Understanding, and Asking, the Right Interview Questions
Roberta Matuson
I’ve trained hundreds of people on how to select the right employees, and without doubt, someone will come up to me after the session and say, “Thank you. I finally know why I’m asking these questions.”
Most people with responsibility for selecting candidates never receive formal interviewing training. They do what I was guilty of doing early on in my career. They ask prescribed questions and then tick off the boxes when candidates give them the answers they want to hear. Then they wonder what happened when a new hire doesn’t work out.
Here are some tips to help you avoid a similar fate. Get really clear on what you’re looking for in terms of traits, before beginning the interviewing the process. For example, is it important that someone works well in a team environment? Or is this not necessary, given that they’ll be working alone? Do you need someone with strong attention to detail, or will their work be closely checked by others?
Once you’ve got clarity, you’ll then have a better sense of exactly what you’re looking for when interviewing candidates. It’s also important to understand that it’s not what people say, it’s how they say it. Here is an example of what I mean by this.
You’re hiring drivers for an overnight delivery company. These drivers need to have a sense of urgency, since packages must be delivered by a set time. You ask a candidate to describe a situation where he had to meet a tight deadline. He complies. However, he does so with extremely low energy.
If you’re selecting for success, you’d pass on this candidate, as people tend to put their best foot forward when interviewing. If this is the best he’s got, then you’d be doing yourself and your customers a disservice if you hired him. He may have given you the answer you wanted to hear; however, he also revealed to you that he may not have as much pep in his step as this job requires.
Lastly, after each interview, always ask yourself, “Is this person good enough?” If the answer is no or you hesitate before saying yes, then take a pass. When selecting for success, you’re looking to get it right the first go-around. Take your time, aim high, and make an offer when the right person comes along.
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