Internal Job Interview Questions

If an internal employee is applying to a recently posted job posting, it's important to hold an interview and to take it seriously into consideration. It's vital when finding suitable job candidates, to first look inside the organization to see if you have suitable candidates. When you want to interview an existing employee, we provide this free sample internal job interview form with interview questions that will make it easier in your preparation.

How to prepare for an Internal Job Interview?

An internal interview, which is generally also a promotion interview, occurs when you apply for a higher or different position with the company you currently work for and are being considered for the role. Internal job candidates often have an advantage because the company is already familiar with the work ethic of these individuals. There is also less training for internal hires since they already know the company's values, mission, expectations and procedures. This sample Job description explainer offers guidance on key sections that are important to include for clarity, as well as suggestions for promoting the position. It provides a list of duties, responsibilities, tasks, requirements, demands for setting job expectations and the employee's ability to perform the work as described. However, it’s often not construed as an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills and abilities. When writing a job description, consider the following:

• Highlight the accurate job title;
  
• Provide a general company introduction;
• Provide a brief summary or introduction that provides an overview of the job;
• Specify the relevant job duties and responsibilities that are necessary for this position;
• List essential qualifications;
• Be clear and concise;
• Have someone proofread it;
• Make sure that HR and the hiring manager will sign off before publishing it;
• Define what success looks like in the position after 30 days, the first quarter, and the first year;
• Provide direct contact details of the manager or HR department who will follow up on the candidates.

What questions should I ask during an internal interview?

Sample interview questions to ask when holding an internal interview with an employee are:

• Can you describe a challenging project you’ve tackled, how you handled it, and what the outcome was?
• Have you ever experienced conflict with a colleague?
• How did you handle it?
• What’s your proudest achievement in your current role?
• Can you describe an instance when you didn’t achieve an objective and what you would have done differently?
  
• What do you think is key for successfully collaborating with colleagues?
• What do you like best about working for the company?
• What suggestions do you have for improving company culture?

One challenge employers face with an internal promotion is that they will have an additional role to fill. This Internal Job form contains suitable questions that help the interviewer to ask the employee, when they do an interview. The choice to hire an internal member will depend if they give an answer that explains the benefits of hiring an internal employee and that you already know a lot about the company's processes, values and mission.

By using these interview questions for internal candidates, modifying it to your needs. This Internal Job Interview Form template is fully customizable and can be used in Google Docs, MS Word or Pages format. Get this printable file now and personalize it according to your needs.