Interview Questions for Long-Term Employee Growth

As incoming college graduates flood the job market, you have to find and interview the best candidates who highlight the three pillars of long-term success. Their work ethic, adaptability, and self-awareness. A hard-working, adaptable worker who knows where they want to move in their career will meet company goals, work well independently or in a team, and identify their next career milestones. To find the best fit, we have a list of interview questions that will reveal their skills.

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This list is broken up into three sections: Work Ethic, Adaptability, and Self-Awareness.

Work Ethic

Your employee’s work ethic is the foundation of their success. The more dedicated they are to their craft, the more polished the work will be. To better assess their work ethic, ask them:

• What were your study methods in college? While you still want to focus on the present, it can be easier for your candidates to explain their work ethic by referring to it in their college years. Notice how long they spaced out their work, if they were ahead of deadlines, and if they worked in short bursts or with longer focus time.
• Can you tell me about a time you thought outside the box to solve a problem? Resilience is paramount to an employee’s work ethic. It ties into adaptability, our second pillar, as a person who can figure out different ways to solve a problem will be more likely to handle complex problems at work. It also ties into how they work independently or collaboratively, as they could’ve solved it on their own or brought an extra pair of eyes to the problem, both of which are needed in the workplace.
• What do you do when things are slow at work, and you have downtime? You’re mostly looking for productivity here. Are they the kind of employee to dive into new tasks without asking? Are they the person to help another coworker on a project?
• Describe a time when you were proud of how hard you worked on a project: This is more personal and can yield honest results. By hearing about their prized work, you can learn more about their problem-solving and passion for what they do, which can be a good indicator of whether they are invested in your company’s work.

Adaptability

The next pillar is adaptability, AKA your employee’s wild card. The more adaptable they are, the more likely they are to tackle new challenges, step out of their comfort zone to pursue growth, and adopt a positive attitude towards new developments as the company expands. To take notes of this skill, ask them:

• How do you prioritize your work when dealing with multiple deadlines or unexpected challenges? Prioritization skills are vital to their work ethic and adaptability. Outsourcing their energy from high-priority to low-priority tasks or by tackling short tasks to leave more time for long tasks are indicators of their work ethic and adaptability.
• Tell me about a time when you had to adjust to a new system. Look for how long they took to work on it independently, and how, when, and whom they asked for help to understand. Knowing whether they are self-sufficient or work more with co-workers, management can outline how much of a team player or a self-starter they are.
• Describe a situation where you had to work with someone who had a different opinion from yours: This is arguably the best question to ask your employee out of this list. While we want our teams to get along, butting heads is sometimes inevitable in the workplace. But understanding how much of a de-escalator they are can ensure you won’t have to worry about bullying, and that they can prioritize the tasks at hand.
• How do you handle a wide range of job responsibilities? Sometimes a job is meant to be a jack-of-all-trades position. Maybe they handle two different sectors that require distinct skill sets. You’ll want to find out if they have the right skills for the job and how they’ll adapt to the changing environments and responsibilities.

Self-Awareness

Self-Awareness is the third pillar that holds it all together. How far do they see their future? How are they going to build upon that path by working at your company? Are they assessing where they can improve in the future? You’re looking for someone who will strive for the best, as they want the best out of their work. To learn more, ask them:

• What is the first milestone you see in your career path? In addition, what’s your dream milestone? Instead of the standard 3–5-year plan, start small and work your way up to the goal. The first milestone is inviting enough to help your employee open up, and reaching the biggest milestone after that will help you assess their passion and how well they work together.
• What would make you stay with a company long-term? On both ends, you and the employee will want to know what you gain from this partnership. For you, you’re looking for retention and growth. For them, they’re looking for open opportunities and stability. By getting details on their needs and wants, you can assess compatibility.
• What skills are you curious about that aren’t in this job description? It’s a wild card, but it’s the best for last that gives insight into how focused they are on growth. By building new skills to expand horizons, there’s a better chance they will be a long-term fit, as they are actively seeking ways to grow within the company.

With these questions, you will pick the perfect candidate, with the comfort of knowing you asked the right questions for long-term growth.