I’ve always believed that asking the right questions is one of the secrets to success in business, and nowhere is that truer than hiring for your team. The right questions will not only reveal whether the candidate can do the job, but also whether they’ll fit into your company culture and have a strong desire and work ethic.

Through interviewing and hiring people over the last 38 years, I’ve run into many unusual circumstances. Some of the candidates turned into great employees, while others were… not so great. You can’t keep every not-so-great applicant out of your company, but you can raise your chances of getting a great one by asking the right questions during the interview process.

A successful interview begins long before you sit down with your candidate. However, many interviewers don’t take the time to get a clear idea of the person they’re looking for or to review candidates’ backgrounds to see if they fit. To ask the right questions and get the right answers, you have to do your homework, just as your applicant is (or should be).

START WITH THE ANSWERS 

First, decide what kind of employee you’re seeking and then craft questions to tell you if the applicant measures up. At our company, we look for a strong work ethic, and we want to know if they share our company’s morals, values, and standards.

We ask questions that reveal applicants’ decision-making, problem-solving, and leadership skills, whether they’re resilient and adaptable, and whether they can comfortably work as part of a team. Above all, a positive outlook is a must for us.

Of course, you can’t just ask, “Do you share our values? Are you a team player?”

DO YOUR QUESTIONS NEED A REVAMP?

You’ll get closer to the truth if you rephrase these overused job interview queries, the sure sign of an interviewer who hasn’t prepared:

Instead of “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”:

• “Tell me about a problem you solved or a project that didn’t go as planned and how you fixed it.”

Instead of “Tell me about yourself.”:

• “Why did you choose this profession, and how have you advanced?”

Instead of “Where do you see yourself in five years?”:

• “What are your goals for the next five years, and how will you work toward them?”

Instead of “Have you won any awards or been recognized for anything?”:

• “What have you accomplished that you are most proud of?”

LISTENING TO THE ANSWERS 

You may come across people who think they know what you want to hear, whether sincere or not. This is where follow-up questions are essential. For instance, when the applicant tells you how invaluable they were to their last employer, ask for examples; when they say they’re a “team player,” ask if they ever disagreed with the team and, if so, how they presented their viewpoint.

Body language helps here, too. Direct eye contact while answering shows confidence and honesty (as long as they don’t stare into your eyes the whole time). Smiling and nodding when you’re speaking to them shows interest in what you’re saying. On the other hand, negative signs include grinning or laughing too hard, shifting frequently in their seat, or perspiring if the room is at a normal temperature.

DECISION TIME 

If you listen closely enough, the applicant will tell you all you need to know. Years ago, one of our regional field managers interviewed with me for a job at our headquarters. In the interview, he showed me a list of things he wanted to do if he got the job.

There were 25 items on the list, and after I read through it, I said, “You’ve got the job. Start with these 25 things.” He did just that, and today, he is a brand president and has been with us for over 25 years. He came in more prepared to help our company than anyone I’ve ever interviewed.

You don’t often get the chance to make such an easy hiring decision, but you’ll be closer if you ask open-ended questions that give you a true sense of the candidate’s value to your company. The quality of your questions will not only help you bring strong employees in, but even more importantly, help keep the bad ones out. I believe in asking the right questions so much that I wrote a book titled, The Power of Questions: How the Right Questions Can Lead You to Success in Business and Life.