As executive recruiters, we are constantly immersed in the high-stakes interview process.  Therefore, we have seen clients that ask effective interview questions that target the best fit for the role, and others that might have some unnecessary questions that could potentially be a waste of time.  So which questions are the most effective for targeting those candidates that fit the job best?
According to George Bradt, of forbes.com, top executive recruiters agree that there are three extremely effective interview questions.  They center around can you, will you, and can we.
The first question is, “Can you do the job?”  This question dives deeper into a candidate than what is on their resume.  Whether or not they’ve been successful in the past does not always determine they will be successful in the role you’re trying to fill.  A candidate’s response to this question will be more telling than their resume, and can lead to areas to probe to find out more information.
The second question is, “Will you love the job?”  This will delve into their passion and desire to do well in this role.  Someone who is purely motivated by money will probably not stick around as long as someone who has a passion for the business.
The third question is, “Can we tolerate working with you?”  This question answers whether or not they will be a fit culturally for your organization.  If someone won’t mesh will with their team, productivity usually falls.  This is not to say you want everyone on the team to have the exact same personality, but to have a personality complimentary to the team dynamic.
Read further to better understand how these three interview questions can turn around your hiring process.