Hiring Hack: Three Questions Commonly Asked by Recruiters
Whether you’re the recruiter or the person applying for the job, you know that one of the most crucial points of the hiring process is doing a background check.
In resumes and interviews, the recruiter will only be able to see all the positives because applicants will always put their best foot forward.
But the real tests is what your previous bosses or co-workers think of you. Some background checks even go as far as calling your family, neighbors and would even conduct a credit investigation.
Knowing the three common questions asked by recruitment managers would help you assess yourself and how your peers and references might see or perceive you.
Question 1: Tell me about how you and the applicant worked together.
Recruiters would call former or existing co-workers or teammates of the applicants to to find out when they worked together or “collaborated” on certain projects.
They’d also find out the duration of time that the teammate has worked with the applicant. Someone who has worked with the applicant longer can give more substantial information than someone who’s only worked with him or her for two to three months.
There are also key questions asked that would reveal the closeness of their relationship with one another or how closely they worked with each other. A work acquaintance couldn’t really share any relevant information, but a teammate or someone working in the same unit or department could.
Question 2: What are the applicant’s greatest strengths?
This is a tricky question since this is also often asked during interviews. It’s a great way of determining an applicant’s level of self awareness as compared to how his or her peers really see him.
If the co-worker’s answer matches that which was shared during the interview, that’s a great plus for the applicant. It means who he thinks he is is parallel to how his co-workers and supervisors know him. There’s no deceit or misalignment in personality traits, and that’s exactly what HR managers are looking for.
Question 3: On a scale of 1 to 10, compared to other people you’ve supervised/worked with, how would you rate the applicant?
This is a very interesting question and it’s quite strategically framed. The recruiter asks a former or current supervisor or teammate to rate the applicant, all things considered.
It’s a great way of quantifying the applicant’s overall competency and character based on his superiors’ and peers’ working experience with him or her.
The recruiter could further improve the question by providing some criteria as basis for the rating, like “In terms of punctuality, honesty and work ethic, how would you rate the applicant?” This way, the person being asked the question could provide a more direct and quantified answer.
There are other commonly asked questions for background check, such as assessing the weaknesses of the applicant or the known reason why the applicant left or is leaving his current company.
Conducting a strong reference check can definitely help the recruiter find the right person for the job. If you’re currently undergoing a background check yourself, hopefully you have left quite an impression on your former boss and fellow workmates. This, too, is why it’s important to always be the best person you can be at work, even when no one is looking.
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