Finding the right candidate for your church staff is critical. Depending on the position, this person may be leading ministries, volunteers, and possibly even your church if you’re looking for a senior pastor. This person can help determine the direction, vision, and even the future direction of your church. Because of the weight of this decision, you want to make sure you do all you can to find the right person for the job. Once you have a great job description, one of the best ways to do this is by asking the right interview questions.
A face-to-face interview is the best way to get to know a candidate, receive real answers, and make sure that this person aligns with the views and beliefs of your church. Whether you conduct one interview or a series of interviews, these questions should help you to narrow down your search and find the right candidate for the job.
Questions that Show Compatibility with Your Church
The following questions will help to make sure the candidate is a good fit for your church. It’s important that this person aligns with your church’s mission, and these can help you get to the heart of that.
- Please share your personal testimony with me.
- What do you enjoy most about your current church?
- Why do you want to work at our church?
- How would you describe your style of working?
- Can you please describe your ideal working environment?
- Why are you leaving your current job?
- Do you have any theological questions for me?
- Describe your favorite and least favorite supervisor.
- What challenges do you see impacting our church?
Questions that Prompt a Unique Answer
It’s not uncommon for job candidates to go online and research interview questions before an interview. These typical questions often have typical, generic answers. If you want to avoid the “Googled answer,” here are a few good questions to ask.
- What professional achievement are you most proud of?
- Please tell me about a time that you overcame a personal challenge.
- What do you like to do outside of ministry life and work?
- Tell me something about yourself that may surprise people.
- Tell me about a time you had a difficult time working with a coworker. What did you do?
- What interests you the most about this position?
Questions that Reveal Job Skills and Achievements
Not only does a candidate need to be a good fit for your church, but they also need to have skills and experience that fit your requirements. In order to make sure they will be able to effectively complete the job at hand, here are a few questions to ask.
- What skills make you the most qualified for this position?
- What one job skill would you like to improve on?
- How do you plan on improving your skill set?
- What would you consider your biggest accomplishment to be?
- When it comes to ministry, what is your greatest strength?
- What outside job training or skills would you like to acquire if hired?
- How did you end up in your current role?
Questions that Give Insight into Goals, Aspirations, and Plans
Finally, everyone who begins a job does so with goals and plans of what they hope to accomplish and learn in that position. As someone looking for the right candidate, these questions can help you determine what a person’s plans might be.
- What are your long-term plans?
- If hired, what would you want to do first in this position?
- What excites you the most about this position?
- If you could change one thing about this church/ministry, what would it be?
- Share with me a time that you successfully led a team to accomplish a goal.
- Looking back, what is one thing you would have done differently in your ministry?
Final Comments
Interviewing can be a tricky business, but keep in mind that the more you can be yourself and be honest about the job, responsibilities, and culture, the more likely you are to find the right candidate on the first try. Also, be sure to avoid questions that are illegal when conducting the interview.
Finally, it’s important to remember that the Lord is guiding your church, and He has the perfect person for the job. Be prayerful and intentional as you start this process.
Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Surrender this interview process to the Lord, and trust Him to provide the right person who will accomplish His purposes.
Next Steps
As you work to find the right candidate for a job opening at your church, be sure to consider questions about their experience with church management software. Elexio offers a reliable platform that simplifies church management. Our staff consists of people who have worked in church offices and understand the challenges you face. Try a free trial to see how our service is more than just a database; it’s a mix of solutions that integrate and reduces your need to duplicate efforts so you can focus on ministry.
