Interview Questions to Determine a Good Fit With the Organization

With so many individuals looking for new opportunities, it is important to select new hires that are a good fit for the organization. Finding the right individuals – those who can be motivated by what the organization has to offer them – is not always easy; but once you find them, these are individuals who are likely to stay with the organization for a long time, are satisfied, more productive and engaged.  Hiring someone who is motivated in ways that the organization cannot support makes for a poor relationship.  For example, an individual who wants a job where he/she can take on new responsibilities on a regular basis will not be happy in an organization where he/she is not given the opportunity to do so because of the organizational structure.  Similarly, an individual who is motivated when he/she is able to work with minimal oversight will not stay long in an organization where the boss is always looking over everyone’s shoulders.

By finding the individuals who are a good fit – you find individuals who are a “motivational match” for the position available.  Bear in mind that what motivates people changes over time – life events, maturity, etc. all might change what motivates and engages an individual.  Understanding your employees and listening to them will enable you to find out when what motivates them has changed, enabling you to provide them what they need to remain motivated and engaged in the organization.
Here are some questions to ask of potential new hires to determine if they are a good fit for what the organization is able to offer them.  The responses to these questions will provide you insight into what motivates and engages the individual to do a job well.

• Tell me about a time when you worked on a particular project that you found to be very fulfilling and satisfying to you.  What was the particular situation and why did you find it fulfilling and satisfying to be involved?

• Tell me about a time when you worked on a project that was not satisfying at all and you found it to be stressful and/or frustrating.  What was the particular situation and why did you find it not satisfying?

• If money was not an issue and you could do anything you wanted to do, what would you do and why?

• Tell me about some experiences you have had in prior jobs that were satisfying.

• What are your short- and long-term goals?  What goals have you accomplished?

• What motivates you most on the job?

• What do you expect from a manager?  What can a manager do to help you stay motivated?

• Tell me about a situation where you were able to have a positive influence on the actions of another person? What did you do?  What was the person able to accomplish because of your influence?

• How do you motivate yourself to do something you don’t find enjoyable or really don’t want to do?

• Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond what was asked of you?  What was the situation?  Why did you take such extraordinary measures?

• How do you define success for yourself?

These questions enable you to get an understanding of the person you are interviewing – what excites them about a job, what motivates them to do their best, the kind of organization they function best in and the kind of manager who can bring out the best in them.

What other questions can you think of?  Please share in the Comments field below. Thanks!