Values-based Interview Questions

Ask the below-given values-based interview questions to find candidates who have the same values as your company and will be a great fit.

Why ask values-based interview questions?

In business, core values reflect a company’s long-term objectives and mission. A company’s values define:

For example, a company that values innovation will boost creative ideas and brainstorming sessions for all the staff members.

For example, a company that gives preference to streamlined workflow will invest in DMS and training programs for all employees.

For example, a company that focuses on growth will recruit learns and organize training sessions to help employees learn new things.

During your recruitment process, values-based interview questions will help you know:

Below are some examples of common corporate values at work:

Reliability: Working with professionalism and honesty, and following company policies.
Teamwork: Working with colleagues and teams to achieve goals.
Liability: Taking responsibility for decisions and actions both individually and in a team.
Social accountability: Incorporating social and environmental solutions to working processes.
Novelty: Executing new ideas to improve the business.
Client orientations: Increasing and improving client satisfaction.

Reliability

Tell me about a time when you encountered an ethical dilemma at the workplace? What did you do?
If you see an employee stealing company’s property, how would you address the issue?

Teamwork

Have you ever failed to deliver a team project on time? If given a chance, what you would have done differently?
Have you ever worked with a colleague you don’t get along with? What was your approach?

Liability

Tell me a successful team project you have recently worked on. What was your role in the team?
How would you react if your team is criticized for a project that was completely assigned to you?

Social accountability

How do you create a balance between performing detailed quality controls on products while keeping the price low?
Suggest new company policies for making our operations more environment-friendly? How would you ensure that these policies are implemented and followed?

Novelty

Share about a time when your standard process was unable to give desired results. What did you do?
Give me an example of a successful product? What features made it so successful?

Client orientations

Share about a time you managed to calm an angry client. What was your approach?
How would you handle a client who visits the store or calls just when your shift ends?

Tips to assess candidates’ answers

Start by determining your company’s values. All employees, from junior-level roles to the management, should share these key values.
Then, make sure your each value converts into work behaviors. Situational and behavioral questions will help you in assessing if candidates maintain the required behavior at work.
Smaller teams or departments might value additional skills. Modify your questions to assess those too. For example, a research team might prioritize innovation, while a sales team is likely to boast great client service approach.
Try combining competency-based and values-based interview questions to assess skills and knowledge. This will help you in creating complete candidate profiles and reach more firm recruitment decisions.

They don’t have real-life experiences or examples to share: During the interview, many candidates claim to be “great team players” or having a “solid work ethic”. But, if they fail to share real-life examples in support of these values, it can be a red flag.
Their values are not related to the role: Employees with client orientations might be great for marketing and sales department that seek to interact with clients. But, they are not apt for the researcher’s role.
Inflexible: New recruits could adjust to your working style, as long as they are interested in the position. If, however, they are inflexible and don’t match your key values, that is a red flag for long-term collaboration.
Arrogant: Showing a bossy attitude or being negative towards criticism are signs of people who prioritize their own values over others’. In the long run such employees can end up creating a negative work environment.