Human Resources

Questions should be formulated to help reveal those areas of skill, knowledge, and abilities required to perform the essential functions of the job and for a new employee to be successful in the position. These examples of general questions have been developed for your use in conducting employment interviews.

1. What are some of the things in a job that are important to you and why?
2. What are some of the things you would like to avoid in a job and why?
3. What were the major responsibilities and duties in your most recent position?
4. Name a specific objective from a past job that you feel you have done particularly well, explain.
5. What is your over-all career objective? Discuss some specific examples of things that you have done that have assisted you in reaching this objective.
6. Who or what in your life would you say influenced you most with regard to your career objectives?
7. Describe a situation in a previous job where you could structure your own work schedule. What did you do?
8. Please describe a situation or task that in the past you have found difficult to accomplish?
9. Tell me about the work environment you have been most comfortable/productive in?
10. Tell me about a situation when you felt a lot of pressure. How did you handle it?
11. What do you feel was the greatest contribution you made at your previous place of employment?
12. Tell us about a major project that you have had to see through from start to finish.
13. Describe a situation where your experience, training, schooling or degree program has helped you.
14. What would you consider to be a greatest achievement to date? Why?
15. What kinds of things give you the greatest satisfaction?
16. Tell me about an important goal you've set in the past and how successfully you were in accomplishing it.
17. Describe the past relationships that have existed between yourself and supervisors or subordinates.
18. What experience have you had with mis-communication with a customer or fellow employee and how did you deal with it?
19. Give me an example where you used your greatest strength?
20. Give me an example of where you feel a weakness may have interfered with what you were working on.
21. Most jobs have pluses and minuses, what were some of the minuses in your last job?
22. What kinds of challenges do you feel bring out your potential?
23. Tell me about a time in your present job when you felt frustrated or disappointed. How did you handle it?
24. What do you think are the most important characteristics and abilities an individual must possess to become a successful . Describe a specific situation where these characteristics and abilities have helped you accomplish becoming successful.
25. Were there any experiences in your present or previous jobs that have prepared you for greater responsibilities?
26. This job will require you to work independently, but also as a team member. Tell us about some experience you have had in each situation.
27. How do you handle a situation when you are given a job and the work request is unclear to you?
28. How have you kept current on new procedures and computer programs? Describe the most difficult decision or recommendation you've ever made?
29. In your experience as a supervisor, how did you do performance appraisal/evaluations on your subordinates? Please be specific.
30. What are some of the things that motivate you?
31. What would be your ideal job?
32. Based on what you know about the position we are considering, what do you feel you have to offer in terms of skills and experience?
33. I'd be interested in knowing what position you would like to hold several years from now. How do you plan to prepare yourself for that position?
34. Tell us a little more about your professional experiences, particularly those not mentioned on your resume.
35. Why are you interested in leaving your current assignment and why do you feel that this assignment would be better for you?
36. Do you feel this position is a promotion, a lateral move, a broadening of your professional experience, or just a change? Why do you think so?
37. What is your favorite part of your current job and why is it your favorite part?
38. Describe two or three major trends in your profession today.
39. On the basis of the information you have received what do you see the major challenges of this position and how would you meet them?
40. Describe a situation in which you did "all the right things" and were still unsuccessful. What did you learn from the experience?
41. Discuss the committees on which you have served and the impact of these committees on the organization where you currently work.
42. Why did you choose this profession/field?
43. What new skills have you learned over the past year?
44. Can you describe how you go about solving problems? Please give us some examples.
45. Have you ever had a great idea but been told that you could not implement it? How did you react? What did you do?
46. What would your coworkers or your supervisor say about you?
47. What new programs or services would you start if offered the position?
48. Please share with us your philosophy about customer service in an academic environment and give us some examples of service that would illustrate your views.
49. Tell us how you would learn your new job in the absence of a formal training program.
50. How would you characterize your level of computer literacy? What are some of the programs and applications with which you are familiar?
51. What are the characteristics that you prize most in an employee? What behaviors or characteristics do you find intolerable?
52. Can you share with us your ideas about professional development?
53. Describe some basic steps that you would take in implementing a new program?
54. Do you have any knowledge of the unique role of a (2 year college/liberal arts college/research university)?
55. How do you feel about diversity in the workplace? Give us some examples of your efforts to promote diversity.
56. Tell us how you go about organizing your work.
57. Please tell us what you think are the most important elements of a good (service, activity, product, class, etc.)?
58. Describe your volunteer experiences in community based organizations.
59. What professional associations do you belong to and how involved in them are you?
60. Tell us how you would use technology in your day-to-day job.
61. In what professional development activities have you been involved over the past few years?
62. What volunteer or social activities have helped you develop professional skills?
63. What prompted you to apply for this job?
64. Why should we hire you? What is it about you that would make you successful in this job?
65. In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to NDSCS?
66. Any concerns that would make you have reservations about accepting this position if it is offered to you?
67. Do you have any additional information that you would like to share?
68. Do you have any questions for us?