask and won't affect the information you need from the interview.
Step 4. Ask open-ended questions
You interview someone to find out about a subject. This goal is the same, whether in an interview for a report or informative with someone who works where you want. For that, you need to create a dialogue, meaning a question that can't just be answered with "yes" or "no".
- You can ask questions such as, “What was your favorite part of…” Questions about your likes and dislikes about the interview subject will provide in-depth information that can be continued.
- Depending on the context of the interview, you may need to put some pressure on the person. There's no need to be rude, but if you're interviewing for an article, you need to know as much as you can. When composing questions, look for words that have been spoken. Then, create questions that allow you to ask, “You have said [the words]. Why do you believe it's true?”
Step 5. Ask devotional questions
You want to know how this person thinks and what values he values. Repeat the words and sentences. Questions that make him reflect and share stories or examples are good questions to keep the conversation flowing and provide valuable information.
- When compiling questions, see if you can find information about his career path. You can use what you find out from your research to direct the conversation during the interview and then ask, “What were some of the obstacles you didn't expect? What about the advantages you meet?
- You also ask questions that make him remember. “Given the starting point where you started this journey, what do you think you will achieve at that time?
Step 6. Write down a question you know the answer to
Write down some questions that you want him to answer and that you already know the answers to. Then, answer these questions before the interview.
- You have to know what questions will yield the most information. If you know the answers to these questions, you may not need to ask them during the interview.
- When composing interview questions, consider creating some questions that are similar to the questions you can answer, but may produce different responses depending on the sentence structure. You may need to ask a question or two like these to compare answers.
Step 7. Ask questions that elicit an emotional response
Just like open-ended questions, you need to think of some questions that will generate an emotional response.
- When compiling interview questions, see if you can find questions on the subject that can be used to elicit feeling-based responses. Has he ever published a book that didn't sell well? Has he experienced rejection and setbacks before succeeding?
- If you can't find anything, be prepared to ask questions on the spot. Use what was discussed in the interview and write down new questions quickly so you don't forget. Make sure you ask "why" and "how".
- “Why do you feel like you will never reach your goals?”, “What motivates you to keep trying when faced with obstacles?”, “How do you feel now about the experience?”
Step 8. Enter the surprising question, or curve ball
Look at the questions you plan to ask. If you find that you're asking a lot of the same questions, you'll need to look for different questions.
Surprising questions need not attack the subject. You can ask simple questions that are fun and unrelated, such as "What's your favorite food to cheer yourself up on when you're having a tough day?"
Step 9. Rephrase your question with different words
Go through all the questions and rearrange the questions that still need answers, or that don't help you reach your goals.
During the interview, use these questions as a guide, but don't feel that you have to ask them all one at a time. Let the flow of the conversation help you ask questions. Use as many written questions as possible, but be prepared to ignore some irrelevant questions
Method 3 of 3: Interviewing Friends or Idols
Step 1. Do some research on the people you will be interviewing
Before crafting a good question, you need to gather as much information as possible. Since you interviewed an idol, you must already know a lot about that person. However, further research will not hurt.
- Know who he is, his achievements, his failures, and his personality, so you can structure solid questions for the best results. Write down a list of things you already know about your idol.
- Look up information about your idol on the internet and see if there are other articles about him. If he is famous, it will help you a lot. Write down the personal data. Highlight the specific achievement you want to talk about.
Step 2. Write down the purpose of your interview
Since you're interviewing someone you idolize and admire, it's a good idea to write down what you want from the interview.
- Goals will help you craft questions that can guide the conversation in the right direction. Goals will also make sure you stay on track should the conversation flow off the track you want it to.
- The objective should be a short declarative statement. For example, “I want [name of the interviewee] to take me on the process of writing his latest novel, and to know the challenges he faces.” The objective should be in the form of a statement identifying the reasons that make you want to interview your idol.
Step 3. Start with a softball question
You need to create questions that allow the conversation or interview to flow naturally. Since you're interviewing someone you idolize, easy-to-answer questions will start the interview comfortably.
Softball questions will help the person you are interviewing to relax and open up. This type of question should be simple and not at all controversial. Questions should not be challenging and allow the character to boast a little about his work
Step 4. Ask about the strategies, processes, and methods for achieving the objectives
Write down a list of questions that relate to what you already know and what you want from the character. You need to start with a list of questions that when answered can give you a basic knowledge of the topic.
For example, if your idol is a doctor, you need to make a list of questions asking how many years he went to school to become a doctor. What areas of study should be pursued? How do you stay on the right track to become a doctor?
Step 5. Use your knowledge to design specific questions
Since you know him, you should write down some questions that are relevant to the life, past experiences, goals, achievements, and even failures of the idol character.
- When formulating questions, think about what you know about him. You can create questions that dig deeper and not just generic questions.
- You've removed generic questions from the list. Now, you need questions that evoke an emotional response and provide insight.
Step 6. Create open-ended questions
Go through the questions you've written and make sure you've created questions that can't be answered with just a “yes” or “no”.
- Ask open-ended questions. You interview someone to gain knowledge about a subject and to become more like him or her. So you have to have a conversation.
- You can ask questions such as, “What was your favorite part of…” Questions about your likes and dislikes about the interview subject will provide in-depth information that can be continued.
- When composing questions, put yourself in the shoes of your idol. Imagine yourself being interviewed by someone who idolizes you in the future. Think about what topic you want to talk about. What would you like to share and what stories and suggestions would you give?
- After thinking about what the situation was like when you were interviewed as an idol and what you would say, write down some questions you could ask to get similar answers and responses.
Tips
- Interviews should last between 30 and 45 minutes. So, don't pile up a lot of questions for candidates. Usually the maximum number of questions is 7 to 8.
- Don't be distracted by silence. If you're asking a question and the person you're interviewing is having trouble finding an answer, sit down and wait. We all tend to want to move because we are uncomfortable with silence. As an interviewer, you have to get used to it.
- Try to let the interviewee talk, and refrain from talking too much, unless he or she asks a specific question that you must answer. There are so many interviewers who talk at length about the company, its challenges, etc.
- If the candidate chats a lot or tends to get off track and you don't want to waste your time, look for opportunities (at the start of a conversation or a possible close), and say “That's great. Thank you,” and then proceed with the next question.
