7 Exceptionally Revealing Food & Beverage Interview Questions

March 3, 2014 in HR Best Practices

 

 

“Where do you see yourself in five years?”

“Why should we hire you?”

“What is your biggest weakness?”

The results of a simple Google search provide job seekers with the best answers to common interview questions. So if you’re still relying on “old standbys” like the ones above, chances are you’re getting well-rehearsed answers that reveal little about a candidate’s true nature.

Furthermore, the best candidates typically dislike standard interview questions. They find them pointless and tedious (and honestly, can you blame them?).

So if you want to make better quality hires, then you need to move beyond typical questions. Today, Kinsa shares seven of our favorite interview questions from Jeff Haden and Dr. John Sullivan that cut to the chase – and tell you what you really need to know about your executive food & beverage job candidates:

  1. If we’re sitting here a year from now celebrating what a great year it’s been for you in this role, what did we achieve together? This question reveals whether or not your candidate has done his homework – and truly understands your company and the available position.
  2. Tell me about a project or accomplishment that you consider to be the most significant in your career. Use this question as a conversation starter. It encourages your interviewee to skip the platitudes and talk about himself in a non-generic way. As the candidate begins to open up, ask pointed follow-up questions to learn more about his work habits and how he interacts with others.
  3. If we hired you, you loved everything about your job, and we paid you the salary you asked for, what kind of offer from another company would it take to make you consider leaving? Competition for talent is fierce in the food & beverage industry, making employee loyalty more important than ever. This question provides insight about how important money is to the candidate and whether or not he can be bought.
  4. What things do you not like to do? You may have to probe further to get an honest response to this question, but the additional work is usually worth the effort. Look for red flags that indicate a candidate might dislike a key responsibility of the available position.
  5. Why have you had (X) amount of jobs in (Y) years? Move beyond dates of employment and uncover the real forces that drive a professional’s career progression. With a little work, you can find out why he changes employers and what motivates him to stay.
  6. Tell me about a time when things didn’t go the way you wanted – like a promotion you wanted and didn’t get, or a project that didn’t turn out how you had hoped. Typically, responses to this question will fall into one of three categories: blame, self-deprecation or opportunity for growth. If your prospective employee responds indignantly, or turns out to be a finger-pointer, think twice about his suitability.
  7. Tell us the most effective approaches for managing you. This question reveals how well a candidate actually understands the keys to his own success. Additionally, it will help you to learn the communication styles, rewards, amount of supervision and leadership styles that appeal most to your interviewee – and to gauge his potential fit within your existing team.

Kinsa Group – A Better Way to Hire Food & Beverage Professionals

As a national food & beverage recruiter, Kinsa has the resources and interviewing expertise to deliver exceptional professionals with the skills, experience and personality to thrive in your organization.  We use professionally trained interviewers, a wide array of assessments, thorough background checks and satisfaction guarantees to ensure the long-term success of your next hire. Contact Kinsa today to discuss your hiring needs.