Many of the questions potential new hires ask are throwaways. But not these. Here are five questions great candidates ask at interviews…

Q1. What do you expect me to accomplish in the first 60 to 90 days?

Outstanding candidates want to hit the ground running. They don’t want to spend weeks or months ‘getting to know the organisation.’

They want to make a difference – right away.

Q2. What are the common attributes of top performers?

The most capable performers also want to be great long-term employees. Every firm is different, and so are the key qualities of top performers in those companies.

Maybe top performers work longer hours. Perhaps creativity is more important than following a prescribed method. Maybe business development is valued the most. Or it could be someone who constantly exceeds expectations in client service.

Great candidates want to know what is valued because they want to be sure they fit and, if they do fit, they want to be known as a top performer.

Q3. What really drives results for the company?

Employees are investments, and every employee should generate a positive return on his or her salary. In every job some activities make a bigger difference than others. HR specialists and interviewers need to fill job openings. But it’s critical that HR finds the right candidates because this results in higher retention rates, lower training costs and better overall productivity.

For example, employers might need auditors to perform their year-end audits… but what they really want is for members of the audit team to both solve problems and provide other benefits, such as generating additional fees through cross-selling other professional services.

Great candidates want to know what truly makes a difference. They know helping the company succeed means they succeed too.

Q4. What do employees do in their spare time?

Happy employees like what they do and like who they work with.

This can be a a tough question for the interviewer to answer as, unless the company is really small, all they can do is speak in generalities. However, the recreational activities on the Islands are very wide and usually revolve around sports, the beach, social activities and travel.

In a nutshell, what’s important is that candidates want to make sure that he or she has a reasonable chance of fitting in – because great job candidates usually have other options.

Q5. How do you plan to deal with…?

Every business faces a major challenge: technological changes, competitors entering the market, shifting economic trends, and so on.

So while a candidate may see a company as a stepping-stone, they still hope for growth and advancement… and if they do eventually leave, they want it to be on their terms and not because the company has been forced out of business.

A great candidate doesn’t just want to know what their potential employer thinks: they want to know what the plan is to combat the key challenges ahead – and how they will fit into those plans.

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