Melina Murray

Do you stick to the standard interview questions? 

Do you read through someone’s resume asking questions about past jobs?

Do you sit across from them at a desk or conference room table?

Do you interview alone, or with multiple people in the room?

On average, how many interviews does someone go through before you make them an offer?

IDEAS

Ask Non-Standard Questions

I am a firm believer (and practitioner) of going outside the standard/norm.  Asking questions that throw off the interviewee gives me a glimpse into the real person.  And, in general, I rarely go over their resume in the first interview.  It got them in the door, but I want to learn more about the actual person who wants to join the team. Fit is so important, especially when working on a team.  

Ask Questions That Test Qualities You Desire

One manager I worked with tended to challenge candidates during the interview to see how they handled conflict.  He would make an obviously wrong statement, then see if they would respond or tell him he was wrong.  (Only about 50% did so.)  The purpose behind this approach was specific to the team- it was a problem solving team, so any hires would need to be able to debate, challenge and engage their peers and manager.

Gauge Actual Interest

One of the most important questions I ask in an interview is “Tell me what you know about this company”.  If the person is serious in their interest, I expect them to have at least a general understanding of the company, to have looked through the website and be able to tell me some basic facts. Although I continue the interview beyond that question, those who say “I don’t know” or get it completely wrong usually don’t make it to a second.  The interest, passion and desire to learn are just not present.

Find Out What Motivates Them

I will often ask what about a job makes the candidate excited to go to work everyday. Some give answers relating to contributing, learning, making a difference.  Sadly, I also hear “getting a paycheck”. (yes, people are sometimes that honest) If a person’s prime motivator is simply a paycheck, do you want them on your team? 

Make Sure More Than One Person Interviews a Candidate

Some people are better at gauging a candidate’s fit, some are better at uncovering job-specific skills. Making sure at least 2 different people interview a candidate during the process ensures a broader scope of skills and fit are covered.  

The other day, I called UPS’s customer service to ask about a package I was expecting.  The website said delivery was attempted, but no one rang my doorbell or left a notice.  It seems UPS has an escalation unit for issues like this.  They take your information and someone calls within an hour.

My call came 15 minutes later.  The woman on the phone was incredibly friendly and started the conversation with “Hi hon”.  Then proceeded to call me “hon” throughout the call as she explained how she was making sure my package would be delivered in 30 minutes.    

I felt like I was talking to the owner of a small business who wanted to make sure her client was fully satisfied. This was a new and different experience in dealing with a huge corporation.  For some reason, the genuine use of “hon” made all the difference.

And, my package was delivered as she promised.

I can’t imagine she was trained to use terms of endearment on strangers, but this woman’s natural people skills made all the difference to me that day.

One of the sessions I attended at the SHRM conference was about staying competitive with benefits.  The presentation itself was full of useful data, much gleaned from this year’s Best Companies to Work For winners and current SHRM surveys, but it made me think about the overall “benefit” of benefits.

Sure they are a great tool for recruiting (when they are good).  And employees do appreciate having a variety of benefits.

However, just offering benefits does not make a great place to work.  There are 2 factors that can impact the initial draw. 

First

Adding different or unique benefits, beyond the standard health/life insurance and retirement plans has become more popular.  But if it is on paper only, the result may be the opposite of what was intended.

Having a program for employee recognition sounds like a great idea.  Except when no one uses it. Or when only certain departments use it. 

Employee of the Month awards are pretty cool too.  Until they become a last minute retention tool, are used in only some departments or become a vehicle for publicaly rewarding “favorites”.

Offering education assistance is a draw for many potential employees.  Yet, constantly denying (legitimate) requests leads to frustration.

While posting and touting benefits can help you get people in the door, once in, they expect to see them in action. 

Does your company offer unique benefits?  If so, are these providing value to your employees (and/or to you)? Are these benefits useful in retention as well as recruitment?

Second

Unfulfilling work and poor management.  This is a morale killer.  Managers who are not present, available or helpful end up with staff who are unmotivated, frustrated and unproductive.   Lack of communication from management and company leadership is one of the top complaints I hear from employees.  Boredom and lack of a challenge is another.  

Cool benefits are only “cool” if they enhance the environment.  

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You can check out the recently released 2008 winners of the Best Small & Medium Companies to Work for in America.

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