Is hiring back on at your company?  We hope so!  With unemployment in Southwest Florida at its lowest level in three years, and with the economy showing signs of life, we wanted to take a minute to highlight an article on hiring we read in this month’s Gulfshore Business.

In Hiring Smart:  5 Questions to Ask Job Candidates in 2012, Lori Johnston, with help from Lori Burke of INgage Networks (an HR Law & Solutions Hall of Famer!) and Libby Anderson of Human Resources Now, suggests five questions to consider asking potential candidates in 2012:

*How did you maintain your skills when you were unemployed?

*What other types of jobs are you looking for?

*Why is this job of interest to you?

*Tell me about a weakness you had in your past work performance and how you strengthened it?

*How did you overcome a conflict with a co-worker?

These questions would be a great addition to your list.  Check out the full article here.  For more interview questions, take a look at 17 Interview Questions Hiring Managers Love to Ask and Ask Right to Hire Right:  Effective Interview Questions.  Always remember to avoid questions that are related to any potential protected class, such as an applicant’s age, race, religion, national origin, or marital/family status.  Happy hiring!