[Stonehenge]

Since I've been going through the process of hiring a few people in the last week or so, I thought I'd share my 2 sets of interview questions with you...

The first set of questions are the ones I ask over the phone to prescreen candidates:

Name:

Phone Number:

Have any experience? How much?

Have job now?

Going to school?

Looking for full time or part time?

What kind of transportation do you have to job - reliable?

Any other jobs or responsibilities that would take time away from this job?

Are you 18 or over?

If I don't like what I've heard at this stage I tell them "I'm calling everyone, and the 10-15 I like best are being called back for a personal interview. If you make the cut, I'll call you in a couple days." Unless of course there's something so obvious that you can tell them flat out 'no' over the phone.

These are my questions for the personal interview:

Name: Phone:

Appointment Time: Arrival Time:

Do you have any landscaping experience? YES NO


If not, have you had a physical job before? YES NO

Are you mechanically inclined? YES NO

Give an example of that – something you fixed, something you built, etc.

What power tools do you have experience with?

What large equipment have you run?

Have you ever been promoted or received an award at work? What led to that?

Give an example of a time when you had to make do with less than what you needed to get a job or task done.

Do you have a CDL? YES NO
Have you received any moving violations in the last 3 years? YES NO
Describe


Been in any car accidents while driving? YES NO
Describe

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

What is your perfect job?

Of all your previous jobs, which boss did you like most and why?

Of all your previous jobs, which boss did you like least and why?

What achievement in your last job are you most proud of?

What one thing about your last job are you least proud of? What would you do differently next time?

What aspects of your last job did you like best? Least?


Pass the wheelbarrow test? YES NO



10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

After each interview I take a few minutes to make additional notes on this sheet, and then circle 1-10 for the score I'd give them, 10 being highest.

Anything you would add?

[Rex Mann]

Jeff,

What's the purpose of "where do you see yourself in five years?" I find that very passe.

Also, in my help wanted ads I say drug test required. Amazing all the people it weeds out. No pun intended.

Peace,

Rex

[Stonehenge]

Lol - thanks for the chuckle.

I used to ask where they wanted to be in 10, but was thinking that got them dreaming, and I don't want that. Doesn't tell me much. I want to get an idea of the nearer term things they are driving for, which also gives me a sense of where they are now.

For example, if the answer is 'to have a place of my own', that tells me they don't have that now (living with parents), which means they probably don't need the job that badly. I want someone who will go hungry if they don't work. I don't want someone for whom weeks on end of Nintendo is as equally feasible as working. I've had those, and the former is what they usually end up doing.

I think the Q can still yield some insight into the person. It might even be better if the question asked for 3 years out, not 5. If they answer 'I want to be running my own company' I can tell them 'Why wait? Start today.'

However, I no longer ask 'Why should I hire you', because I'm tired of hearing 'Because I'm a hard worker.'