Do you know what questions recruiters ask to get to know you?

Before hiring an employee, recruiters use a series of interview questions to find out if he or she is the ideal candidate.

As we have commented many times in this blog, companies are no longer only interested in knowing where you studied or how many years of professional experience you have. Now they want to know you at a deeper level, that is, they want to know more about you as a person and not only about your professional facet. That’s why, nowadays, job interviews are full of questions that subtly delve into your personality.

Should you be afraid? Not at all. With these types of questions, recruiters just want to find out if you’d really fit in with the company you’re interviewing with. They want to know if you are good at working in a team or if you are better at working as an individual. They want to know if you have leadership skills. They want to know if you are a good person. They want to know your growth potential… Would you like to find out what questions they use to discover all this and how you can prepare for them?

Until a few years ago, the most common thing recruiters would say to get to know your personality a little better was “tell me about yourself”. Now, although we still recommend that you have an effective response to that invitation, the questions they usually ask you are more specific.

The 5 most common questions to get to know your personality

  • If your best friend were sitting here, what would he or she say is the best thing about being your friend? These types of questions are becoming more and more common in a job interview and are intended to discover the extent to which the candidate knows themselves, as well as their sense of honesty. It is advisable that, before going to the interview, you ask yourself what exactly it is that others value about you and why. This way, when you face the recruiter, you will be able to give a brief, concrete and persuasive answer about what your greatest strengths are.
  • And if your former boss were here: what words would he or she use to define you? As in the previous case, they want to know how well you know yourself, in this case as a professional. Think about what your professional value really is and, again, defend it. Do you work well in a team? Are you committed? Do you have leadership skills? If you put concepts like these in the mouth of your former boss or a former colleague, justify them. Always.
  • What has been the most satisfying moment of your life? In this case, they try to get information about your motivations, about what moves you inside. Rather than preparing an answer, at EULEN Flexiplan we believe it is important that you reflect on what makes you really happy and explain why. With your answer, recruiters will know whether or not you fit with the company’s values.
  • What are your hobbies outside of work? Recruiters want to know what you like to do because, as you know, soft skills, which we’ve talked about in great detail on the blog, are becoming increasingly important to companies. Do you like to write or paint? Surely you are a creative person. Do you play sports during the week? Surely you are a person capable of quickly incorporating new habits into your life and, in addition, better cope with stressful situations.
  • If you were an animal, what would you be and why? These types of questions, which at first glance may seem strange, are part of the repertoire of many HR professionals specialized in personnel selection. They take candidates out of their comfort zone and get them thinking quickly. They want to know if you are comfortable in new situations and if you are creative enough to solve problems.