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Tag: behavioral interview questions

Moving Beyond Cliché Questions: Searching for Real People

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“Where do you see yourself in five years?” versus “How are you today?”

Why Do We Still Ask Cliché Questions?

In recruitment processes, some questions have become almost automatic:

  • “Tell us a bit about yourself.”
  • “What is your biggest weakness?”
  • “Where do you see yourself in five years?”

Let’s face it: these questions often receive rehearsed answers. Candidates have prepared for them for years, sometimes memorizing lists of “top 10 interview answers” from the internet. The result? Answers that lack authenticity, fail to reflect the person’s true character, and sound alike across candidates.

However, what companies really seek is genuineness. Long-term success in business relies not only on skills and experience but also on personality, values, and cultural fit.

Seeing the Real Person

Today, it is clear: talent is not just a role that completes tasks; it is an asset that carries the identity and future of the company. Understanding who a candidate truly is has become critical.

Cliché questions confine candidates to a role. Modern recruitment requires a holistic view of the person:

  • Not just “Which university did you graduate from?” but “What are you open to learning?”
  • Not just “Which companies have you worked for?” but “How do you contribute as a team player?”
  • Not just “How much experience do you have?” but “How can you create value in the future?”

Going beyond traditional interviews and seeing people as humans is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity.

What Should New Questions Look Like?

Recruitment interviews are, at their core, an art of building relationships. The goal is to understand not only professional history but also motivations, behaviors, and values. Instead of cliché questions, consider more insightful alternatives:

  • “What experience has developed you the most recently?”
  • “What motivates you when working in a team?”
  • “Which value do you prioritize most in your work today?”
  • “How do you typically react when facing a problem?”

And sometimes, even a simple question like “How are you today?” can open the door to genuine connection.

The Data Speaks

Research shows that companies avoiding cliché questions achieve higher recruitment success:

  • LinkedIn 2022: Companies using behavioral and values-focused questions see 36% higher candidate-job fit.
  • Glassdoor: 58% of candidates report that a sincere, personal interview significantly shapes their first impression of a company.
  • SHRM: Aligning candidate values with company culture increases long-term retention by 47%.

Understanding Potential

Focusing on cliché questions risks overlooking potential. True potential is hidden not in rehearsed answers but in curiosity, learning speed, and problem-solving approaches.

Organizations can use methods such as:

  • Case studies: Observe how candidates approach problems.
  • Role-playing: Examine communication style in team settings.
  • Open-ended questions: Encourage spontaneous, authentic responses.

Most importantly, transform the interview from an “interrogation” into a conversation.

The Importance of Cultural Fit

A candidate may excel at their job, but without alignment with company culture, long-term benefits may be limited. Modern recruitment focuses not only on skills but also on cultural fit. For example:

  • A company prioritizing innovation needs candidates willing to take risks.
  • A customer-centric organization seeks employees with strong empathy skills.

Asking the wrong questions can hide this fit. Misalignment is costly, often leading to early turnover and dissatisfaction for both the employee and the organization.

HR Transformation: From Human Resources to Human Stories

HR is no longer just about filling positions—it is about shaping the future of the organization. This requires moving beyond cliché questions toward innovative, empathetic, and strategic interview practices.

Companies that stand out today are those that avoid clichés and focus on real human stories. Long-term success is achieved not only through impressive CVs but through meaningful connections with the right people.Cliché questions create a safe space—but genuine questions reveal true potential. Next time you conduct an interview, you might start with this simple question:
“How are you today?

Choosing the right candidate for teamwork

How to Hire Someone Who Writes “Team Player” on Their Resumes

Written by admin on . Posted in Blog. No Comments on How to Hire Someone Who Writes “Team Player” on Their Resumes

Recruitment clichés never end.
“Dynamic,” “solution-oriented,” “fast learner”—and of course, everyone’s favorite: “Team player.”

This phrase appears on so many CVs that it’s almost become the default. But here’s the irony: does everyone who writes it truly work well in a team? Or are some of them secretly solo performers waiting for the spotlight?

This raises a critical question: How do we distinguish those genuinely suited for teamwork from those who just write it down?

Teamwork: Myth or Reality?

Teamwork is one of today’s most celebrated workplace buzzwords. But in practice, things often look quite different:

  • An employee claims, “I’m a team player,” yet dominates meetings to push only their own ideas.
  • Another insists, “I’m adaptable,” but retreats at the first sign of conflict, leaving the workload to others.
  • And then there are those who try so hard to prove they’re “team-oriented” that they end up being the only ones reporting issues to the manager.

The lesson? Team compatibility isn’t measured by two words on a CV—it’s revealed through behaviors.

Why Does It Matter So Much?

According to Gallup, the hallmark of high-performing teams is not just individual talent, but a culture of collaboration.

Another striking statistic: employees who strongly experience collaboration are 50% more likely to stay with their company.

In short, entrusting the “team spirit” to the wrong people increases turnover and undermines productivity.

How to Look Beyond the “Team Player” Label

For HR professionals and hiring managers, the real challenge is testing whether this overused label is genuine. Here are a few strategies:

  1. Ask Behavioral Interview Questions
    Instead of the generic “Are you a team player?” try questions like:
    • “Tell me about a time you had a conflict within a team. How did you handle it?”
    • “Can you share an example of when you set aside your idea for the success of the team?”
      These reveal real experiences and authentic responses.
  2. Use Group Exercises
    A small case study or collaborative task helps observe how candidates actually interact. The focus is not just on the outcome, but the process. Does a candidate interrupt others constantly? Do they stay disengaged? If so, their “team player” claim deserves scrutiny.
  3. Check References Carefully
    During reference checks, asking “How did this person position themselves within the team?” can be invaluable. Colleagues are often the best judges of true team behavior.

The “Star Player” Syndrome

Every team has its stars. But let’s not forget: in basketball, it’s not just the star scorer who wins the game—it’s also the ones who pass, defend, and support from the bench.

A common hiring mistake is looking for a “star” in every role. But stars naturally seek the spotlight, which can eventually overshadow the team.

Consider this case:
A sales professional labeled themselves a “team player.” In the first month, they broke sales records and impressed everyone. Soon after, however, they began poaching clients from teammates to boost personal commissions. The result? Trust collapsed, morale sank, and overall sales dropped.

Lesson: Being a team player doesn’t mean sacrificing individual success—it means aligning it with the team’s success.

A Strategic Approach: Build Team Culture First

Ultimately, the question is not only whether a candidate is a “team player,” but whether the company truly fosters teamwork.

  • If your reward system values only individual performance, collaboration won’t thrive.
  • If managers fail to address communication conflicts, “team spirit” remains a buzzword, not a practice.
  • If recognition is reserved only for leaders, others start feeling like background actors.

Strategic engagement and loyalty develop only when teams, as a whole, are valued.

Don’t Read the Words—Watch the Behavior

Writing “team player” on a CV isn’t inherently bad. But like “hobbies: reading books,” it’s generic, impersonal, and meaningless on its own.

The real work is to test it, observe it, and create the right environment where teamwork can thrive. Because let’s not forget:

  • The wrong “team player” destabilizes the group.
  • The right “team player” lifts the entire team higher.

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