The Green Industry's Resource Center

srl28 · #1 08-02-2009, 06:22 PM

What sort of questions do you tend to ask new employees or potential employess? I ve got some new ones we worked up that have led to some interesting and very useful answers. Looking to share those and also see what everyone else asks of new employees

grandview (2006) · #2 08-02-2009, 06:41 PM

Do you have a car to get to work ?

OkieLawnBoy · #3 08-03-2009, 04:19 PM

Just a quick bit of info for you. You can't ask if them if they have a vehicle, rather, you can only ask the person if they have "reliable transportation". I know it seems trivial in our industry, but there are people out there who will get denied a job and then turn you into the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for Illegal Profiling during the Interview Process. I've actually been fortunate to see it happen after I studied it in college. I try to watch what I say in an interview now. For some good advice on questions to avoid, read the following link.

http://www.pacificu.edu/hr/training/...wQuestions.pdf

foreplease · #4 08-03-2009, 11:09 PM

That is quite a list! Thanks for posting it. I winder how it would work to sit down with the applicant and say "There isn't much I am permitted to ask you, suppose you tell me what you would like me to know..." I actually did this once as an applicant by including a brief document called "Things You May Like To Know About Me But Can't Ask."

srl28 · #5 08-03-2009, 11:15 PM

Very true, also cannot ask their age either.

Used some questions I thought of and also read in a trade magazine recently- worked out well. good responses
What was your best/worst day on the job?
What is your dream position at our company?
What are you best attributes?
What are your worst attributes?
Couple more that are skipping my mind as of now but I'll think of em!

Scout113 · #6 08-03-2009, 11:37 PM

Isn't the world sooooo much better wg all the lawyers running aroung
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nnj18 · #7 08-03-2009, 11:39 PM

That's cute, but people can bs you and tell you what you want to hear. The real test is if they last their first day.
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P.Services · #8 08-03-2009, 11:42 PM

can you pass a drug test every monday morning? is that legal to ask? weeds out 95% of em with one question.

Scout113 · #9 08-03-2009, 11:43 PM

So let me get this right, I can't ask if u have a car to get to work (seems like that is an important part of working, actually getting there), can't ask if you're a legal citizen? (Seems like that's a national problem and its illegal to have them working for you in the first olace but now its illegal to find out?!?), etc...
What has this country been reduced to? Common sense seems to be stripped from our court system. Its disgusting.
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srl28 · #10 08-03-2009, 11:44 PM

Cute? ha

Its true they can BS all day long, but it helps to weed out some crap early on. If you hand them the questions to fill out and they seem bored with having to answer them or find it pointless they may not be the hard working motivated type. Also just helps to see what their strengths and weeknesses may be, or at least what they say they may be. Ive hired people before just on a quick meeting with them and it rarely turned out to be what we needed. Just helps to ask some questions sometimes.

But I am a firm believer, like you said nnj18, that you gotta give em a shot in the field and see, for a week or 2, not just the first day or so. Everyones had guys who talk up a storm, work an awesome first week and then take it easy from there on.