Have you ever hired someone who, despite a great resume and interview, lacked passion or just couldn’t do the work? You probably had a square peg in a round hole. Show It’s all about having the right person in the right job. With a few tweaks of your interview style, you may not have such a hard time finding your next great employee. Step 1: What are you looking for? Determine the top three or four competencies that are needed in the person you hire. When you know what you’re looking for – rather than relying on “gut feeling” – you’ll have an easier time determining who is the best fit for the job. To figure out the ideal competencies, look at your high performers. What do they have in common? What is it about their work that shows you they’re a good fit? Step 2: Questions that mean something With top competencies in mind, develop interview questions that speak to them. Behavioral questions, where you ask, “Tell me about a time when…,” are very effective. The job candidate won’t be able to prepare beforehand, so you’ll likely get a genuine answer that’s not coached. During the answer, you can tell a lot about the person: What does their body language say? Are they searching for an answer? Do they look you in the eye? Are they earnest and leaning in or are they fidgety and nervous? Step 3: Be consistent Once you have your questions, use them as a framework for each candidate who interviews for the position. That way, you’re comparing apples-to-apples when reviewing the candidates and their interviews. Step 4: But go with the flow Don’t be afraid to go off-script if the job candidates offer further information or ask questions of their own. The best interviews feel like a conversation. But don’t get so far off course that you don’t get the answers you need to make a good decision. 10 questions to get you started If you need a place to start, use these examples of behavioral questions and the competencies they address: 1. Adaptability – Tell me about a situation where you were under a great deal of pressure because of numerous demands competing for your time and attention. How did you resolve the situation? 2. Customer service – Tell me about the most difficult customer encounter you’ve experienced. How did you handle it? 3. Dependability – Tell me about a time when you had difficulty keeping a commitment? How did you handle it? 4. Ethics – Describe a situation where you worked with someone you did not like or respect. How did you cope with the relationship? 5. Initiative – Tell me about an opportunity that presented itself to you but you were reluctant to take the risk. What did you do? 6. Interpersonal skills – Tell me about a time you had a serious conflict with a co-worker. How did you handle the situation? 7. Judgment – Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult decision. What process did you go through to arrive at the decision? 8. Leadership – Tell me about a time when you had to inspire or energize an unmotivated individual or group? How did you do it and what was the result? 9. Planning/organizing – Give me a summary of the techniques you use to plan and organize your work. Describe how you applied one of these techniques in a specific situation. 10. Teamwork – Tell me about a time you had to set your own interests or priorities aside in the interest of the team. Some basics you don’t want to overlook When you’re considering job candidates, you’ll want to ask yourself these three things:
Interview dos and don’ts
What do you do with all this information? You and your fellow interviewers should keep notes or use a score sheet for each candidate. You will measure the candidates against the competencies that you previously established for the position. As soon as possible after the interviews, discuss your assessments to determine who the most outstanding candidate is. You should have a list of the top questions and qualifications that are must-haves for the job. If a candidate fails those, then it’s not the right person. Let’s say you’ve narrowed it to two candidates who look like a good fit and did well in the interviews, but when it came to a question about leadership, you weren’t pleased with one candidate’s answer. So, maybe that’s not the person for this job. It doesn’t mean the candidate can’t be an asset in another position – but not this one. Or, perhaps you have a team of employees who believe it’s all for one and one for all. And your candidate shows he’s competitive and self-centered. A superstar isn’t going to fit well into this company culture. To find the right person, it all starts with understanding what you’re looking for. You must go beyond a gut feeling about a resume that matches a job description. Learn more about how discovering and developing the right people for the right roles can add to your business’s bottom line. Download our free e-book, How to Develop a Top-notch Workforce That Will Accelerate Your Business. What are the top 5 questions to ask an interviewee?So, let's jump in with 15 of the best questions to ask an interviewee, and why.. What do you know about our company, and why do you want to work here? ... . What skills and strengths can you bring to this position? ... . Can you tell me about your current job? ... . What could your current company do to be more successful?. What are 10 good interview questions?50+ most common job interview questions. Tell me about yourself.. Walk me through your resume.. How did you hear about this position?. Why do you want to work at this company?. Why do you want this job?. Why should we hire you?. What can you bring to the company?. What are your greatest strengths?. What are the 3 best questions to ask in an interview?7 good questions to ask at an interview. Can you tell me more about the day-to-day responsibilities of the role? ... . How could I impress you in the first three months? ... . Are there opportunities for training and progression within the role/company? ... . Where do you think the company is headed in the next five years?. How do you get to know someone in an interview?55 questions to get to know people at work. What's your job title?. What sort of duties do you have at work?. Do you have any mentors in your professional life?. What was your first paying job?. Who inspires you?. What kind of music do you like?. What's the best concert you've been to?. Do you like traveling?. |