The employment interview can be much more then just an opportunity to find candidates who are a good fit for an employer. It is also an important part of the due diligence process in which employers try to identify candidates who may prove to be dangerous, unqualified, unfit or dishonest. This can be done through the use of five standard due diligence questions that can be adopted for every interview.

These five suggested interview questions seek to encourage candidate to be self-revealing about potential “red flags,” such as the truthfulness of past employment, or any job related criminal record. Since applicants should have already signed a consent for a background check, applicants have a powerful incentive to be truthful. These questions also take advantage of the natural human trait to want to have some control over what others say about you. If an applicant believes, for example, that a future employer may hear negative information from a past employer, the applicant may want to be able to set the record straight before the future employer has the chance to hear negative information from someone else.

Getting started on the right foot
Of course, an employer would not want to start the interview off on the wrong foot with questions aimed at past criminal conduct or negative employment experiences. One of the goals of an interview is to help foster a talking environment where a potential employee understands and accepts the goals and direction of the organization. However, every interview does have a “housekeeping” portion where standard questions are asked. This would be a good time for the following five questions.

Five key due diligence questions

1. Our firm has a standard policy of conducting background checks on all hires before an offer is made or finalized. You have already signed a release form. Do you have any concerns about that?
   This is a general question about screening. Since the applicant has signed a release form, there is a powerful incentive to be honest and reveal any issues.
2. We also check for criminal convictions for all finalists. Do you have any concerns about that?
   This question goes from the general to the specific. Be sure to ask the question in a form that is legally permissible in your state. It is important NOT to ask a question that is so broadly worded that it may lead to an applicant revealing more information then allowed by law. Again, make sure the applicant understands that he or she has signed a release and this process is standard company policy.
3. When we talk to your past employers, what do you think they will say?
   Note the questions says, “When we contact your past employers…,” indicating that they will be contacted. This general question again provides a powerful incentive to be very accurate.
4. Will your past employers tell us that there were any issues with tardiness, meeting job requirements, etc.?
   This question goes again to a specific area, asking about matters that are expressly relevant to the job function or the workplace.
5. Tell me about any unexplained gaps in your employment history.
   If there are any unexplained employment gaps, it is imperative to ask about them. It is important for an employer to have an understanding of any employment gaps to make sure the gap was not a result of some negative situation, such as being in custody for a criminal offense.

Reading the responses
Good applicants will simply shrug the questions off. However, an applicant with something to hide may reveal vital information. Such applicants may react in a number of different ways. Some applicants may tough it out during the first question. However, the questions are designed to go from the general to the specific and the follow-ups may shake lose some information. By the second question, an applicant may well begin to express concerns or react in some way that raises a red flag. An applicant with something to hide may object to the questions by asking if the questions invade their privacy rights. If an applicant raises such an objection, then simply indicate that these are standard job-related questions asked of all applicants and that need to be answered.

Keep consistent
In order to help hiring managers have a better understanding of each candidate, and to weed out those who are unacceptable risks, it can be very effective to empower interviewers with these questions in a written format. Asking standard written questions in an interview has several advantages. It allows for a consistent process, so that all applicants are subjected to the same questions. Standard questions also create a more comfortable environment for the interviewers. The recruiter or interviewer does not have the pressure of having to remember every question they asked because the questions are written out. If the questions on safe hiring issues feel uncomfortable, then the interviewer can simply indicate that these questions are asked of everyone and they are required due to standard company policy.

For a free tool that allows a recruiter to design their own interview template, including these five questions, go to the online Interview Generator at: www.esrcheck.com.
 

(C) 2009 Lester S. Rosen