The purpose of a job interview is providing an opportunity for the interviewer and candidate to get know each other. The questions you ask will determine the success of the interview. Here are some useful interviewing questions that assist you to get a general picture of the candidate: -

1. Coping Questions

• Tell me about a time when you had to cope with strict deadlines or time demands. Give me an example.
• When have you had to cope with the anger or hostility of another person? Give me an example
• Tell me about a high stress situation when it was desirable for you to keep a positive attitude. What happened?

2. Tolerance

• When have you been most proud of your ability to wait for important information before taking action in solving a problem? How did the wait affect you?
• People differ in their preference for jobs that have well laid-out tasks and responsibilities or ones in which work changes frequently. Tell me about a time when you were successful in dealing with an unstructured work environment.
• What has been your experience in working with conflicting, delayed or ambiguous information? What did you do to make the most of the situation?

3. Decisiveness

• Describe a situation in which you had to draw a conclusion quickly and take speedy action.
• Many situations at work will require fast thinking and speed in making decisions. Give me an example of a situation in which you were especially skillful in making a decision quickly.
• Many times it is important to be hard headed about a decision you are making, particularly when others don't like it. Give me an example of a time when you stuck by a decision even though it was under attack by others.

4. Spoken Communication

• Tell me about an experience of yours that illustrates your ability to influence another person verbally. Feel free to use an example.
• Careful listening and effective communication go hand in hand. Tell me about a time when your ability to listen helped you communicate better.
• This job will required you to spend a large amount of time talking with others. When have you had to work in this kind of situation and how did it affect you?

5. Energizing

• Give me an example of a time when your positive attitude caused others to be motivated or energized.
• Give me an example of something you did that helped build enthusiasm in others
• Tell be about a time you were able to use a. competition b. recognition c. reward to encourage others and create positive motivation.

6. Policy and Procedures

• Tell me about your experiences in logging (documenting) your work activities in a written form. Be specific.
• Select a job you have had and describe the paperwork you were required to complete. What specific things did you do to insure your accuracy?
• Give me an example of a time when you found a systematic method for solving work problems to be a good routine to follow.

7. Analytical Problem Solving

• What was your greatest success in using principles of logic to solve technical problems at work?
• Give me an example of a time when you actively defined several solutions to a single problem. Did you use tools such as research, math, Brain Storming?
• Enumerate the analytical tools with which you feel competent, and give me an example in your work history which shows your ability of your analytical techniques to define problems or design solutions.

8. Goal Setting

• Goal statements are often made to meet the expectations of others. Tell me about a time when you took the initiative to set goals and objectives, even though you weren't prompted or direct to do so.
• What have been your experiences in defining long-term goals? Tell me what specific goal was set and how successful were you at achieving it?
• Give me an example of a time you used a systematic process to define your objectives. What type of system did you use? What payoff did you get from using the process?

9. Commitment to Task

• Give an example of any specific time in which you found it necessary to give long hours to a job.
• Tell me about a time when you were able to provide your own motivation to produce even though even though you were working alone. How did you motivate yourself?
• We both recognize that being successful takes more than luck. Tell me about a time when you had to work very hard to reach your goals and be specific about what you achieved.

10. Interaction

• Describe a time when you were able to be personally supportive and reassuring to a person who needed a friend.
• The word "communication" means different thing to different people at different times. Tell me what this word means to you by giving me an example of a time when you had to be warm and amiable as a communicator.
• Being skillful in dealing with other people in the job is an important factor in being productive. Describe a time when you were successful in dealing with another because you built a trusting relationship.

12. Interviewing Questions specifically for Sales People

• What have you liked best (least) about your previous sales positions?
• What is your "philosophy" on Sales?
• What makes a person "successful" in sales?
• What can you bring to the table that will increase our sales here?
• Describe one of your toughest sales experiences. How did you deal with it? Why do you think it happened?
• What do you expect on your next sales position?

11. Additional Questions to ask the candidate

• Time management has become a necessary factor in personal productivity. Give me an example of any time management skill you have learned and applied at work.
• Creative persons seem to offer fresh insights frequently. Give me an example when one of your insights was well receive by others.
• We cannot do everything ourselves. Give me an example of a time when you dealt with this reality by creating a special team effort at work.
• How have you benefited from your disappointments?

Hopefully these questions will help you and give you even more questions you can ask. Remember, your main objective is to find out as much as you can about the individual you are meeting with. Refrain from making this an interrogation. Break the ice by first talking a little about the company, or how you came to the company, what you enjoy most about the company. Then move into the interview process with specific questions.