When trying to decide who to hire, the questions you ask during the interview will dramatically affect the quality of information you will learn about your applicants.

PICK A SET OF STANDARD QUESTIONS.

Have a set of standard questions that you ask everyone. These questions should be the basic framework for the interview. This is important for a number of reasons.

First, it helps you eliminate any built-in personal bias you may have. If you ask everyone the same basic questions, everyone will get the same chance to prove that they are the best person for the job. Some candidates may surprise you!

Second, asking a standard set of questions will give you a reference for comparing the candidates to each other. Who best answered each of the questions? Who most often expressed views that are in line with your company culture? If you ask every candidate different questions, you will not have any common points of comparison.

Finally, it takes some candidates a while to warm up. If you do not have a complete set of questions to ask, you may be tempted to end the interview before the applicant can put their best foot forward.

However, this does not mean that you have to ask every candidate ONLY these standard questions.

Certainly, you can and should ask lots of individualized follow-up questions about their responses to your standard questions. Also, it is definitely appropriate to ask questions specific to a particular candidate's situation - related work experience, interesting questions, or other pertinent information.