Interviewing someone for a job...
- Thread starter royalfan5
- Start date
Don't take too much notice of who has deeply researched the company - they should be familiar with it but it's not very important - they will learn more if they get the job. You need to get an idea of the person, not their research skills (unless you're looking for a researcher !).
Look at what they say when they're NOT singing their own praises - you might be so impressed with their positive outlook, high motivation and great organisational skills that you miss borderline psychotic.
If you're interviewing for someone you will be working with, picking someone you feel comfortable with is NOT inappropriate - it should ensure a smooth working relationship.
Avoid people that speak corporate BS.
Have someone greeting the applicants - they should chat to them, make them a coffee, relax them and show that it's a good place to work. After the interviews, compare notes with the greeter to see if you agree. Some people are different in the formal interview.
Look at what they say when they're NOT singing their own praises - you might be so impressed with their positive outlook, high motivation and great organisational skills that you miss borderline psychotic.
If you're interviewing for someone you will be working with, picking someone you feel comfortable with is NOT inappropriate - it should ensure a smooth working relationship.
Avoid people that speak corporate BS.
Have someone greeting the applicants - they should chat to them, make them a coffee, relax them and show that it's a good place to work. After the interviews, compare notes with the greeter to see if you agree. Some people are different in the formal interview.
A good question that I always like to ask is to "Tell me your three biggest faults or failures that have happened to you, and how you overcame them."
If the person isn't ready for it (and it usually gets them off guard, as one usually wants to praise yourself in an interview, not talk about problems you've had)... It'll show if they can think "on their feet", as well as adapt and overcome obstacles.
FWIW, very few interviewees get through all three (in my experience).
Cheers,
-CM-
If the person isn't ready for it (and it usually gets them off guard, as one usually wants to praise yourself in an interview, not talk about problems you've had)... It'll show if they can think "on their feet", as well as adapt and overcome obstacles.
FWIW, very few interviewees get through all three (in my experience).
Cheers,
-CM-
As a former interviewee, I fucking hate being asked this question. It's been years, and I still can't come up with an answer.
I messed up 'X' and immediately advised my manager and the customer concerned. Having explained the situation to both I corrected the situation by ensuring that I checked at every stage that the correction was effective and kept all parties completely up to date during the process, ensuring a satisfactory resolution.
I took steps to ensure that this could not happen again to either myself or my colleagues. This was a learning experience for me, proved to my manager that I could take responsibility and be trusted to rectify the problem and actually developed the relationship with my customer through honest and transparent communication and being attentive to their needs.
This happened to me. Tweak to suit - you're welcome !
What does thinking on your feet and coming up with elaborate stories on the spot have to do with performing your job? Unless you're interviewing someone to be a talk show host, you're testing a skill that's completely irrelevant for the position at hand.
That's the problem. I've never made a mistake so big that I've bothered to remember it.
Lie about it ! No-one likes a smart arse !
The interviewer has to have something to do that looks professional and insightful whilst they are just deciding if they like you. They've already worked out if you can do the job from your application.
I've done some interviews in the past, but prior to that the applicant's have to pass a test in the application form (there is some lee-way) if they only fail by a couple of points I would no doubt interview them. I then have a guide to interview that they have to pass to be considered for the Job. So it's all scored so it's as far as it can be, If a couple of people pass I might do a second interview just to try and make sure I get the best applicant.
Don't waste your time asking people what their faults are. Why would you purposely give them an opportunity to lie to you. It's not even like this question shows anything, because people are so used to answering this question that they already have their answers well-rehearsed.
No one's going to tell you anything you can really base your decision on:
"I'm always late."
"I call in sick a lot."
"I think my coworkers are assholes."
You'll just get the bullshit:
"I work too much overtime."
"I have problems delegating because I want everything done perfectly. I'd rather just stay as late as necessary to do it all myself."
"I like to be challenged and would prefer to have multiple simultaneous priorities to deal with."
What have you learned? Absolutely nothing.
No one's going to tell you anything you can really base your decision on:
"I'm always late."
"I call in sick a lot."
"I think my coworkers are assholes."
You'll just get the bullshit:
"I work too much overtime."
"I have problems delegating because I want everything done perfectly. I'd rather just stay as late as necessary to do it all myself."
"I like to be challenged and would prefer to have multiple simultaneous priorities to deal with."
What have you learned? Absolutely nothing.
Yet the suits love it...
Thankfully nobody in my line of work wears suits. When I started my current job, I was given a Jagerbomb at 10am and told "Welcome to the family!"
Either a wiseguy, senior stockbroker or comic shop assistant ?
I've always favoured the "What if" questions.
Obviously, no one expects you to know everything as you have not yet been trained in the specific codes of conduct of that particular workplace.
But they're more looking for your ability to assess conflicting obligations and the thought process behind why you may take one course of action over another.
Everyone is going to toot their own horn at the interview. This is closer to directly asking someone how intelligent they are, what their problem-solving skills are like, without giving them as much of an opportunity to straight up lie to you.
Obviously, no one expects you to know everything as you have not yet been trained in the specific codes of conduct of that particular workplace.
But they're more looking for your ability to assess conflicting obligations and the thought process behind why you may take one course of action over another.
Everyone is going to toot their own horn at the interview. This is closer to directly asking someone how intelligent they are, what their problem-solving skills are like, without giving them as much of an opportunity to straight up lie to you.
Thankfully nobody in my line of work wears suits. When I started my current job, I was given a Jagerbomb at 10am and told "Welcome to the family!"
Either a wiseguy, senior stockbroker or comic shop assistant ?
Brewery manager.
I'll be interviewing some people tomorrow as well, except it will be a group interview so I won't be the only one asking questions.
One question that I think is really great to ask in interviews is this:
What do you do in your professional and personal life to relieve stress?
This gives you the opportunity to hear the person talk about their personal life, get a sense for who they are, how they might react to a stressful situation, and what calms them. I think it says a lot about a person.
One question that I think is really great to ask in interviews is this:
What do you do in your professional and personal life to relieve stress?
This gives you the opportunity to hear the person talk about their personal life, get a sense for who they are, how they might react to a stressful situation, and what calms them. I think it says a lot about a person.
I can't stress how important this is. If you are not comfortable talking with them or spending time with them, your working situation will not be real pleasant for either of you and may create stress.
Also, if you will not be the only person working closely with this individual, you should have the other people who will be working closely with them sit in for a few minutes or spend some time talking to them before/after the actual interview.
This would be an excellent role for someone else who would be working with the new hire. If the current employee is not comfortable with them, it could cause problems.
Although it did not happen by design, when I interviewed for my current job this wound up happening. My interview was scheduled for 830 on a Monday. While I was early, the interviewer got caught in traffic do to an accident and wound up being 20 minutes late. So, she called a gentleman who was already doing the job that I was interviewing for and had him come out and talk to me over some coffee. I had a job offer that afternoon from them based partially on what he told her.
When he turned in his resignation a little over a month later, the boss remembered what had happened and had both of us sit in on the interviews that she conducted for his replacement and hired the guy we were most comfortable with.
Another important thing to do is to get them talking about their life outside of work. A person who leads a balanced life will be happier. Happier people tend to perform better. Likewise, a person who is not pursuing other interests is likely to burn out and leave you looking to replace them in a year or two. Ask them what they do to relax or what their hobbies are.
Similar threads
