In the construction industry, we are currently facing a shortage of over 100,000 jobs in the coming year. This means candidates are more discerning in who they want to work for. Yes, they want a great package, but now they also want to work for an employer of choice.

Interview skills with candidates is a critical element in assessing their suitability for the role you are offering. A savvy interviewer will have research or pre-interview questions from a recruiter to hand to develop suitable questions. However, they will often overlook an evolving crucial factor in interviews these days – preparing answers to the common questions candidates will ask them.

The answers you provide to your job candidates when they ask you questions in a job interview significantly shapes how they feel about the job on offer. Whilst there are a lot of resources online to help candidates prepare questions of a prospective employer, there is very little for employers in preparing for their candidate questions.

If you are interviewing a dream candidate for a role that is tricky to fill, it’s imperative to treat the job interview as a two-way conversation. After all, you are selling the candidate the role as much as they are selling you their suitability. So, what are the most common interview questions job candidates are asking these days?

1. How would you describe your management style?

When a candidate is asking this question, they are wanting to unfold the workplace culture they are likely to work in.

While there are many styles of management, there are solid principles of leadership to keep in mind when you describe your management style to a job candidate. Good leaders give clear communications, assume responsibility for their words and actions, inspire and recognise team members, make good decisions, display a high level of emotional intelligence and are able to create mutually beneficial relationships.

Your answer can reveal to the candidate how supportive your organisation is, how strong the leadership is and whether they are a good fit for your style of management. Consider which traits you exhibit before you explain your management style to job candidates and provide some examples.

2. How would you describe the organisational culture?

Today’s candidates want to work for organisations that deliver transparent and clear values, fair expectations, reward and recognition programs, work-life balance, onboarding and ongoing support, and strong leadership.

According to research, 77% of candidates consider a company’s culture before applying for a job with the organisation, and company culture is one of the main reasons almost 66% of people stay in their jobs.

Your organisational culture plays a major part in your capacity to attract and retain talent. Keep examples of these characteristics of your organisational culture in mind when you talk to job candidates.

3. Is this role new, or has it evolved over time?

When a job candidate asks if it is a new role, or if it has evolved over time, it helps them understand how your organisation has grown or responded to change.

They are wanting to ascertain if there is room for them to grow in the role they are applying for, or to grow the role, what your approach is and what it will take for them to be successful.

Provide examples of what opportunities and support you will offer them to achieve this.

4. How do you support the learning and development of your staff and what career pathways are available?

2022 is the year of ‘growth opportunities’ with 63% of people quitting their jobs in 2022 due to no advancement opportunities. It is crucial therefore to secure top candidates, employers of choice will offer their employees career advancement or professional development opportunities or support. 

Be ready to show examples of how your organisation is dedicated to learning and development, whether with internal programs, coaching or external programs.

Provide examples of employees who have used learning and development opportunities to advance their careers at your organisation, and leave them with a clear impression of how their position in the organisation could also benefit.

5. What does success look like in this role and in this team?

This question is now new, however how to answer it in 2022 needs to be. Success to a candidates these days needs to align to their values as well as the company’s values, not just financial objectives.

How you answer this question will give an insight into how realistic your expectations are of their attendance, output and what achievements in what timeframes you are looking for. 

They are wanting to ascertain the culture that underpins the company’s success and how challenging the role they are interviewing for is.

Provide examples of the company’s priorities, expectations, work philosophy and performance review frequency in concrete terms and present a clear picture of how they can achieve it.

6. What are the main challenges the company is currently facing and how are you responding?

Given the enormous challenges in Construction post Covid, major firms folding, supply chain issues, the Great Resignation and the Great Exhaustion, candidates want to be confident they are joining an organisation that has a pipeline of works, secure, resilient and equipped financially and emotionally to not only navigate change but flourish in a changing world.

Provide examples of how the company has adapted, developed strategies to respond to the changing environment and have grown. If workplace flexibility, hybrid working environments and diversity are strong points, share this also.

Offer considered and truthful answers. Savvy candidates can discern when someone is not being clear and the one thing you need from them, and need to deliver to them, is trust.

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