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character traits this person needs to possess in order to efficiently do the job required of him. Also take into consideration what qualities your company or organization values in its employees in general and which ones will ensure that the person you choose will fit comfortably into the established personnel structure that's already been established. From here, formulate a set of two or three interview questions for each one of the skills and traits you listed.

DETERMINING INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

One of the most important things you need to know about your prospective candidate is how well they work as a member of a team. Does this person know how to determine when its appropriate to take a stand and when its the time to step back and defer to others? Ask the interviewee to describe a situation when he or she has to assume a leadership role and talk a little bit about how they handled it effectively, or ask them to talk a little bit about a situation where they incorporated the input of others in making an important decision. John Heckers, president of Heckers Development Group also suggests identifying team players for high-level positions by deliberately interrupting candidates to see how they handle it, setting up a sample power struggle. The right candidate for the job will defer to the interviewer, showing that he or she is cooperative and knows when it is the right time to defer to someone else.

DETERMINING INITIATIVE

You will also need to know how well potential candidates think on their feet and take initiative. Try catching them off guard a little by asking them to describe the preparation process they went through to get ready for the interview. You may also try asking them to describe a workplace situation from their past where they were a key mover in achieving a desired result for their company, or a situation where the candidate took it upon themselves to go above and beyond the call of duty. Questions like these help identify candidates who have good work ethics and are dedicated to producing the best possible performance on the job.

ASSESSING DECISION MAKING SKILLS

How well does your candidate make important decisions? Are they able to think outside the box and work independently just as well as they are able to function as part of a team? Ask them to tell you a story about an instance in which it fell to them to make a difficult or potentially unpopular decision on the job. Ask them how they handled it and how they deal with similar situations in

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