ASK HR: Can I ask my fellow panellists to strike out irrelevant questions?

Q.I got a job in an HR department and I am set to conduct my first interviews soon. I saw some of the questions the marketing manager had noted down and I find them unprofessional.

We are looking for a marketing executive and I don’t see the need to ask a candidate, “What would you be willing to do to bag a client?” As a hiring manager, can I ask interviewers to strike out some questions?

Seasoned recruiters develop interview questions to enable them to better appreciate a candidate’s suitability in terms of the required competencies and potential cultural fit within an organisation.

Crafting the right interview questions is an important part of the preparation for an interview and often makes the difference between a spontaneous chat and a deliberate conversation that yields meaningful results for both the candidate and the organisation.

Where there is insufficient rigour on the preparation for interviews, the result is casual and unfocused verbal exchanges.

You might also find insensitive questions on issues concerning marital status, disability, religion, tribe, etc., which could raise costly discrimination claims.

While every organisation has its own levels of formality based on its culture, the question you have shared appears lackadaisical and might leave the candidates with the wrong impression.

Helping an organisation to make the right hiring decisions is part of the remit of the HR function.

It is, therefore, within your responsibility to advise, train and support the business to develop the right interview questions and select the candidates who contribute as expected and fit the culture of the organisation.

The more the business registers positive results of your input, the more your intervention will be welcome.

As you help the business develop the right interview questions, remember the manner in which the questions are asked and how the candidates are engaged is critical to the interview experience and results.

Your candidates should not join Lemony Snicket in stating that “Besides getting several paper cuts in the same day or receiving the news that someone in your family has betrayed you to your enemies, one of the most unpleasant experiences in life is a job interview.”