Finding the right fit for your practice means more than finding a qualified candidate. While resumes can inform you as to an applicant's education and other qualifications, the interview is where you can determine whether someone is truly the right fit for your company. But how do you truly find the right person? Unfortunately, canned questions usually evoke canned responses, and do little to inform what, for many professionals, is a highly intricate question - are you the right choice for our practice?

Here are three questions which can help you to find the right fit for your practice by providing you with information about the applicant that you're unlikely to find on any resume:

1. What is the first name of the person you are closest to at your current job, and why are you close to him/her?

Here, you want to see how quickly the person can answer and what type of information he or she is able to provide about his/her relationship with a coworker. You are not looking for anything specific about that relationship - simply to determine what factors are important to the applicant when it comes to interactions with coworkers. For owners of small practices, these types of questions can be very helpful in determining whether an interviewee would make a good fit within your office.

2. Who was the fourteenth President of the United States?

This question is intended to be something unexpected. You could also ask a math or current events question, for example. The answer is not what is important. What you’re looking for is how the person performs when they are under pressure and/or caught off guard. Do they lie or otherwise try to get out of answering? Do they make a joke? The "correct" response depends upon the type of employee that you are searching for, and not upon whether they actually happen to know the answer to your (arguably) obscure inquiry.

3. What would someone close to you say are two of your worst qualities?

Again, here, the answer is not necessarily what matters (although you should be wary if someone were to say, for example "The fact that I steal from my employers.”) What you should be looking for with this question is honesty. Do not allow the interviewee to get away with "positives disguised as negatives" answers such as "I work too much." The truth is that we are each flawed in our own ways. You want an employee who is able to recognize and acknowledge these flaws without becoming offended or discouraged.

The hiring process can be repetitive, even exhausting at times. Adding a little creativity to your interview questions, and hearing non-canned responses can help you find the right people who have not only the skill sets you seek, but fit the culture of your practice. If you have questions relating to employment law, do not hesitate to contact our office below.