Welcome to FintekNews' weekly series devoted to helping you find the best talent for your team. This week our recruiting partner OneWire is here with some tips on what questions you should be asking while interviewing candidates. Keep reading for more insights!
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8 Interview Questions Every Hiring Manager Should Be Asking
Looking to improve your hiring quality? The solution may be as simple as asking the right questions.
A great interview question allows hiring managers invaluable insight into candidates for wealth management jobs and other finance positions. Outside of the common stable of inquires, these questions open approaches into a candidate’s personality and qualities like leadership and accountability.
If your interview process feels like it’s missing something, consider asking these eight questions:
1. What appeals to you about this position?
Beginning with this question allows you to determine a candidate’s preparedness. Have they studied the job requirements? Do they know what the position demands? Strong candidates will be able to match their abilities with the qualifications specified in the job description.
2. Can you describe your greatest professional achievement?
Listen closely to a candidate’s answer to this question. See how long it takes them to formulate a response. Can they successfully explain a specific accomplishment, or do they struggle? You’re looking for an understanding of why this achievement is especially significant to them. Should the candidate fail to provide that insight, probe further.
Asking a candidate the right questions reveals their preparation, seriousness and motivation.
3. What are your short-term goals for this job? How do they match up with your long-term goals?
A strong answer to this question tells you a number of things. You’ll be able to gauge how realistic an understanding of the position a candidate has, as well as the research they’ve done into your firm. It is also a chance to learn about their planned career path. Is it aligned with what you’re offering?
4. If your last manager was asked about your most significant contributions, what would that manager say?
Some resumes have a habit of cloaking a candidate’s specific contributions at their previous jobs. An interview is your chance to clear up any vagueness. The right answer to this question will convince you of a candidate’s ingenuity, leadership qualities and personal investment in projects.
5. How could your last manager have done better?
Hiring managers are looking for honesty and positivity in a response here. Does the candidate offer a well-reasoned assessment? Or are they resentful and eager to address a previous manager’s deficiencies? Listen closely and you’ll have a good idea of well your management style will line up with their work style.
“An interview is where you see how a candidate’s values and skills match up with your firm’s.”
6. In what type of work environment do you thrive?
The interview is where you first learn how a candidate will fit in your company’s culture. It’s your opportunity to identify potential problems early. Depending on a candidate’s answer to this question, you should have a good idea how their values and skills match up with your firm’s.
7. What steps would you recommend we take to improve our business?
Test how well a candidate has researched your company. Asking them to address areas in need of improvement within your firm reveals their industry knowledge and diplomacy under pressure. This isn’t an easy question to answer for many candidates. Only the best will have a tactful response.
8. This position is a major step in your life. How have you prepared yourself?
Equally suited to graduates and those switching careers, this question allows people to speak to past experience and prove their skills will transfer to your business. Without sounding aggressive, press candidates to convince you of their suitability for the position. You want to see seriousness and drive in their responses.
Asking the right interview questions is crucial for finding the best fit for your open roles. If you need any help interviewing or vetting candidates, OneWire’s Managed Services Team is here to help.