Law Practice Today

The basic question in every interview is "Why should I hire you?" As the employer, your objective is to assess the candidates’ credentials, form an impression about their personalities and determine the degree to which their interests and background correspond with your hiring needs.

Effective interviewers must ask questions that allow them to assess which candidates demonstrate behaviors that have proven successful at the Firm; will easily integrate into the department/Firm and WANT the job. By selecting 4 or 5 benchmark questions from the following list to ask every candidate, listening carefully to the responses and asking strong follow up questions, you will learn everything you need to know to make wise hiring decisions. This method applies to legal secretaries, paralegals, administrators as well as attorney candidates.

 

Lead Questions

• Tell me about... (pick something specific from the resume).
• Why are you interested in our Firm?
• What interests you about this position?
• Why do you want to work here?

Questions to Probe Work History

• Tell me about a typical day in your current position?
• How have previous jobs equipped you for this position?
• What were/are the biggest pressures on your last/current position?
• What were the most important projects you worked on at your last job?
• Take me through a project where you demonstrated ______skills.
• What would you say are some of the basic factors that motivate you in your work?

Questions to Determine Ease of Integration

• What can you do for us that someone else can not?
• What are the 3 reasons for your success to date?
• What kinds of obstacles to meeting deadlines do you face most often at work? What strategies have you designed to overcome them?
• Do you prefer to speak with someone or send a memo/e-mail?
• What 2 or 3 accomplishments have given you the greatest satisfaction? Why?
• What would you have liked to have done more of in your last job?
• What do you do when you are having trouble solving a problem?
• How would you describe the best/worst supervisor to whom you have reported?
• How do you cope with the inevitable stress/pressures of a job?
• What is the most useful criticism that you have ever received?
• What interests you about this position?  

Questions to Uncover Motivation

• Describe your ideal job.
• Give me an example of a situation where you had to go above and beyond the call of duty to get something done.
• How can we best reward you for doing a good job?
• Why do you think you’ll be successful in this job?
• What do you think determines a person’s success in a firm?
• Tell me abut a project that really got you excited.
• Define cooperation.
• What two or three things are important to you in a job?
• How does this position compare with others you’ve interviewed for?
• What kinds of people do you like to work with?
• What kinds of people do you find difficult to work with?

Questions to Uncover Potential Problems

• Would your current employer be surprised to know you are looking?
• How long have you been looking?
• In what ways has your manager contributed to your choosing to leave your present job?

Questions to Close the Interview

• Based on what we have discussed, are you still interested in the position?
• Do you have any questions?
• Is there anything else I should know about you?
• What single message would you like me to remember about you that would convince me you are the one we should hire?
• May I contact your present employers/references?
• Our time is about up, is there one final point you would like to make?

Questions to Ask References

• What were the candidate’s duties? How well were they performed? Where you satisfied with the work product?
• Any issues with attendance? Punctuality? Attitude?
• What are the candidate’s strongest skills?
• If you had to identify one “red flag” issue, what would it be?
• What key personality trait enabled candidate to be successful in this job?
• What management style does the candidate respond to best?
• How would co-workers describe the candidate?
• If you had the opportunity, would you rehire this person?

Questions to Avoid

Hiring decisions tend to be based on somewhat subjective material. Unfortunately, trying to determine if someone "fits in" to a particular environment can lead to subtle forms of discrimination. The general rule of thumb is, if the information is not specifically job related, it should not be asked.

Examples of potentially sensitive—though not necessarily unlawful--subjects include:

• name
• residence
• age
• birthplace
• military service
• references
• national origin
• sex
• marital status
• family size
• race
• color
• physical description
• physical condition
• photograph
• religion
• arrest record
• criminal record
• fraternal membership

HOW the question is posed can determine its lawfulness. For example, asking "Are you a U.S. Citizen?" or "Where were you born?" is different from asking you "Are you authorized to work in the U.S.?" Similarly, while it is acceptable for an employer to inquire "Are you willing to relocate?" it is not acceptable for him/her to attempt to infer the answer to that by asking "Are you married?"

In most states there are laws that render some questions illegal, the general results being that it is unlaw­ful to ask:

• if applicant has worked under another name;
• an applicant the maiden name of wife or mother;
• an applicant to take a pre-employment physical examination or to inquire about the nature and severity of physical or mental handicaps;
• about marital plans, arrangements for child care, current or anticipated pregnancy status ;
• about the occupations of spouses, parents or siblings;
• for information relating to family background that may reveal race, ethnicity, religion, citizenship and/or national origin;
• holidays observed or membership in clubs, churches and fraternities;
• about languages written, spoken or read unless the employer is specifically seeking to hire someone with that particular skill;
• for proof of age;
• for a photograph prior to the interview

SUMMARY

 By selecting 4 or 5 benchmark questions to ask every candidate you will gather similar information about the strengths of each candidate which will enable you to draw comparisons and make the best possible selection.