Learn how to conduct an interview and examples of some good questions to ask during it.

After you ask for resumes, decide on who you want to interview, and arrange a time and date for the interview... you'll want to prepare.

Print out the person's resume and copies for anyone else who will be in the interview. Do not print a copy for the person being interviewed. Do not offer them a copy if they did not bring one. This will be a first sign of preparedness if the person brings a copy for themselves and for you.

Print out a page of questions and give yourself plenty of room to write the person's responses. You will be reading the questions from this paper. Practice so they don't sound like you're reading them. You want to sound sincere.

Greet the person by introducing your name and title and anyone else who is with you and their title. Invite them into a private room for the interview.

Start by asking what they know about the company and the position. This will tell you how professional they are. A true professional will do their research and be able to tell you a lot about the company from their website and the internet.

Next, start by asking the questions and writing down their responses.

Possible Interview Questions:

Customer Service
Look for friendly and fast customer response.

Give me an example of when you went out of your way for a customer? What was the outcome?
Describe the most difficult customer you've ever had to deal with and how you handled them.
Describe a situation when you took a stand for the customer.
Describe a situation when you felt the customer was taking advantage of you. What was the outcome?

Continuous Learning
Look for someone who is continuously learning. They will be a leader in the field.
How do you keep current in your field?
Give me an example of when you did not know enough about something to be effective. What did you do about it?
What do you want to learn before you die?

Time Management
Look for quick and accurate results. If they say they never make mistakes - Watch out!
Give me and example of when your ability to manage your time and priorities proved to be an asset.
Give me an example of when you were responsible for a mistake or error. What was the outcome?

Team Work
This will tell you if the person should work on projects alone or in a team.
Describe how you felt about a decision the team wanted to make that you didn't agree with.
Give me and example of when you were on a team that did not meet its goals. What could the team have done differently?

Interpersonal Skills
This will tell you how they get along with others.
Describe the most difficult working relationship you've ever had. What actions did you take to improve it?
Give me an example of your ability to build working relationships with people regardless of cultural or educational differences.

Others
What are your future career goals?
What are you most proud of?
If person will be working in the flavor or food industry you can ask:
Are you color blind?
Are you allergic to anything?

Remember that during the interview the person may say something that will cause you to ask a question that is not on your list. That's ok.

Try to keep the interview at 30 minutes or 1 hour maximum.

If the interview goes off course you can always steer it back on course by interrupting and saying "Thank you, I think I understand" and ask the next question. If the person being interviewed veers off course too many times this should be a sing to you of what they will do if they're hired.

If the person seems promising you can take them for a tour or introduce them to their possible coworkers. This will allow you to see their expressions. I've interviewed people who would fit perfect for the job, but they didn't like the plant environment. They saw the plant and how dirty the work was and I could tell immediately by the look on their face they would not accept if I offered or they would quit as soon as something cleaner came along.

If you are concerned about coworker relationships you can always ask their possible coworkers to take them for lunch. Be sure to include this in the interview ahead of time. This is essential for small work groups where the wrong person dynamics can cause a group failure.

After the interview, thank the person and tell them you will contact the person you choose for the position and that if they don't hear from you it was a pleasure meeting them.

Expect the person to arrive 15 minutes early. If they arrive earlier it's alright to make them wait.

You cannot ask questions about race, religion, or sex.

You cannot ask if someone is pregnant, has kids or is married.