When screening candidates I am a big believer in asking the “big 3” questions.

Of course, it will take many more questions to be able to make a sound judgement on the suitability of an applicant, however the “big 3” serve as an excellent overall guide when screening applicants.

The “big 3 questions” are: –

1) Can they do the job?

Does the candidate have the skills that will allow them to perform and excel in the position? It may seem obvious, but it’s essential to ensure that the candidate has the necessary skills and experience to perform the job.

For Sigma this links to the information we have taken from the client during the vacancy qualification. We asses their qualifications, but also ask specific questions to gauge their experience and familiarity with relevant technologies, methods, and tools.

Example candidate – The client has requested, time served electrical apprenticeship, 17^th edition and PLC programming skills with Siemens PLC’s

Typical Assessment – Sigma Recruitment assess a candidate’s skill set by scrutinising a variety of evidence including: CV review, asking open ended questions during candidate screening and advising the client to obtain copy certificates at interview.

During the screening process, we would also ask questions like:

• “Tell me about a project you completed that was similar to this job.”
• “What are your experience and skill level with [relevant software, tools, or technologies]?”
• “How do you stay current with industry developments and new trends?”

2) Will they do the job?

The next question is to assess whether the candidate has the motivation, attitude, and work ethic to perform the job consistently and effectively. Is the position right for the candidate, in terms of salary, location, benefits package, career progression and of course is the job content a fit for what the candidate wants to undertake.

Typical Assessment – Sigma Recruitment assess a candidate’s suitability by searching in depth questioning. For example, typical questions we would put forward to the candidate are:

• What is missing from your current role?
• Why do you want to leave?
• How far are you travelling to work now?
• What is your current salary and benefits package?
• What would your next position need to have to satisfy your long-term career ambitions?

NOTE – “Will they do the job” is becoming more and more important in today’s buoyant economic climate, Sigma Recruitment have noticed a very large spike in counter offers, so ensuring the candidate can do the job and is motivated to undertake an ambitious move is key from the outset.

3) Are they a fit for the job?

The third critical question is to evaluate the candidate’s personality, communication style, and compatibility with the team and company culture. It’s essential to ensure that the candidate will work well with others, communicate effectively, and share the organisational values and mission.

We assess if their personality will fit within the team and settle long term. Also, we assess whether their career goals and career progression plan is in line with what the company can offer?

Typical Assessment – Sigma Recruitment assesses a candidate “corporate match” by again probing with in depth questions during the screening progress whilst at the same time making sure that we are aware of the culture, opportunities and future direction of the clients business.

For example, we ask questions like:

• “How would you describe your communication style?”
• “How do you handle conflicts with colleagues?”
• “What do you know about our company culture and values?”
• “What qualities do you think make a good team player?”
• “Where do you see yourself in 3-5 years?”
• “What are your expectations from the company that will help you achieve those ambitions?”

The “Big 3” Questions are Integral to Our Screening Process

Asking the “big 3” questions when screening candidates can help us to find the right fit for your job, team, and company. These questions can help us to provide you with valuable insights into the candidate’s technical skills, motivation, and personality traits. We can make sure we providing you with high quality candidates that are suitable for the role and align with your company values. This will ensure your interview process is time effective and leaves you with a good quality pool of candidates to select from.