Interviewing for High-Performers
Interviewing is unfortunately flawed. There are people who just can’t verbally communicate their talent and others who are great at telling you what you want to hear, or better yet, let you do all the talking. But, for lack of a better means of assessing the unknown, there are three questions I explore to at least try to assess if they are right for the organization.
The first is “Tell me about something significant that you learned this last 12 months.” This gives me an indication if they are curious or complacent. One of my favorite hires was a woman who learned to replace a toilet on YouTube. If the candidate hasn’t learned anything significant in the last 12 months and you are seeking an A-player, pass.
The second question is, “Provide a specific example of where you disagreed with someone (team/boss) and what was the outcome.” Make sure you get them to tell you about a specific situation. It is easy for someone to communicate what they know you want to hear when speaking in generalizations. I’ve dodged a few bullets with candidates that told me they either got so pissed off they ended up creating a chasm in the team or they just rolled over when their valid point-of-view was shot down.
Finally, if the candidate passes the first two, I assess their fit for the role. Before the interview, the hiring manager and I identify the 3 non-negotiable criteria for the job and I listen for these throughout the interview. For the third question, I’ll ask a question directly related to a problem we are having in that area to 1) see if they can independently solve the problem, 2) they have a solution we haven’t thought of, 3) provide opportunity for the 3 non-negotiable criteria to make an appearance if they have not done so already. For example, if we are hiring for a New Product Launch Planner Buyer – non-negotiable criteria would be Passionate about Data, On the Ball, Decisive. My question might be “It is still undecided if the touch screen will be OLED or LCD. To make launch, we are within ordering lead time for OLED. Tell me about an example of where you faced a similar situation and what did you do?”. Hopefully I hear examples of the non-negotiable criteria such as, they turned numbers into stories, their peers sought them out for guidance, or they took control of complex situations where time was of the essence.
Regardless of what questions you like to ask, I have found that the entire process is critical. Have at least 3 candidates to compare. Be selective with who is interviewing the candidate. Select interviewers based on their hit rate for great hires and include employees who have qualities that you want more of, as like attracts like. Finally, throughout the entire interviewing process observe the candidate’s actions. Don’t get dazzled, with keen observation you can follow Maya Angelou’s sage advice, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them”.
What is your approach for hiring the best into your organization? Share in the comments below!
Photo by Steven Lelham on Unsplash