45 Questions to Ask Before You Hire

45 Questions to Ask Before You Hire

Hiring is a big decision. It impacts your team dynamic, effectiveness, and ability to achieve your goals. Make the wrong choice, and you’ve lost time and money. It can be daunting. So before you bring in a candidate or make a final decision, it’s helpful to reflect on what you want and need. Taking time to ask the important questions before you hire can be the difference between finding the right person vs. the right for now person you’ll second guess later. 

Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Hire 

Self-reflection before hiring a new teammate is a great place to start. Take five to ten minutes before posting a job description or interviewing a potential candidate to ask yourself what you’re really looking for in a new team member. Here are a few ideas to get you started: 

  1. What will make your life easier? 
  1. What are you looking for in an ideal candidate? 
  1. What problems keep you up at night, and how can this person alleviate them? 
  1. What do you value most: experience or education? 
  1. What would make you not hire someone? 
  1. What are your deal breakers? 
  1. What is a must-have skill that is non-negotiable? 
  1. What is your budget, and are you willing to be flexible for the right person? 
  1. What would make this person successful in their first 30, 60, 90 days on the job? 
  1. Is there anyone you know of that would be a good fit for the role? 

Questions to Ask Your Team Before You Hire 

Making a hiring decision impacts not only you but your team as well. Your team will benefit from thinking and talking through how a new hire will change how your team operates and socializes. Consider the following: 

  1. What are you looking for in a coworker? 
  1. What do you think is missing from our team? 
  1. How do you work best with others? 
  1. What skills and expertise will elevate our team? 
  1. Do you know anyone in your network that would be a good fit for this role? 

Questions to Ask Your Network Before You Hire 

Seeking input from others and how they’ve approached hiring can influence your decisions for the better. Ask for guidance from your network to know what mistakes to avoid and what helpful insight they can offer. 

  1. What’s the biggest hiring mistake you’ve made? 
  1. What do you look for in your ideal candidate? 
  1. What kind of talent do you think would benefit our company? 
  1. Where do you seek your talent? 
  1. What does your interview process look like? 
  1. Do you know anyone who would be interested in this opportunity? 

Questions to Ask Your Candidate Before You Hire 

Arguably the most important questions you ask in the hiring process are the ones you ask your candidate. In addition to the tried and true questions like what your strengths and what are your weaknesses, try a few of these. 

  1. What value can you add to our team? 
  1. What are you passionate about outside of work? 
  1. What’s something you can tell me about yourself that’s not on your resume? 
  1. What’s a project you’ve worked on that’s challenged you? 
  1. What’s a project you’ve worked on that you absolutely crushed? 
  1. Why do you want to work here? 
  1. What would your current manager say about you? 
  1. How would your colleagues describe you? 
  1. What are you looking for in a team? 
  1. How do you do your best work? 
  1. What skills can you bring to our team that are an immediate asset? 
  1. How do you respond under pressure? 
  1. What makes you an indispensable team member?  
  1. If you were given a task or project and you did not know what to do, how would you proceed? 
  1. What do you believe this position would offer that your current employer does not? 
  1. How do you define success? 
  1. What are you learning right now? 
  1. What are you excited about? 
  1. What are you looking for in a manager? 
  1. Do you have experience working remotely? 
  1. What’s something you’re learning right now? 
  1. What’s important to you in a company’s culture? 
  1. What’s the best job you’ve ever had? 
  1. What’s an achievement, personal or professional, that you’re most proud of? 
For more career resources, networking, and job opportunities, check out our membership community Females in Food. Our mission is simple – to advance women into senior leadership positions across every segment of the F&B industry and close the gender gap.

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