Are You Asking Your Candidates the Right Interview Questions to Ensure You’re Hiring the Safest Workers?

Safety is a key concern in every workplace. Lives and livelihoods are at stake, not to mention thousands (or even millions) of dollars stemming from potential lost productivity and lawsuits.

 

With that in mind, it’s important to start the process of ensuring safety as early as possible. At the beginning in fact, in the recruitment process.

 

Think of the candidate interviews you do before any hire. The interview is an important step in getting to know your future employees. You get a chance to learn about their background, their work histories, even their personalities. But there is one subject that is often skipped at the interview stage: that’s right, safety.

 

Here are three inquiries you can use during employee interviews that can help build a strong culture of safety consciousness:

 

1. Tell Me About a Time You Had to Follow Specific Safety Protocols in Your Previous Jobs.

This will help you see whether a potential employee has any experience with strict safety procedures. It will provide a signal as to how much training they might require, or how responsive they are likely to be to the level of training and attention your workplace requires.

 

Some candidates might not be able to respond to this inquiry effectively. Not every candidate is going to have experience with strict safety protocols. It’s up to you to decide whether this background is important.

 

But even if the candidate has never held a job with a specific safety protocol, the answer will teach you something. Namely, you now know the candidate might need extra coaching in safety concerns.

 

2. Tell Me About a Time You Felt Unsafe at Work and What You Did to Resolve the Issue.

Admittedly, this question gives candidates a wide latitude. The goal here isn’t necessarily to find out a candidate’s safety acumen. The goal is more to start a dialog.

 

You are signaling to the candidate that safety is an important topic and coming in, they should have it on their mind. It also shows an openness to discussion.

 

No one will know a particular employee’s safety risks better than the employee. Moreover, no one has more incentive to get safety right. Set the stage for open communication by allowing them the opportunity to speak up on the issue as early as possible.

 

3. Ask About Specific Safety Concerns

You know your business better than anyone. You know the specific safety concerns that can impact your company. Set the tone by steering the conversation to specific concerns you might have about incoming employees.

 

Again, this will help narrow the field to applicants who can handle the level and type of safety protocols for your business. Also, as with the previous questions, it underlines the importance of safety and begins a conversation that will continue throughout your new hire’s career.

 

Find the Safest Candidates For Your Business!

The goal of these questions isn’t just to find the right candidates, but to set a safe and profitable culture at your company. Finding the best employees is part of this and having professional staffing advice can make that process easier and more efficient. Contact Qualified Staffing today for more details on how to build your winning team!