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.  

Evil HR Lady mentioned the site Not Hired in a post yesterday. The site is “Dedicated to all those who wonder why no one has called to set up an interview…now you know”.

I took a look and am completely amused. It’s Friday afternoon- take a look and laugh (or cringe)!

I came across an article on cnn.com’s Fortune section that offered tips for finding passionate employees, “How to hire passionate employees”. Granted, the article is almost 2 years old, but the information is absolutely still valid- and valuable.

“The better you understand both the job itself and the person you’re considering for it, the more likely you are to get someone who can direct his or her passion where you need it to go,” Adler says.

This seems simple, but the better all parties in the hiring process understand the job, the need and the “ideal” candidate, the better each person involved can assess candidates. If you have a position that requires a strong, collaborative team player and another that requires intense, focused individual contribution, what you look for would vary. Even if the basic skill set is the same.

Another tip-off: “I ask people what they are passionate about outside of work. Someone whose eyes light up when they talk about a sport or a charity or whatever it is they do in their spare time - that is someone who will probably be passionate on the job too. People don’t switch their passion off when they walk into work in the morning. It carries over. By contrast, someone who’s just going through the motions with no special passion outside of work will probably be the same way in the office.”

So, so true. I have various questions that look for the passion in a response. It is not just about what they say, it is about how they react. It is just a one sentence answer, or does the candidate smile, light up and want to tell you more? It is OK if their passion is related to the job too- doesn’t have to be something totally separate. The idea is just to see if anything generates a spark.

“I’ve seen it time and time again,” Sanford continues. “Hiring managers will opt for the ’safe’ candidate rather than a more provocative one - and then they’re disappointed a year later when the person hasn’t stepped up and produced fantastic results.”

Sound familiar? If so, change the way you interview! Find people with the drive and passion to move your company forward.