Killer Interview Questions

Exaggerated qualifications on résumés and overly enthusiastic references are all-too common occurrences when employers are looking for job candidates. Misrepresenting oneself in the interview also comes easily for many candidates. To better position yourself to assess a candidate’s true qualities and skills during the interview, create meaningful questions.

A candidate’s past behavior can predict future success. The key is to focus on four critical areas during the interview. Your goal is to learn what the candidate did, said, thought and felt in the past that matches what you need him or her to do for you.

You get that information by asking simple, direct questions. Don’t get involved in constructing fancy questions about possible situations. Keep focused on what the job involves. You’re interviewing to hear what the candidate has to say about what he or she has personally accomplished.

What the Candidate Did
“Tell me about a time when you…”

This is a great first question. It sets the stage: You’re defining what’s important, and you want to know what the candidate did in a similar situation. For example, if you want to know how the candidate manages difficult customers, you might ask:

“Tell me about a time when you received a big order from a difficult customer.”
Notice you’re not asking what the person would do in this instance. Good interviewees can finesse the “would” questions. It’s harder to finesse reality.
What are you listening for? First, did the candidate ever accomplish a relevant task? If so, what strategy was employed, with whom did the candidate work, or did she act alone; how long did the turnaround take, etc. Make sure you hear “I” statements. You don’t care about what the team did, since you’re not hiring the team — although how a person interacts with a team may be important to you.
What if the candidate never accomplished this? Ask, “Then tell me about a time you didn’t get a big order from a difficult customer.” This question and follow-up still get you to your goal — to learn how she deals with difficult customers.
Don’t be afraid to interrupt if the candidate wanders off track. For example, “You said ‘we’ — what specifically did you do?”

What the Candidate Said
“What did you say to the customer to resolve the situation?”
This gets you deeper into the heart of the situation. Listen for the words and the tone. You want to know how the candidate deals with her customers, how she finesses a problematic issue and how she gets around objections.

Look at the body language. I had a candidate who literally hopped up in her seat telling me about how she convinced her boss to create a new and ultimately successful program.

A good follow-up question would be, “What were some of the specific things you talked about?”

What the Candidate Thought
“What went through your mind [before you contacted the customer, while you were on the phone, while you were in the meeting, while he was being uncooperative]?”
Here’s where you learn about process — how the candidate thinks, how she organizes her pitch and how quick she is on her feet. Again, it’s harder to finesse what you thought in a particular situation if you haven’t experienced it.

What the Candidate Felt
“How did you feel during that experience?”

Why do you care? What does it have to do with the job at your company? The answer tells you how the candidate sees herself in her role. If she’s uncomfortable dealing with a difficult customer, maybe she’s not applying for the right job. If she feels great, then she likes the challenge, likes to win. Then you can consider: If this job doesn’t entail many big wins, is it right for the candidate?

One Last Question

The best all-purpose follow-up question in each category:

“And then what happened?”

Using these simple questions will help you stick to your plan. The person interviewed might show all sorts of great qualities or all sorts of poor ones. You’re only interested in the ones that directly relate to the criteria for which you interviewed. Everything else is just noise that will confuse your decision.