Interview questions that made us think

Lots of things have changed in the world of recruitment over the last few years. Covid-19 and the subsequent swathe of employees voluntarily quitting their jobs (dubbed The Great Resignation) has fundamentally changed the processes, practices and priorities that companies consider when hiring new talent. Or perhaps more accurately - when attracting new talent.

Now it’s the companies that need to stand out. Whether that’s through flexible working policies, health and wellbeing packages, maternity and paternity leave policies, a diversity and inclusion agenda, the list goes on.

And we’re certainly seeing the results of this shift in power dynamic. Virtual interviews are the new normal, a candidate’s location is less important as hybrid working looks set to stay, and companies are needing to focus far more on making themselves attractive to jobseekers.

Through all of this we’ve noticed a particular change in the interview process, where it has become even more so than ever about both parties trying to work out whether they’re mutually compatible. It’s not a test for candidates, which is part of the reason we send questions out before an interview (this was part of a wider set of changes we made to make our recruitment process more inclusive).

In their venture to discover if Substrakt is right for them, the candidates we’ve interviewed over the last couple of years have asked us some great questions. Questions around culture, team, development and policies - less about what they can do for us, and more about what we can do for them. Questions that give them real insight into who we are, and also give us a greater picture of them.

So we thought it would be interesting (and a little bit fun) to gather a list of the ones we’ve really liked recently: ​

1. How long have you worked at Substrakt? Why did you want to work here? And why have you stayed?
2. What are the best and worst parts of the culture at Substrakt?
3. What policies, procedures or frameworks are in place to support the team?
4. What does the team do really well? What could the team improve upon?
5. What does the workflow look like for this role?
6. What would the first 1-3 months look like?
7. What are the barriers to me getting this role, and what can I do to help dispel your worries?
8. What would you want the person that steps into this role to crack in the first few months?

​ We like these questions because they prompt us to reflect on our lives at Substrakt. They are genuinely good conversation starters. They give us insight into how the candidate would approach the role - what their intentions are and what they care about.

Ultimately, they encourage us to think about what things we’re doing well and where we can be doing better, to make sure that Substrakt is a fun, inclusive and motivating place to work. ​ Sound familiar? We’d love to hear any questions that you think could be added to the list! If anything springs to mind just drop us a line team@substrakt.com

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