As an interviewer, it's important to ask the right questions to get the information you need to make a hiring decision. But there are also some questions that you should avoid–the kind that can get employers into some serious hot water–as they could be considered illegal or discriminatory. Avoid potential issues and, more importantly, identify red flags in candidates before you complete the interview on this episode of Agents Growth Academy.
3 Key Takeaways
- While children can be a distraction for remote workers, it is not your place to ask about their childcare arrangements. Instead, ask if they have a distraction free environment that they can make calls/Zoom with no trouble.
- Don’t be afraid to let there be silence after asking a question; they may need a minute to mull it over, but talented people know their skills and will be able to answer with how they can help.
- Avoid asking questions about a candidate's current salary; it likely won’t provide the right information because it doesn’t take into account their individual financial situation.
Resources
The Agency Guide to Bulletproofing Your Interview Process: agentsgrowthacademy.com/interviewguide
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About Jim
Jim Schubert is the CEO of Southern States Insurance, one of Georgia's largest independent insurance agencies. He is a nationally recognized author and podcast guest contributor appearing in Insurance Journal, Independent Agent Magazine, Insurance Business America Magazine, Best's Review and Applied Systems.
Jim is a passionate advocate for small business owners, entrepreneurs and independent insurance agents. He loves sharing ideas about agency growth, digital marketing, and the lost art of human interaction. Jim is also the creator of Agents Growth Academy, an online resource for insurance agents and agency owners who want to take their growth to the next level.
And when he needs to take a clarity break, he is either behind a camera lens in the great outdoors or teaching aspiring shutterbugs how to take beautiful nature photography at Schubert Photography.
Show Notes
[00:01:12] - The top three questions to avoid when conducting an interview are: what are your childcare arrangements? What year did you graduate from college? What is your current salary?
[00:05:02] - Talented people know who they are and what they want to do. So they can answer the question “What are your career goals?“ without hesitation. If they haven't done the research about your company, they might not be able to answer this question very well.
[00:06:48] - Ask, “What are you not really good at or not interested in professionally?” This is a follow up question that Jim's agency uses in the phone screen interview. It puts them on the spot and creates “the threat of reference check.”
[00:08:39] - Questions for remote employees should be answered towards the beginning of the main interview. Ask them if they decide to leave the company in 6 months, why they think that would be. This will also reveal any major red flags.
[00:11:02] - There are many distractions that can distract remote workers from being able to work. Disasters can include kids, older parents, barking dogs, and TV, so don’t ask them about their childcare plan. There is a list of everything we talked about here in our free agency guide.