IT Recruiter
We analyzed 590 interview reviews for IT Recruiter from various job sites, social network groups and forums.
Here are the most frequent job interview questions asked by HR managers during initial phone or onsite interviews. This list does not include technical or factual questions.
10 frequent non-technical questions for IT Recruiter:
According to our research, hiring managers looking to fill IT Recruiter role ask soft skills interview questions 31% more frequently than for other roles.
1. Tell me about yourself top question
How to answer
Most job candidates expect this to be one of the first interview questions and probably think of it as an “icebreaker” to get the interview started. It is much more than that! It is your opportunity to show the interviewer your relevance for the job. You want the employer to know that you are qualified to do the job, you are interested in doing the job and capable of getting it done.
-
About Yourself
What is your current occupation? Define yourself professionally in one statement.
Pick 3 key skills that make you great at your work (your Key Selling Points). How have you applied these skills?
Try to give some numbers to support your statement.
-
About The Company
Your first step is to Research the company to find out as much as you can about what they do and their approach to their business and their employees.
Based on what you know about the company and the job description, why are you interested in the position you are applying for?
-
About The Fit
Now is the right time to show the fit between your skills and the company's requirements. Your answer works best if you emphasize your relevance. How do you do this? You will have already researched the company, studied the job description to identify their needs and possible pain points and prepared the relevant Star Stories that show how you addressed similar issues in the past. Your next step is to develop your Present-Past-Present approach.
Start with the Present. Focus on the skills and experience from your most recent positions. What has enabled you to get the job done successfully and how this relates to what the employer is looking to accomplish.
Next go back to the Past. Here is where your Star story comes in. Explain how you were able to use your skills and experience to accomplish a task that relates to an area of concern for the employer.
Finally come back to the Present – summarizing the lessons you learned and how they shaped your response and approach today.
Remember, the whole conversation is about the present, not the past. Just one sentence can summarize why your approach works, and its applicability and relevance to this position.
Pro Tip
You can also end with a question like:
“Do you know what the current needs in the company/department are, where my skills and experience can help?”
That can help you learn more about the company and the job, turn the “interrogation” into a conversation and will allow you to relax some tension.
Read our blog post to learn more about how to answer this question.
2. What is your greatest weakness?
How to answer
This question ranks as the most challenging for many people. Fortunately, Mr. Simon is here to help!
Interviewers are not out to trick or trap you! They ask this question to gauge your level of self-awareness, your honesty and openness, and your capability for self-improvement.
-
About Yourself
No one is perfect and your interviewer doesn't expect you to be perfect either.
While it is good to be honest and open, it will not help you to put yourself down.
What's important is to find a weakness that you have overcome. How you turned what might be considered a negative into a positive.
-
About The Company
Research the company (website, social media, etc) to learn about the company culture.
What personal and professional qualities do they value?
-
About The Fit
This is the time to clearly state a true weakness that you have overcome.
Be as specific as possible and stay away from vague cliches like “I work too hard.” It would be difficult for anyone to try and explain how they overcame a weakness like that
Mr. Simon emphasizes the Present-Past-Present method of responding to behavioral questions. When you are asked about your greatest weakness, you should be able to successfully use this approach as well. Here is an example of how someone might answer this question.
Present - "I have always had a fear of public speaking, and believe this may have held me back in my career, especially when having to make presentations to management."
Past - "Last year I learned about Toastmasters International and decided to join this group to help me gain confidence in myself and improve my ability to present to others in just about any situation."
Present - "By overcoming this weakness I believe that it has made me a much stronger candidate for this position, someone you can count on to make presentations to management, conduct training and communicate at a high level."
It's important to show how well you've overcome a weakness by motivating yourself and learning a new skill to grow professionally.
Pro Tip
Use this question to sell yourself!
3. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
How to answer
This question belongs to a family of behavioral, or even more precisely, reflective questions.
The interviewer wants to learn two things about you by asking this question.
- They want to know what you think about the job you are applying for. Remember, they are interviewing you for the job that's open right now. Are you a good fit and will you do a good job for them?
- Just as important, they want to get an idea of your ambitions and goals for yourself and if your goals align with their needs, especially going into the future.
In this way the employer should see how you see yourself today, and whether you are ambitious and strive to grow as a professional, and whether you like to learn and develop your skills.
-
About Yourself
What challenges do you like overcoming? Where are you starting from and where might you be going?
For example, let's say the position you are applying for is junior accountant. It includes a wide range of tasks such as basic bookkeeping, financial analysis, and reporting. If accounting is your chosen field, then you would most likely want to move in the direction of obtaining your CPA so that you might step up to more responsibility as an accounting manager or senior auditor within the next 5 years. Your responses should make sense in how you see yourself growing in your professional career.
However, at this point, if you are happy just where you are and want to further your current skills, that is also fine as long as there is a growth path for you that can be imagined and described.
-
About The Company
Research the company to learn what career opportunities may be available in the department you are applying to, and what the trends are in the company in general.
- Is the business expanding, are they opening new locations, or starting new projects?
- Or are they heavily automating and cutting staff?
Let’s say you are applying for a UX designer position for a brand-new product.
In the future, if the product becomes a success - which is what the company hopes for - the company will hire more designers and you may become a lead designer, or you may become a product manager.
On a side note: If you train your mind to be open to opportunities you will be amazed at how much this world has to offer to you!
-
About The Fit
And, of course, try to see where the perfect fit lies between your own potential and aspirations, and the company’s trends and hopes.
However, beware of the risk of showing too much excitement for future opportunities compared to your attitude towards the current position.
As we said earlier, you must show interest and enthusiasm for the position you are applying for. If the interviewer senses that you are more enthusiastic about future growth than about the current position, they may conclude that you are not the right person for the job at hand.
Pro Tip
This question gives you a good opportunity to showcase your Key Selling Points (e.g. “As I am very good at delegating tasks, I can easily see myself leading a team of software testers in the future…”), and end your statement by asking about current initiatives and goals at the company.
In thinking about the possibilities that may lie ahead, you also might want to consider taking a personality test (I recommend 16Personalities which is based on the Myers-Briggs test), research the internet on what career paths are possible with your skills and current job.
It is generally NOT a good idea to say something like:
“Oh, I cannot imagine what happens to me tomorrow, let alone in 5 years”.
This will show you as a person who is unimaginative and not forward-thinking enough to grow with and be a good fit for the company.
4. What are your drivers? What motivates you?
How to answer
Motivation is what we use to drive ourselves forward to complete tasks and bring results.
Why do hiring managers ask this question?
They want to get a sense of your personality. But more importantly, they want to see your resiliency and determination.
They do not want to hire someone who will quit when encountering difficulties, whose focus will be elsewhere, or who will just waste their time.
Enthusiasm ranks very high on the list of qualities employers are looking for in a candidate.
If you can demonstrate that you are genuinely passionate about your profession and interested in the position you are applying for, your chances of getting hired will improve significantly.
-
About Yourself
This question requires serious self-examination; you should be asking it yourself long before the interviewer does.
Look back on everything you’ve done in your life, job, and career so far.
- What was it about your best days that made them the best?
- Can you take those feelings and apply them to specific moments from your life and past work experiences?
- Are you ready for tough projects or for being asked to do something that isn’t quite on your job description, or for having to stay at work till late instead of another team member?
- Will meeting deadlines, learning new things, finding a way to solve problems or overcoming a challenge inspire you and make you want even more?
- What gives you a sense of accomplishment when you can look back on and say "I achieved that"?
Look deep inside.
Analyze your experience by types of tasks, by type of environment, type of feedback, level of responsibility and stakes? Do you prefer independence, or being part of a team?
- Task type: if you were given a whole day or even week at work to focus on just one of your tasks, without interruptions or multitasking, which one would that be? Why?
- Environment: do you feel motivated in a dynamic environment with lots of action, communications, deadlines? Or would you rather disconnect from the outside world and immerse into a single task, with your headphones on?
- Feedback: are you better motivated by positive feedback, or by healthy criticism? Or maybe by customers’ smiles and “Thank you” messages?
- Responsibility and stakes: are you motivated to do your best when you know that the stakes are high and your contribution will make a great impact on the bottom line? Or do you feel better in a more safe and relaxed environment when someone else is responsible for making big decisions?
- Financials: what is the salary range that makes you feel comfortable and respect yourself? Let’s be realistic, this is one (although definitely shouldn’t be the first) of the drivers.
Be creative, this list is not exhaustive.
-
About The Company
Take a long look at the job you’re applying for.
- What kinds of tasks will you be responsible for?
- What will the environment be?
- What do you know about the possible kinds of feedback you will be receiving?
- What is the level of stakes in this role?
- What do you know about the salary they can possibly offer?
-
About The Fit
How comfortable are you with the drivers the company can offer, comparing to those of your own? Pick those that have a match and give some examples.
For instance, if you’re applying for a software engineer job, describe how you are motivated by solving complex technical challenges.
If the job involves teamwork, give an example showing that you love collaborating and accomplishing big things as a part of a team.
That is what drives you to do your best each day. You can say you enjoy meaningful work creating products that change people’s lives, if this is relevant to the company.
Pro Tip
Be enthusiastic. The more enthusiasm you have for what motivates you, the more enthusiasm the interviewer will have for you!
5. What one skill do you possess that you think will be the most important to a hiring manager?
How to answer
Employers place a lot of emphasis on finding candidates with the right skills and competencies for their organizations.
Depending on the career sector and profession you choose to work in, there are very specific skills, abilities and knowledge needed to do the job well.
The interviewer asks this question to make sure you will be a good fit with your skills and experience and will be a great addition to their team.
-
About Yourself
If you’re not sure which skill would be best to share, consider your previous work experiences.
- Where did you excel?
- What would your peers say you’re especially proficient at?
- Have you ever received recognition for meeting a particular objective or excelling in a specific area?If so, your skills likely assisted you in reaching this achievement.
- What personal talents or attributes helped you meet that milestone?
Ask former coworkers or managers to help you to determine your strengths that made you unique. Imagine yourself as a manager who needs an employee to fill the position you are currently applying for.
What would you as the manager expect from a candidate for this job?
-
About The Company
Start by reviewing the job description and making note of any required skills or abilities that match your own.
The job posting is a great guide for what employers want to see in candidates. In addition to job requirements, consider the depiction of the company and its culture in the job description.
Be sure to research the company by reviewing its website for additional information to get to know what skill you should mention.
-
About The Fit
It’s important to highlight your best hard and soft skills (your Key Selling Points) to position yourself as a well-rounded candidate.
Though you may have several different areas of strength, include only those that are relevant to the job. Adaptability, critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and effective communication – it is the list of most common soft skills that can be helpful in any job, so you can choose the one to share with the hiring manager that best describes you.
But to make your answer stronger, the skill should be specific to the job you are applying for. Be certain to give examples of how this skill helped you in your last job.
Pro Tip
It is important to be able to distinguish your skills from personal qualities. The first are acquired in the process of work and training, and the second characterize you as a person.
6. What experience do you have in this field?
How to answer
This question may help you convince the interviewer how smoothly you would fit into the position to which you are applying. It's your chance to WOW them! Be sure to focus on the experience that is relevant to the company and position.
-
About Yourself
Start with defining your Key Selling Points you want to emphasize for this position.
- What job experiences brought you to those points?
- What were the job titles and the most relevant responsibilities?
-
About The Company
Do your research of the company and the requirements for the position.
- What is the company looking for in terms of experiences and qualifications?
- What problems are they trying to solve with this position?
Most importantly, make sure you are able to highlight and speak about at least 3-5 of your key experiences that match up with the requirements listed in the job description.
-
About The Fit
Using the Present-Past-Present method is a perfect way to answer this question.
Starting with the Present, speak about your experience as it relates to one of the key requirements in the job description. You might say "I noted that the job description requires experience in employee training and this is an area in which I have a great deal of knowledge and skill."
Then go back to the Past to describe how you improved overall training of staff from 82% to over 97% within your first year on the job. Senior leadership took note of this accomplishment for which you received a company commendation.
Finally, come back to the Present to describe how you will help ensure that the company maintains the highest possible compliance with all employee training requirements.
Nowadays, every hiring manager wants results, so think in terms of specific achievements and try to structure your example accordingly.
Pro Tip
When telling your story, remember to talk about your STARs!
S - What was the Situation?
T - What was your Task?
A - What Action did you take?
R - Talk about the Results.
7. What are your long-term goals?
How to answer
Even in this age of the so-called Gig Economy, employers are always looking for people who can become their strong and loyal “soldiers,” a part of their “army” to help them conquer their market share against their competitors.
So, even if at this moment this job may be a temporary contract, you never know what opportunities may present themselves to you in this company.
Trust me, your hiring manager doesn’t know either!
So, be open to opportunities and use this question to emphasize how your personal goals correspond with those of the company.
-
About Yourself
Start with honestly assessing yourself. (At this moment, you are not sharing these thoughts with anyone, so be as open as you can).
Imagine that you have all the resources in the world and that all roads are open for you.
- How would you use them?
- Which road(s) would you choose?
- What do you see on the horizon in that direction?
Be audacious and don’t limit yourself. There is no longer a perspective than “long-term,” so be as futuristic as you possibly can.
List a few “road” options that you would be enthusiastic about going down.
For example, this list may be as broad as the following:
• writer
• choir director
• software engineer and architect
• CEO of a unicorn startup company,
• entrepreneur.As William Shakespeare once said, “We know what we are, but we know not what we may be.”
-
About The Company
Now, look at the company.
- What is the industry they operate in?
- What is the position you are applying for, and what are potential career growth possibilities within the department, company, and industry?
-
About The Fit
Which of your “road” options correspond best with the opportunities presented by this company?
Highlight this option and focus on it. Imagine, in as much detail as you can, going down this road.
What would be the major milestones for you, in order to move towards your goal?
Describe the chosen option by focusing on the first 1-2 milestones, and by presenting it in light of company goals and current initiatives.
For example, if you are applying for a project manager position in a corporation engaged in the education industry, and your “road” option is “CEO,” your next career step may be a program manager, or an innovations and research manager.
Explain why you are enthusiastic about reaching these goals, and what makes you think you have the necessary traits and skills to reach them.
How can the company benefit from these traits and skills of yours already today, in the current role you are applying for?
Pro Tip
Framing your answer in the same terms used by the company will help ensure the interviewer can easily understand your language and help both of you to be “on the same page.”
The easier you make it for the interviewer, the better are your chances they will “vote” for you over other candidates.
8. What are your salary requirements?
How to answer
This question seems factual, but it gauges how well you value yourself and how well you know your industry.
This is your opportunity to present yourself as a qualified professional and get a proper salary!
Read on to learn how you can answer this question with confidence, using an analytical approach. The answer may be given as a range or as a single target number.
-
About Yourself
The first thing to research is the salary range for your role in the market. What is the industry standard?
Next, think of your qualifications for the role. Weigh in your traits, skills, education, and experience. Try this exercise, draw a line on a piece of paper where on the left side sits a complete beginner, and on the right side - the best professional in the world the company may try to invite for the role. Where do you position yourself?
Now, remember that once you start in your new role, your qualifications will be growing fast, due to all the new experience you will be gaining - consequently, your value will rise as well. Your salary, on the other hand, will not increase as quickly. So, try to imagine where your qualifications will bring you, on that scale, in about a year into the new job.
Map the scale against the industry range. Now you should be able to come up with an objective figure, as opposed to pure speculation.
This is not real math, however, so your number cannot be very precise, of course. Define a range, which starts with the minimum that will keep you satisfied a few months into the job, and the maximum which, a year into the job, will give you the lifestyle you would ideally like to have at that time.
Make sure the range stays within 40%-60% between extremes. Remember, the higher the position up the ladder, the wider the range can be. What is the number in the middle? Will you feel comfortable with this number?
-
About The Company
Research the company and find out what they are paying. The best places to find this information are Glassdoor, LinkedIn, PayScale and other similar websites.
-
About The Fit
Based on your research, does the company fit your desired salary range?
Now, whether you should be giving a range, or a single target number is a matter of debate. I personally think that a single number, given in a suggestive manner, is better than the range, because when given a range, they may logically gravitate towards the lower end, especially since you’ve said that the lower number is acceptable.
One example of how to structure your answer of a single target number is this:
I have done my research and based on the average for the industry, location, and my level of expertise, something like XXX seems reasonable to me. What do you think?
Besides giving the factual answer that the interviewer is asking for, such an answer will also show you to be someone who takes the initiative, who goes the extra mile, and someone with data-driven and analytical mindset.
Pro Tip
Firstly try asking the interviewer to give you their intended range as budgeted for this role, which is a regular practice in most companies. However, don’t be too evasive and if you see they are not inclined to give you their number, name yours.
9. Do you have any hobbies/special interests?
How to answer
The question about hobbies or special interests may seem unimportant and unrelated only at first glance.
Why do interviewers ask this question? They want to learn more about the applicant as a person, not just as an employee. They need to get a sense of your ability to balance your work and personal life.
When considering a large number of applicants, how you answer the question about hobbies or special interests may even become a decisive factor in hiring.
The answer to this question may often tell the interviewer how personal qualities can affect employee productivity in the future. Therefore, it is necessary to think it over in advance.
-
About Yourself
- What are your interests and what can they say about you?
- What brings you joy and gives you energy?
Surely you have at least one item from a list of common activities such as traveling, volunteering, community service, charity work, sports, hiking or playing chess. Maybe you are good at creative arts like writing, music, painting or crafts. Cooking or gardening can also be mentioned.
Think about the interests you enjoy the most and if they are relevant to the job you are applying for, all the better.
Don’t just list them, talk in more depth about each and the transferrable skills you have gained. Among them may be planning and organization skills, creative thinking and problem solving, adaptability or patience.
-
About The Company
Do your research about the company. Read carefully the “About Us” page of their website and job description.
Compare their company culture and values to the ones you embrace in your extracurricular hobbies and interests. Take note especially if they participate in charities.
Even if yours and theirs don’t exactly match, it will still allow you to make clear connections between your interests and those of your interviewer.
If you know exactly who you will be interviewed by - find his/her profile on social networks – it will be a more successful interview if you have some common interests.
-
About The Fit
Make your hobby or interest your advantage.
For example, if applying for a position as a translator, mention that in your free time you like to translate new songs and send them to popular websites or, tell about your passion for reading novels or writing your own stories in those languages.
If you are applying for a job in gaming, you might mention your passion for certain video games.
Applying to be an IT project manager? Talk about how you started a book club and regularly feature books related to IT innovation and transformation.
Be ready to discuss the activities that prepare you for training, tasks and other workplace successes.
Pro Tip
Whatever hobby or interest you choose to highlight during your job interview, remember to focus on the positive qualities you possess in order to be successful at it.
Avoid speaking about hobbies that are related to politics or other taboo topics. Stick to mentioning interests that are relatively uncontroversial and keep it professional.
10. Describe your dream job
How to answer
Hiring managers ask you about your dream job to find out what you're passionate about. They want insight into what motivates you and what your long-term career goals are.
This gives them a better chance to assess how happy you will be at this job and how long you might stay with the company.
It would be a dream come true if you were actually interviewing for your dream job, wouldn't it?
Don't worry. With Mr. Simon's help, you're on your way to achieve greatness!
-
About Yourself
Think of your Key Selling Points, those qualities and skills that make you who you are.
Now consider how they might apply in your dream job. The dream job does not have to be a specific job (although the one you are applying for just might be). Rather, you should think of the kinds of work you want to do and the responsibilities you would like to have and apply your skills, qualities and values to those elements of your dream job.
For example, let’s say your dream job is to be a labor relations manager, involved with companies and their union workers. Here are some thoughts you would want to ask yourself in preparation for the “Dream Job” question:
- Do you enjoy solving problems, or mediating conflicts?
- Do you thrive under pressure?
- Do you consider yourself a “people person” who likes to engage with clients and others?
Preparing ahead of time and using your Key selling Points will help you answer the “Dream Job” question and satisfy both the interviewer and you.
-
About The Company
Thoroughly read the job description so you have a better understanding of the skills and characteristics the position requires.
Do your research about the company and the position for which you are applying.
Try to find out as much as you can about what the company is looking for in an employee, what type of work environment they have and the company’s values.
-
About The Fit
Match the top qualities and skills you want in a dream job with your own skills and qualities as well as what the company is looking for.
Be ready to share some examples of how you have enjoyed utilizing those skills in the past.
For example, if you are a big fan of numbers and the position requires you to be detail-oriented, you can talk about your dream job being in a position where you can use your passion for numbers and problem-solving.
Whenever possible, mention your success in this area, using the STAR method.
Make sure that you do not specify a role, rather keep it open to possibilities. Focus on the characteristics and not the position.
Pro Tip
The key to answering this question is to convey your long-term interest in achieving your dream job, without overshadowing your interest in the job you’re applying for.
You don't have to be alone in your job search!
Mr. Simon invites you to join the Friends of Mr. Simon Meetup Group that supports both individuals seeking their next job role and working professionals. Members of our network come together to learn and practice new skills and network with others through our regular interactive events where they establish meaningful connections and have a chance to promote their personal brand and stand out in the marketplace.
Group membership is free of charge, courtesy of Mr. Simon.
Join our Friends of Mr. Simon Meetup Group to become part of our growing and supportive community!
This page has been updated on February 23, 2024.
