Interviewing can be difficult, REALLY difficult. Even as a recruiter I sometimes struggle with finding new ways of rewording questions to either ask the question differently or dig in when I’m not getting the answers I’m looking for. And there are also potential HR nightmares you can create by asking questions the wrong way (check out my recent post on what not to ask in an interview as an employer Questions to Avoid). What I’ve found is that there are a few quick and easy ways to reframe questions to get the answers you’re looking for when interviewing potential employees. Step 1: Refrain from asking closed ended questions that can be answered in just a “yes” or “no” and start asking open ended questions. This is an easy fix! Instead of asking the question of “Have you done this before?” you want to reposition it as “Tell me about how you’ve done this in your experience” or “Tell me about your experience doing this” or even “Walk me through a time you were in a situation where..”. The real keys is to change the Haves” to “Hows” and “Tell me about…”. Pretty simple, right? Step 2: Reframing the question. This will help to ensure you’re not creating potential HR issues around potential areas of discrimination and sensitivity. Here are a few examples but also some universal answers: Original Q: I noticed you live pretty far away, is this commutable for you? Reframed: Is there anything that would prevent you from working the hours required and being on time each day, what is it? Original Q: I noticed you have an accent? Where are you from? (Keep in mind that you want to stay away from any and all questions related to race/ethnicity/country of origin/ age/religion/marital status/sexual orientation/gender/familial status/whether or not they have children)/political preference. Reframed: Are you currently authorized to work in the US? Will you now or in the future require sponsorship for a work visa? Original Q: Can you work for someone of the same or opposite sex? OR Can you work for someone older/younger than you? Reframed: Tell me about the type of management style you work best with. Original Q: I see that you’re in a wheelchair, can you do the job? Reframed: “Can you foresee anything that would prevent you from being able to meet all of the requirements for this role? I think when all else fails, you can use the reframed question of “Is there anything that would prevent you from fulfilling the job requirements this role?” for all of these questions. Please feel to reach out if there is anything you may have questions on!

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