Top 10 Interview Questions to Identify High-Performing Employees

“The secret of my success is that we have gone to exceptional lengths to hire the best people in the world.” – Steve Jobs

According to Forbes, the top 5% of employees within an organization produce 26% of the organization’s output—so hiring top-performing employees should be at the top of the list for any organization aiming to achieve its goals and drive growth. But how do you sift through a pool of candidates to find potential employees with high-performance ability?

The key lies in asking the right questions during the interview process. In this blog, we’ll share interviewstream’s top 10 interview questions designed to help you identify high-performing employees. These questions will give you insights into candidates’ skills, experiences, and potential, helping you make the best hiring decisions for your team.

Questions to Identify High-Performing Employees

1. Can you describe a time when you exceeded expectations at work?

Why it’s effective: This question helps you understand a candidate’s drive and ability to surpass goals, indicating a high level of self-motivation and commitment to excellence.

2. How do you prioritize tasks when you have multiple deadlines to meet?

Why it’s effective: High performers are great time managers. This question reveals how candidates organize their work, handle pressure, and make sure projects get done on time.

3. Tell me about a time when you took the initiative to solve a problem. What was the outcome?

Why it’s effective: This question checks a candidate’s problem-solving skills and their willingness to go the extra mile to tackle challenges.

4. How do you handle feedback, especially when it’s critical?

Why it’s effective: Top performers are open to feedback and use it to get even better. This question helps you see if a candidate can take constructive criticism and keep growing.

5. Can you give an example of how you set and achieved a significant goal in your previous job?

Why it’s effective: Setting and achieving goals is a high-performer’s trademark. This question lets you see how candidates plan, get things done, and track their progress on major objectives.

6. Describe a situation where you had to work with a difficult team member. How did you handle it?

Why it’s effective: Conflict resolution is essential, for all team members, especially for high achievers who often drive teams which can limit collaboration. This question checks a candidate’s interpersonal skills and ability to navigate and solve conflicts in a professional way.

7. What strategies do you use to stay up-to-date with industry trends and developments?

Why it’s effective: Top performers are always learning. This question shows if candidates are proactive about gaining knowledge and staying current with industry changes, making them even more valuable to your team.

8. How do you measure your own performance and success in your role?

Why it’s effective: Self-assessment is key to improvement. This question helps you see if candidates set personal goals and strive to meet or exceed them.

9. Tell me about a project you worked on that required significant collaboration. What was your role, and how did you ensure its success?

Why it’s effective: Collaboration is often the key to success. This question reveals a candidate’s teamwork skills, leadership potential, and how they contribute to achieving shared goals.

10. How do you maintain high performance during periods of change or uncertainty?

Why it’s effective: This question checks a candidate’s resilience and ability to stay productive and effective, even in challenging or changing environments.

 
Asking the right interview questions is key to finding high-performers for your team! These questions are designed to dig deeper and uncover the qualities that make top performers tick. We’re not just looking for skills (though those are important!), but the drive and adaptability to thrive within an organization.

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interviewstream’s video interviewing, interview scheduling, and AI recruiting tools simplify every stage of the hiring process, making it easier for you to identify high performers. Take a look at a quick demo today and see how we can help you build a stronger team!

About The Author

Drew Whitehurst is the Director of Marketing, RevOps, and Product Strategy at interviewstream. He's been with the company since 2014 working in client services and marketing. He is an analytical thinker, coffee enthusiast, and hobbyist at heart.