Interviews are naturally a little nerve-wracking, but an unnecessarily stressful experience can permanently damage a candidate\u2019s perception of your company. It can also make it harder for you to evaluate their fit for the role, since an overly nervous or uncomfortable person may struggle to show everything they could bring to the role.<\/p>\n
While you probably take steps to put every candidate at ease, some of the standard questions you may ask could unintentionally leave them squirming.<\/p>\n
Digital marketing agency Reboot conducted a study in which candidates were asked to wear a health and fitness tracker during an interview. They were then asked common interview questions while their heart rate was measured. In some cases, their beats per minute almost doubled.<\/p>\n
Here are the interview questions and scenarios that were found to raise candidates\u2019 heart rates the most \u2014 and some tips for getting the answers you need, without making your candidates sweat.<\/p>\n
1. \u201cWe\u2019re going to give you a quick test\u201d<\/strong> Sometimes a test is the best way to evaluate and compare candidates\u2019 skills accurately and fairly.<\/p>\n But there are still things you can do to make tests more productive and less stressful. Letting candidates know in advance that there will be a test component to the interview gives them time to mentally prepare, so consider mentioning this when you send the agenda. Giving them an idea of when this assessment will take place \u2014 for example, between meeting different interviewers or at the very end of the day \u2014 also means they won\u2019t spend the entire interview wondering when it\u2019s coming.<\/p>\n Unless the role will absolutely require your new hire to complete tasks within a set amount of time, it may be best to avoid time-bound assessments. Indeed, you may want to make your test a take-home assignment. Keep in mind that some candidates may take longer to read and process instructions or perform certain actions, despite being entirely capable of performing the job. So while it\u2019s OK to let candidates know the test won\u2019t be too time-consuming, assuring them that they can take as long as they need may help you to assess their abilities more accurately.<\/p>\n 2. \u201cWhat salary range are you looking for?\u201d<\/strong> Research shows that scrapping questions around salary history is the single biggest step you can take toward achieving pay equity at your company. But asking about the candidate\u2019s expected salary range isn\u2019t necessarily a productive alternative. Since candidates will usually base their expectations on what they\u2019ve previously earned, this question may ultimately perpetuate pay inequality.<\/p>\n Instead of asking about expectations, companies like Glitch share transparent salary ranges to ensure people know what to expect and feel confident that they\u2019ll be paid equitably. Starbucks, meanwhile, achieved 100% pay equity by creating a salary calculator that generates narrow pay ranges based on factors like skills and experience. Strategies like these take the salary question off the table altogether, shifting the onus from the candidate and allowing interviewers to dedicate more time to assessing their skills.<\/p>\n 3. \u201cDo you know what we do here?\u201d<\/strong> The wording of the question might be the problem here, since it has the potential to come across as condescending or even a bit threatening. Candidates may get the impression that interviewers assume they\u2019re not prepared, which could stress them out, even if they\u2019ve done their research.<\/p>\n Instead, you could reframe the question by asking something like \u201cWhat inspired you to apply here?\u201d or \u201cWhat is it about our mission that resonates with you?\u201d With these subtle tweaks, you can not only gauge how well they understand your company\u2019s work and goals, but also get a sense of where their passions and interests lie.<\/p>\n 4. \u201cWhat would your last boss say about you?\u201d<\/strong> Part of the anxiety around this question might stem from the fact that it\u2019s highly speculative. Candidates know that you might contact their last boss for a reference check, so they may be mentally scrambling to make sure they tell you something that will match up with what their former manager is likely to share \u2014 easier said than done for people who can\u2019t read minds. It\u2019s also entirely possible that they had a negative relationship with their last boss for reasons beyond their control, which could be the reason they\u2019re looking for a new job in the first place. But if they give a negative answer, they may worry about it reflecting poorly on them.<\/p>\n Save candidates the mental gymnastics by asking a similar question that doesn\u2019t carry as much baggage: \u201cWhat was the best working relationship you\u2019ve had with a manager and why did it work so well?\u201d By focusing on positive relationships, you can find out more about the person\u2019s values and learn insights that could help the hiring manager successfully manage their future hire.<\/p>\n 5. \u201cWhy are you looking to leave your current employment?\u201d<\/strong> That might be because this is another loaded question. There are countless reasons why a person might be job hunting, from COVID-related layoffs to a change in career direction to a toxic culture in their workplace. Candidates are often left walking a tightrope, trying not to come across as too negative while also worrying about looking flaky for wanting to leave or disposable for being out of work.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll likely get more value from this line of questioning by looking forward, not back. Ask what they\u2019re looking for in their next manager, team, and role. In reflecting on what they want, candidates will often draw on past experiences, both positive and negative, giving you a more well-rounded view of where they\u2019ve come from as well as where they hope to go.<\/p>\n Final thoughts:<\/strong> Take unnecessary stress out of the equation for a more seamless and productive interview process To identify more areas where your interview process could be improved, it\u2019s worth gathering feedback from every candidate who goes through it, not just the ones you ultimately hire. Sending out a quick survey, with an assurance of anonymity, is an easy way to find out if candidates had a good experience with your company \u2014 and what you could do to make the experience for the next candidate even better.<\/p>\n Article in LinkedIn by Samantha McLaren Image from Pixabay by Tumisu<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Interviews are naturally a little nerve-wracking, but an unnecessarily stressful experience can permanently damage a candidate\u2019s perception of your company. It can also make it harder for you to evaluate their fit for the role, since an overly nervous or uncomfortable person may struggle to show everything they could bring to the role. While you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":28237,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[71],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28239","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-fr"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nHearing that they\u2019re about to be tested is enough to make anyone\u2019s heart pound. Reboot found that this announcement causes, on average, a 93% increase in a candidate\u2019s heart rate \u2014 up from around 80 beats per minute to 154.<\/p>\n
\nIt\u2019s clear from the hundreds of online articles that coach candidates on how to answer salary-related questions that many dread being asked about pay. In some places, it\u2019s now illegal for companies to ask about salary history. But questions around salary expectations are still common and Reboot found they cause a 66% increase in heart rate.<\/p>\n
\nIdeally, every candidate will have spent some time researching your company before their interview. But according to Reboot\u2019s study, one question designed to test that \u2014 \u201cDo you know what we do here?\u201d \u2014 leads to a 63% increase in heart rate.<\/p>\n
\nThe question \u201cWhat would your last boss say about you?\u201d might seem like a harmless way to learn about candidates\u2019 previous working relationships, but it can lead to a 61% increase in their heart rate.<\/p>\n
\nAsking candidates why they\u2019re looking to leave their current job is also likely to get their hearts beating faster \u2014 51% faster, to be precise.<\/p>\n
\nThe best interviews often feel like a conversation, not an interrogation. By putting candidates at ease and avoiding questions that may do more harm than good, you can get more value from every interview \u2014 making it easier to find the right person for the job.<\/p>\n
\nContent Strategist by Day, Horror Critic by Night
\nJuly 6, 2021<\/p>\n