Recruiter’s Playbook: 10 Best Interview Questions to Earn Great Candidates
People-ing with Purpose
Recruiter’s Playbook: 10 Best Interview Questions to Earn Great Candidates
How much thought do you put into the questions you ask during interviews? For many recruiters and managers, interviewing is rarely something they’ve been formally trained for, even though it’s key to finding top talent. That’s why, in this episode of People-ing with Purpose, we’re sharing insights into how to master your interviews with a systematic approach and effective questions.
We’ll walk you through our top 10 interview questions that go beyond the surface to uncover the potential of every candidate. You’ll learn how to evaluate candidates accurately, identify cultural fit, and reduce costly turnover.
Key Takeaways From This Episode:
- A systematic approach to interviewing: Avoid the common mistake of doing all the talking during an interview. Learn how to structure your interviews to provide actionable insights into a candidate’s potential.
- Standout interview questions:
- “Tell me about yourself”: Uncover a candidate’s comfort level and professional focus while gaining deeper insight into their mindset.
- “Why do you want to leave your current role?”: Identify their ability to frame challenges positively and handle adversity.
- What to look for in answers:
- Reasonable, logical thinking and openness when discussing knowledge gaps.
- Positive framing of past challenges, which speaks to resilience and adaptability.
- Candidates who connect strengths with the role, showcasing alignment and fulfillment opportunities.
- Ensuring compliance: Learn how to craft questions that stay on the right side of the law to avoid violating regulations.
- Gauging cultural fit:
- Understand how a candidate aligns with your organization’s culture through their questions and responses.
- Learn ways to identify their motivation and long-term interest in the role.
Tune into People-ing with Purpose Today!
Whether you’re a recruiter, manager, or entrepreneur, this episode provides actionable strategies to refine your interviewing technique. By learning to ask the right questions, you’ll not only identify superstar talent but also reduce the risk of turnover before hiring even begins.
🎙️ Listen Now! Don’t miss these pro tips for elevating your interviews, finding cultural fits, and hiring exceptional candidates. Tune in to People-ing with Purpose on your favorite podcast platform!
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Crafting the Ideal Candidate Blueprint: A Strategic Recruiting Approach
People-ing with Purpose
In this engaging episode of People-ing with Purpose, hosts Katie Saliba and Mary Beth Meadows discuss effective strategies for enhancing recruitment processes. They share their professional insights on creating candidate profiles that align with your organization's values and needs while navigating the intricacies of recruiting.
In this episode, we cover:
- How to create an ideal candidate profile that resonates with your organizational culture and objectives.
- Why relying less on lengthy job descriptions can lead to more effective recruiting.
- Key actions to incorporate into your recruiting plan for optimal results.
- Identifying what's must-have, nice-to-have, and unnecessary when crafting job descriptions.
- Simplifying job descriptions to attract the right talent.
- The importance of incorporating behavioral-based questions in interviews to uncover candidate potential.
- Strategies for identifying detail-oriented candidates who can independently correct their own mistakes.
- Ensuring candidates' values align with your company to foster a harmonious work environment.
- Techniques to pinpoint the perfect candidate profile and discover where to find these individuals.
Join Katie and Mary Beth as they explore these crucial aspects of recruitment, equipping you with the tools to refine your hiring approach and identify top talent effectively.
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Resources
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Staying Sane Before the Holidays: Workplace Wellness Tips with Susie Kingry
People-ing with Purpose
In this episode of People-ing with Purpose, we explore the unique challenges and stressors employees face during the holiday season and effective strategies for addressing these issues. Our guest, Susie Kingry, Chief Operating Officer at SpectraCare, shares her extensive knowledge in behavioral healthcare, drawing from over 30 years of experience. With a master's degree in counseling and psychology from Troy University, Susie offers profound insights into how your company can enact policies that help manage employee mental health with proper time management and simply allowing some extra grace during the busy times of year.
In this episode, we cover:
- What typical challenges and stressors people face in the workplace during the holiday season and their impact on work performance.
- The critical role open communication plays in managing mental health and overall wellness.
- The concept of psychological safety and its significance in promoting open dialogue about personal challenges.
- Why it's important to review mental health coverage with your insurance provider proactively rather than waiting for a crisis to arise.
- Available resources for individuals seeking mental health assistance.
- An overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act and how it protects employees' mental health rights.
Join us as we engage with Susie Kingry to equip you with the tools necessary for cultivating a supportive work environment that prioritizes mental health.
Learn more about our guest:
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Resources:
- SpectraCare Hotline: 1- 800-951-HELP (4357)
- Emergency Services:
- Dial 211 to speak to someone regarding care and assistance
- Suicide Hotline: 988
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Countdown to Compliance: What to Tackle Before the Clock Strikes 2025 with Payton Ware
People-ing with Purpose
In this episode of People-ing with Purpose, we dive into essential HR strategies for the fourth quarter and the upcoming year. Our guest, Payton Ware, Director of Human Resources and Benefits at PRemployer, offers invaluable insights on how HR managers can optimize year-end processes and lay the foundation for future success.
In this episode, we cover:
- Streamlining open enrollment to ensure all employees stay informed and make necessary updates.
- Conducting salary and performance reviews at year-end to maintain competitive compensation strategies.
- Implementing changes at the start of the year for a smoother transition into new systems and policies.
- Preparing for upcoming changes in overtime regulations by updating company policies in advance.
- Using effective payroll systems, documentation practices, and calendars to keep the HR department organized.
Join us as we discuss these important aspects of HR management with Payton. We will equip you with the knowledge to manage your HR department effectively and prepare for future challenges.
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The Leadership Formula - Harnessing Emotional Intelligence with Fran LaMattina
People-ing with Purpose
In this insightful episode, we sit down with Fran LaMattina, President of Strategies for Greatness, an executive coaching and leadership development practice dedicated to enhancing team effectiveness. With over 25 years of experience, Fran is an expert in strategic planning, leadership, and emotional intelligence.
In today's episode, we will explore:
- The fundamentals of the leadership equation, breaking down the core principles that define effective leadership.
- Various leadership styles, including leading up, down, and across, and how each style can be applied in different organizational contexts.
- The pivotal role of self-awareness in achieving leadership success, emphasizing the importance of understanding one's strengths and weaknesses.
- Understanding why knowledge alone does not equate to power, and how applying wisdom and experience is crucial for true leadership.
- The key takeaway for nurturing your internal leaders, offering practical tips and strategies to develop leadership skills within yourself and your team.
Learn more about our guest:
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Tick Tock Tips – Our Top Time Management Moves
People-ing with Purpose
In this enlightening episode, hosts Mary Beth Meadows and Katie Saliba delve into essential time management strategies to ensure your company stays at the top of its game. These strategies are vital for maintaining a competitive edge and fostering a productive work environment.
We will cover a range of topics, including:
- The impact of effective time management on employee productivity, exploring real-world examples and case studies to illustrate the benefits.
- Detailed strategies for planning work and executing plans efficiently, with insights from industry leaders and time management experts.
- Practical tips for optimizing your time, no matter where you are, whether working remotely, in a hybrid setup, or in the office.
- Proven ways to support your staff in maximizing their productivity and time management skills, including coaching techniques, tools, and resources that can make a significant difference.
Join us to unlock the secrets of time management and learn how to implement these strategies to boost your company's performance and achieve your goals.
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Addressing Workplace Violence - Awareness, Prevention, and Response Strategies with John Haymore
People-ing with Purpose
In this episode, we have an important conversation with Dr. John Haymore, an assistant professor at Troy University with over 17 years of experience as an HR and Safety Consultant. Dr. Haymore offers training and guidance to organizations across various industries on how to prevent, prepare for, and address workplace trauma, violence, and other employee concerns. Here, we delve into crucial topics surrounding employee safety and workplace violence.
In this episode, discuss:
- The importance of being proactive rather than reactive in preventing workplace violence
- Recognizing warning signs to avert potential incidents
- The most effective strategies for fostering a safe and comfortable work environment for employees
Learn more about our guest:
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Navigating the Legal Landscape - 2024 Employment Law Updates with Libby Glasgow
People-ing with Purpose
In this insightful podcast episode, we chat with Libby Glasgow, an expert lawyer in employment law. With 37 years of experience, she helps employers and HR professionals stay compliant and avoid lawsuits, enabling them to handle legal challenges effectively.
In this episode, we cover:
- Approaching employer deadlines for minimum salary compliance
- Understanding the classifications of exempt and non-exempt employees
- Properly classifying workers as 1099 or W-2
- Changes in non-compete agreements and important considerations
- The critical but lesser-known BOI regulation
Learn more about our guest:
- Libby Glasgow LinkedIn
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Ghost Stories - What Makes Candidates Go Poof!
People-ing with Purpose
In this captivating episode, hosts Mary Beth Meadows and Katie Saliba explore the multifaceted issue of candidate ghosting. They offer a comprehensive analysis of why candidates sometimes vanish without a trace, examining potential communication breakdowns, the influence of employer reputation, and the psychological factors that might prompt sudden disappearances.
We’ll be going over the following important topics:
- Three reasons why candidates ghost companies
- Effective ways to improve candidate outreach to prevent ghosting, such as personalized communication, timely follow-ups, and providing clear expectations.
- Strategies to keep candidates engaged, starting from the interview process, by creating a welcoming environment, being transparent about the role and company culture, and maintaining regular communication throughout the hiring process.
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Carrying Companies to the Top – Employee Engagement with Rick Sutton
People-ing with Purpose
In this podcast episode, we talk with Rick Sutton, CEO of Southeast Health, the largest hospital in the Wiregrass region, and President of the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine for 8 years. Under his leadership, 3,300 employees provide exceptional, round-the-clock care to the community and have transformed Southeast Health into one of the Best Performing Hospitals in the nation - according to U.S. News and World Report.
In this episode, we delve into:
- How effective communication and transparency foster trust with your staff
- The crucial role of leadership in initiating employee engagement
- The significance of benchmarking engagement to drive progress
- The fact that outstanding organizations owe their success to their exceptional employees
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Your Culture is Your Fault! With Meghan Schneider
People-ing with Purpose
In this episode, we’re breaking down the ins and outs of workplace culture. Workplace culture is in everything a company does, manifested in the minds and emotions of all a company’s workers. In this week’s episode, we sat down with Meghan Schneider, the Program Director for HCA Healthcare’s Physician Leadership Academy. With over a decade of experience in leadership development and executive coaching, Meghan shares how measuring and making positive changes in workplace culture is crucial for organizational success.
In this episode, we explore:
- How companies can define culture and specify it based on their leadership
- The things leaders should avoid when making cultural changes
- The ways culture and engagement go hand in hand
- Organizational culture doesn’t change overnight – it shifts steadily over time
- What psychological safety is and its impact on your efforts to change your company culture
- Is a strong culture always a good culture?
- How to build trust by giving trust
- People want hard feedback – but people are afraid to give it
- Having tough conversations is critical to professional growth – and it makes a huge difference in the workplace
- Which metrics will tell you how well you’re succeeding at growing your culture in the direction you want
- What to do when you have employees who “drain” your culture
- That listening is a crucial skill for gauging workplace culture
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Additional Resources from the Show:
- Radical Candor - Kim Scott
- The Corporate Culture Survival Guide - Edgar Schein
- 5 Dysfunctions of a Team - Pat Lencioni
- Dare to Lead - Brene Brown
- Unreasonable Hospitality - Will Guidara
- Corporate “Love Languages” assessment
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Where Did All the People Go?
People-ing with Purpose
In this episode, we’re discussing the big question on every recruiter’s mind: Where did all the people go? It seems that any company looking to hire a great team is having trouble getting anyone in the door or even applying. The job market looks very different than it did five years ago, and understanding what’s going on can help you find the people you need to grow a great company.
In this episode, we explore:
- What the numbers say – How many people are in the workforce, and what that says about labor participation
- How a lot of people retired during or due to the pandemic, leaving the workforce altogether
- What the situation was like before the pandemic and how recruitment was getting steadily tighter up to 2020
- The “Uber-ization of America” or how more people pursued entrepreneurial or flexible work to give themselves complete control over their time
- How the low unemployment rate and low participation rate combine to make a bad situation worse
- The impact remote work has made by making companies compete for talent everywhere, which reduced a lot of local talent by poaching them away
- How being flexible for your best workers can help improve your retention
- That people care a lot more about what they do and are less willing to do things that fall outside of that
- Flexibility is critical for many workers today, and getting creative about providing that helps hold onto the people you need
- Why you should never stop recruiting and what you can do to market your company and attract workers – even when there isn’t an open position
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What in the Health is Going On?? With Matt Cate
People-ing with Purpose
In this episode, we’re breaking down the various ways healthcare and benefits play an important role in providing for employees and how companies can get them without breaking the bank with Matthew Cate of Cobbs Allen, a national independent insurance agency focused on risk management in niche practice groups. Cobbs Allen specializes in providing exceptional service in traditional commercial insurance, employee benefits, alternative risk financing, and structured solutions.
Here we explore:
- The impact healthcare has on employee retention and productivity
- Which benefits are the most important to employees in today’s workforce
- The prominent factors that affect healthcare rates, like large claims and pharmaceutical policies
- How PEOs provide flexibility in meeting a broad range of employee needs and increased capacity to navigate the intricacies of providing great health insurance
- Employees value flexibility with healthcare choices and work options, and PEOs can help companies offer quality, affordable healthcare and manage different work arrangements to improve their competitive advantage
- How do people in today’s workforce rank the different benefits available to them and how supplemental benefits, like life insurance, also make a huge difference and provide people with chronic issues something they could not find otherwise
- The importance of employees feeling heard, and the steps companies can take to do so because there’s so much risk and expense to turnover
- What a qualified partner can offer in terms of helping companies provide the best healthcare coverage without worrying about whether they qualify for coverage and keeping up with timelines and regulations
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Take Care of Your House! With Mike Perkins
People-ing with Purpose
In this episode, we’re reviewing some of the many pitfalls HR can pose for companies – and what they can do to avoid those traps and stay in good compliance with Mike Perkins, Founder and President of Frontline HR Solutions, a full-service HR consulting firm with expertise in compliance and regulations. With decades of employment law experience, Mike Perkins and Frontline HR Services offer companies critical advice to protect themselves from any potential HR hazard.
In this episode, we cover topics like:
- How a lack of HR policies increases company liabilities, and how they can protect themselves
- Which common HR mishaps companies fall into are totally preventable, and how companies can take proactive measures to prevent them from occurring
- How ignorance is not a defense and implementing HR policies is vital because good policies decrease company liability
- What protections can PEOs give companies, and how can they help them navigate the increasingly complex world of HR regulations
- What trends 2024 is bringing to HR, and how will businesses have to adapt?
- Most employers are well-intentioned but have trouble navigating the nuance of HR laws and the risk that incur due to the increased liability
- The common mistakes that can happen and how companies can prevent them with examples of things he’s witnessed
- How PEOs protect companies by helping them keep on top of these challenges - and often help you save money and grow faster!
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Additional Resources from the Show:
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Retention Strategy: Invest in Your Best with Melanie Hill
People-ing with Purpose
In this episode, we’re breaking down the various ways healthcare and benefits play an important role in providing for employees and how companies can get them without breaking the bank with Melanie Hill, who is a Field Representative for Alabama Senator Katie Britt’s Office and helps connect with the people of Southeast Alabama and learn their needs.
Here we explore:
- Why retention matters and helps companies thrive because good people matter to the business and their other employees
- How new candidates form an impression about companies as soon as they hear about them and what you can do to help that
- What you can do to leave an excellent and lasting impression on new hires, from when they’re hired to when they start their first day
- The common onboarding mistakes companies make and how you can prevent those
- Why it’s vital to invest in your people – whether you’re training them to succeed in new roles or just asking about their lives
- Melanie’s 3 “B”s and how you can use them to transform your company
- The critical role feedback plays with employees and why it’s better to be direct if you’re giving them constructive criticism or words of encouragement
- Why culture is essential in holding your people together and how it can elevate your business
Connect with our guest:
- Senator Katie Britt’s Office
- Melanie Hill on LinkedIn
- And you can email her at melanieboydhill@gmail.com
- Or call her at 334.596.9145
Additional Resources from the Show:
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Talent Tantrums
People-ing with Purpose
In this episode, we’re breaking down the state of the workforce today. Companies learned the hard way throughout the Pandemic how valuable their people are and want to know how to keep them happy and get them to stay at the company.
Worker dissatisfaction is at an all-time high – so what’s going on?
In this episode, we explore:
- How it’s not just in your head – Gallup’s polls tell us how people are feeling
- Mid-level managers are the group of workers feeling the most stress, making it tough for companies to motivate people
- How company leaders can put themselves in their employees' shoes to test whether their complaints or strategies are reasonable
- Employees want to see their company trying and will feel better and more motivated to do their work
- The ways to set and navigate company social media policies – especially if your employees use it for networking or as part of their jobs
- What’s a reasonable attendance policy? There are many legitimate reasons for people to be out, and being fairly flexible can make a big difference
- How to get ahead of salary negotiations and why being proactive shows employees you’re looking out for them and what you can do to help them feel supported if wage increases are off the table
- Implementing fair flexibility plans to give people control of their lives while being equitable to your other employees
- The specific rules surrounding pregnancy protections under federal law that companies have to be on the lookout for
Connect with PRemployer
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Recruiter’s Playbook: 10 Best Interview Questions to Earn Great Candidates
32:56
Crafting the Ideal Candidate Blueprint: A Strategic Recruiting Approach
29:27
Staying Sane Before the Holidays: Workplace Wellness Tips with Susie Kingry
19:25
Countdown to Compliance: What to Tackle Before the Clock Strikes 2025 with Payton Ware
27:47
The Leadership Formula - Harnessing Emotional Intelligence with Fran LaMattina
28:20
Tick Tock Tips – Our Top Time Management Moves
32:01
Addressing Workplace Violence - Awareness, Prevention, and Response Strategies with John Haymore
32:04
Navigating the Legal Landscape - 2024 Employment Law Updates with Libby Glasgow
27:52
Ghost Stories - What Makes Candidates Go Poof!
27:42
Carrying Companies to the Top – Employee Engagement with Rick Sutton
31:30
Your Culture is Your Fault! With Meghan Schneider
30:53
Where Did All the People Go?
28:56
What in the Health is Going On?? With Matt Cate
23:20
Take Care of Your House! With Mike Perkins
28:33
Retention Strategy: Invest in Your Best with Melanie Hill
26:41
Talent Tantrums
34:57