CFOs prefer interview questions related to personal attributes: Survey

Questioned should be designed to determine personality, culture fit

The resumé helps land the interview, but when it comes to making hiring decisions, employers are looking for less obvious clues that an applicant is right for the job, according to a new survey by Accountemps.

Fifty per cent of Canadian chief financial officers (CFOs) polled cited their go-to interview questions as those related to personal attributes for example, "What is your character like?" and "What does being a team player mean to you?"

The 270 CFOs surveyed from organizations across the country were asked, "When interviewing job candidates, what is your favourite question to ask?" Their responses fell into three categories: Questions designed to learn more about an applicant's work style and personal attributes (50 per cent), job or company-specific questions (27 per cent) and those addressing a candidate's qualifications (23 per cent).

"Hiring managers may feel they can gain a good sense about a candidate's technical skills from the resumé and cover letter," said Kathryn Bolt, Canadian president of Accountemps. "In interviews, employers are more interested in finding out if the applicant's personality and work style are the right fit for the company.”

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