Asking the following questions, during your next interview with the candidate, will help you to gain a more complete understanding of the applicant, BEFORE you make a hiring decision. Be sure to write down the candidate's answers to each of the questions.

Courtesy

1. Just about everyone has times when customers get to them. What kind of situations can cause you to feel this way?

   1a.  How do you usually respond (how would you respond) when this happens?

2. Eventually everyone runs into a customer/guest who keeps on complaining no matter what you do to help them. How do you (how would you) deal with situations like this when they occur?
3. The position you are applying for requires that you always be friendly and courteous to customers/guests. On the other hand, everybody has days when they are in a bad mood themselves. When you have a "bad" day how do you (how would you) try to keep it from affecting your contacts with customers/guests?
4. How do you (how would you) deal with situations where a customer/guest is rude to you?
5. When there are lots of customers/guests all asking for help at the same time, how do you (how would you) deal with the situation?

Emotional Maturity

A Note Regarding Questions Which Might Be Asked When a Candidate’s Score On This Scale Is Outside The Preferred Profile

In determining whether to ask applicants or past employers follow-up questions regarding the presence of maladaptive personality traits, it is important that you be mindful of the provisions of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), as well as any other applicable statutory or regulatory restrictions which may exist regarding the issue of disability/handicap due to mental or psychological impairment or disorder. Specifically, questions should be appropriately phrased so as to not evoke responses indicative of mental or psychological impairment or disorder. It should be emphasized that the need for limiting questions to those regarding maladaptive personality traits, of the type described above, is particularly important where the interviewer unintentionally learns that an individual may have successfully undergone treatment for a psychological impairment or disorder.

It is important to emphasize that this scale does not assess, nor is it intended to assess, for the presence of a mental or psychological impairment, or disorder, or an applicant’s general physical or psychological health. Rather, it assesses whether an individual’s job performance is likely to be disrupted due to the presence of maladaptive personality traits such as irresponsibility, poor judgment, difficulty in working cooperatively with others, poor frustration tolerance, or poor impulse control.

1. Just about everyone has times when the pressure gets to them and they find it difficult to relax. What kind of situations can cause you to feel this way?

   1a.  What do you usually do when you feel this way?

2. Just about everyone has times when they feel unappreciated at work, and feel that others are treated better than they are. When this happens to you, how do you deal with it?

3. What kinds of things at work get you the most frustrated?

   3a.  When this happens, how do you deal with the situation? Please give me an example.

4. When things don’t go your way, how do you deal with the situation?

   4a.  Please give me an example that typifies how you deal with this kind of situation.

Job Commitment

Begin the questions with a statement something like the following:

"It is quite common for people to leave one job and move on to a new one. The reasons for this differ from person to person."

1. Could you please tell me why you are interested in changing jobs at this time? (Details)
2. I notice on your application that your previous job was with (Name of Company). What were your reasons for leaving that position? (Inquire as to the reasons for leaving each previous employer listed in the application, getting specific details.)
3. What is the most interesting/exciting job you have ever had? (Ask for details regarding who, where, when, and what made it so interesting)
4. What kind of personal challenges do you look for in a job?

At the end of your interview with the applicant, be sure to ask the following:

I would like to speak with the person who was your supervisor at one or two of your previous jobs. Is that okay with you? (If not, ask for the reasons).

Be sure to get the name of each person, company name, and phone number.