How Do You Interview?
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.
July 4th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
I love the idea of saying something wrong and seeing if the candidate questions or corrects the interviewer. I don’t think it would fly with all positions, but for some (like HR, legal & similar) it would be great.
About wanting a pay check - and a good one at that: I want sales people to be motivated by money, big time. That way they will always be hungry and hunting! I’m motivated by money in that I want to be paid what I’m worth. If I’m not paid what I’m worth, even if it is a good job / company, I will not be fully motivated. And that is just the way my cookie crumbles!
July 6th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
I’m torn on the idea of saying something wrong and seeing if the candidate corrects you. On one hand, it’s a great way to test both knowledge and willingness to speak up, but on the other hand, I worry about making the candidate wonder why her prospective future colleagues didn’t know that. I occasionally co-interview with someone who uses this tactic, and I always get a little neurotic worrying about what it might make the candidate think.
July 7th, 2008 at 11:24 am
@HRwench & @Ask A Manager
The idea of stating something wrong is definitely position specific. And it depends on knowledge needed, position requirements and ability of the interviewer to “read” the candidate. For some, it would be unnecessary. At the same time, this technique was usually used in the 3rd interview after the person had met other members of the team, taken a technical test and become a bit more comfortable. (in this case, we were hiring software engineer/programmer type positions)
And if/when the candidate was confused or didn’t respond, we would usually end up explaining the statement or using other ways to start a conversation.
@HRwench #2 Sales people are a different story, I totally agree with you on the financial motivation there! Overall, money is a motivator to some degree. Being paid what you are worth, correctly and on time, to me is a given, basic necessity of the job. (IMO) However, in an interview, from a hiring perspective, I expect to hear a little more enthusiasm about the company or job.
October 26th, 2008 at 10:52 am
I use many of these techniques, including the purposeful mistake: I make a comment that makes no sense on the surface… very few people challenge it. Most people ignore it… and some say something along the lines of, “I’m not sure that I would set the question up that way, but if I understand what you’re looking for, I’d say…” and then they answer a more sensible version of the question asked. Nice post.