CURRENT EMPLOYMENT & PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT

If the candidate is not currently employed, the Current Employment section can also be used to address the candidate’s most recent position. The questions in these sections will help you uncover potential red flags as well as gather important information about what the candidate currently does.

Employment dates are always important to know. Even if the candidate’s resume lists the dates of employment be sure to confirm they are accurate. If the candidate is currently employed, it is important to know why they are currently looking for new opportunities. Understanding why your candidate is looking to leave a company can often provide insight on what the candidate values in a role.

The most common reason you will hear (besides the contract ended) as to why a candidate is no longer with a company is “layoff”. Whenever you hear this you need to ask how many people were affected by the layoff. We do this because, in many of these situations, it was not really a layoff. If you ask the candidate how many people were affected by the layoff and they tell you, “just me” or “me and one other person”, most likely it was not a layoff and the candidate just got fired. The difference between a layoff and a termination is that in the situation of a layoff, the employee(s) involved did nothing wrong. Typically, but not always, a layoff involves more than one or two people.

Unlike direct hire roles, short job stints for contract roles are normal. There is really no general “average” on contract length, it just depends on the needs of the company at the time. In contract recruiting when reviewing job start and end dates, more important than the length of the contract, is the time between contracts. Pay close attention significant gaps in employment. These gaps can be potential red flags for a variety of reasons. 

Asking a candidate who their direct manager was/is and how they got that job accomplishes a few things. First, knowing who the candidate’s manager was/is helps with references, but it also provides leads for you. If a candidate tells you who their manager was and that they got that contract through another recruiting firm, you now have a solid sales lead on new contract business.

Finally, addressing skills and accomplishments for each role helps you sell that candidate. Identifying where the candidate used the skills required for an opportunity in past positions helps the Account Manager prove to the client that your candidate has the experience necessary for the role. In addition, being able to list examples of accomplishments within past position will show the client that the candidate has a strong work ethic and a track record of success.

Below is a list of questions covered in this section of the interview. Why would you be interested in leaving your current company? 

• Why would you be interested in staying with your company? 
  • Rate your current job on a scale of 1-10. 
  • Rate your current company on a scale of 1-10. 
  • What would make both a 10?
  • Where was your favorite place to work?
  • Who was your best manager?
  • Where was the best training you received?
• Do you have a non-compete with your current company? 
• Where did you receive your education? 
• Did you obtain your diploma?