subject: Successful Interviewing in 3 Questions [print this page] Successful Interviewing in 3 Questions Successful Interviewing in 3 Questions
The HR Director of a large finance institution recently explained to me how the company was losing people in alarming numbers. The average length of employee service had reduced to less than two years.When she was asked what the cost of such a high rate of turnover was to the business, she shook her head. She explained that the hidden cost was very high; much higher than the senior executives ever realised.Survey after survey has highlighted the challenge of finding and retaining good people and yet so few managers are really skilled in the 'art' of interviewing.It's true that most people understand the difference between an open and a closed question, but for many that's where it stops and so the wrong candidates get hired for the wrong job and go on to underperform and often leave within a short while, prompting the need to go through the process one more time.So, how can we ensure that we successfully hire the right people? The answer is to be able to answer 'yes' to the 3 key questions of successful interviewing:1. Can this person do the job? 2. Will this person do the job? 3. Will this person fit into the way that the team/organisation works together?The first question is aimed at the candidate's qualifications, skills and experience. How close do they match the requirements of the role they have applied for? As a manager I recruited many people into the various teams I worked in.I would argue that every single candidate I hired were capable of doing the job. I checked their certificates, whether a school certification or a diploma from their college or university. I asked them to explain or demonstrate their level of skill or competence in the relevant area.I checked on their degree of experience performing the role I was looking to fill. In addition to this, I asked all the usual bland questions about their career goals and aspirations. I thought that I had ticked every box known to man, but still I have to admit that I made many mistakes in my recruitment decisions.I hired people who could do the job, but who after being hired - or immediately after their probationary period had ended successfully to be more precise - did not do the job. It taught me a huge lesson: can do and will do are very different things.This is why it is crucial to address the second question of the candidate's willingness, not just their ability - to perform the role once they have been offered the position.To do this, the interviewer needs to probe into the candidate's attitude and motivation by asking behavioural and situational questions, questions that probe deeper and that draw out their behavioural patterns.The first 2 questions are questions of eligibility. If their qualifications, skills, experience and motivation make them eligible to do the job the third question addresses their suitability.I have lost count of the number of people I have hired who were eligible to do the job but who sadly, and often expensively, unsuitable. They did not fit into the culture of the team or organisation.Again, to answer this question the interviewer must probe to find out about the person's character and style to assess whether there is a cultural fit.My personal best in this area was a young woman that I hired who lasted two days before walking out because she clearly did not fit into the team. The rest of the team were also pleased as she had managed to upset most of them in her all too long brief stay.In summary, successful recruitment requires the interviewer to go beyond the usual "where do you see yourself in x years?" type of question and to ensure they can answer yes to the 3 key questions of successful interviewing.
