#TalentAttraction #Tuesday – 8 Ways To Structure Interview Questions

By RecruiterGuy | July 7, 2020

How important is it to Train Managers on how to effectively interview? If a Hiring Manager has not been trained to effectively interview, they certainly have not been trained on how to select the best-qualified candidate.

This week, we discuss the 8 different ways to structure interview questions. *Do not write questions and candidate responses on the candidate’s resume. If for some reason, the candidate sues because they felt discriminated against, that resume may be requested for evidence. Create your interview questions and their responses on a sheet that you may shred after you selected the top candidate, they accepted your offer, and they started.

Remaining on the legal questions – you may only ask questions that pertain to their professional performance. You may not ask personal questions about children, spouses or not, religion, vacations, hobbies, etc.

Behavioral Interview Questions

Many companies teach their managers how to create behavioral interview questions. As a response, career coaches train their job seekers on how to respond to behavioral interview questions.

Some companies simply hand the hiring manager a list of behavioral questions and tell the manager to ask them. The problem with this practice is the questions are general and may not even apply to this open position.

May I suggest we start at the beginning?

What is the premise of behavioral interviewing?

Humans are wonderfully predictive. Once we find a way to successfully handle a situation, we will try our solution every time we run across a similar challenge. Therefore, companies try to determine a situation the new employee will face and then create a question that reflects that situation and ask the candidate a question to attempt to predict their response. Behavioral questions, structured well, may help managers determine if a candidate is a cultural fit.

Interestingly, the FBI does have a Behavioral Analysis Unit in Quantico, VA where they analyze a criminal’s actions; and, attempt to create a profile for local law enforcement and their agents. Have you ever watched “Criminal Minds” television show? While the show seems a little far-fetched, the practice works in the workplace.

Let us say you are interviewing a customer service representative. My sense is you would potentially have a customer who would not be satisfied until they spoke with a manager. You may structure a question like this one – “Have you ever experienced a call from an unhappy client who would only be satisfied when he spoke with a manager. How have you handled a similar situation in the past?” Sometimes, the candidate dances around the question and says they never faced that situation. If that happens, put them back on the spot by asking, “Interesting…how would you handle that situation?”

The Specific Response Question

This type of question is sometimes referred to as the One Step question. The manager is attempting to elicit a specific response from the candidate. This type of question may be utilized for many purposes. For instance, if a manager is attempting to understand why a candidate wants to leave a company that apparently treated them well, the question may be, “It appears your company has treated you well with solid training and promotions, why would you want to leave now?”

The reason to ask that question is to develop a sense if the person is only interested in an offer from your company to extract a counteroffer from their current company. If that is the feeling, not they are committed to leaving, train your manager to ask a follow-up question, “If your company extends you a counteroffer, will you accept it?” Amazing how many people say, “Yes”. At that moment, I tell them our interview is concluded. Why spend your time with a candidate who does not want to start?

Question With Probe Built In

This question is structured to receive an initial response. Then immediately follow-up with the second probing question. For instance, in almost all of my professional screens, I ask this question – “Have you ever found yourself in a situation where a force beyond your control put you behind schedule? If so…where you able to get back on schedule and how?” This is a great question that gives me a strong foundation to drill down on their experience. It also gives me some interesting stories that speak to the candidate’s resilience.

When Silence Tells You Everything

This method of asking a question is actually a follow-up to a behavioral question. While the candidate is responding to your question, smile warmly and nod your head up and down. This gives them confidence that you agree. Then when they feel they answered the question, keep smiling and nodding your head. Now begin to move your hand and arm in a circular motion, as to say “Please continue” without speaking a word to them. Initially, they will look a little confused. Then, you will receive information they had not planned to give you (up until now, you thought I was a nice guy!). The hiring manager needs to practice this response – and have the confidence to wait until the candidate begins to speak again. Humans despise silence. When I am silent during a speech to make a point, some audience members begin to cough, laugh nervously, or make other noises when the silence begins to bother them.

Compare or Contrast Roles

If you listen to candidates, truly listen, many times they will indicate whether or not they fit your culture while they respond to your questions. Compare or Contrast Roles may give you a distinct impression of their preferences, where they may fit, and if this specific position is right for both parties.

For instance, if you ask, “Please contrast your role at ABC Company with your role at CDE Company.” Wait for their response and make notes. Then ask, “What did you like at each company?” Then ask, “What did you not like at each company?” Their responses, if you listen carefully, should tell you what type of company or management they prefer. Listen for inconsistencies of thought – and then ask for clarification. This practice makes it difficult for people to skate through your interviews – And you develop the information you need to make a decision.

Example From Interviewer Experience

Structuring a question here allows you to discuss a situation that made you uncomfortable. Then you ask the candidate how they would handle a similar situation. The candidate is not expecting their interviewer to turn the story on them. Therefore, they tend to be a little off-balance when you return the question to their experience. Best to use some experience that the candidate may face in your company. Their response may give you a sense of their fit in your organization.

Echo Part of the Candidate’s Response

Generally, this technique of eliciting information from a candidate is used when the manager asks “Why do you want to leave your position now?” The candidate replies, for example, “I do not feel there is an opportunity for growth.” The echo could be “An opportunity for growth?” This helps you gather more information about the candidate and their feelings. The information they give you in this question will help you close the candidate at offer time. (Did I forget to mention that you are in a sales process?)

Yes or No Expected Response

People continually amaze me. As humans, we are so creative! One of my clients had positions where laborers may have to drive company vehicles. Would you not agree that asking, “Do you have a current Utah drivers license that is clean?” should be a simple response – “yes or no.” If the response is “Yes But,” that is not a good sign for the balance of their response…”I received a ticket last week for going through a Stop sign without stopping.” Your license is Not clean! “But I haven’t been to court yet…” And we were doing so well up until then…sigh.

Purpose of Interviewing

As managers, we are attempting to find the best talent we can afford to move our organization forward. Structuring your interview based on the skills, attributes, and required experience for success in the first year will determine your success leading the organization.

If you are a hiring manager for a professional position in your organization, do you feel a 30-minute conversation will help you determine the best fit? Almost all of my phone screens for my clients last an hour.

These are two more bonus questions to ask:

When we discuss your skills and experience with your references, what will they say? Generally, candidates give you everything they hope you will hear.
When we discuss your skills and experience with your references relative to this position, where will they suggest you need to improve? Most candidates tend to attempt to dance around this question. Then you add, “Would it not be better to hear it from you first?” (I Really AM a nice guy! Maybe not so much when I represent my clients…)

Prepare your interview questions in advance of your candidate interview. Develop a cadence that makes them comfortable and then change your cadence to a more introspective cadence. This practice assists you in effectively interviewing candidates.

The RecruiterGuy.com Talent Attraction business model is my differentiator. I focus on one client at a time and charge a flat monthly fee. This model enables me to attract new talent to your organization while identifying and suggesting improvements to your company’s Talent Attraction process, including Manager Interview Training. https://recruiterguy.com/

Learn how I coach my Career Transition Clients in my most recent book – Employee 5.0: Secrets Of A Successful Job Search In The New World Order http://amzn.to/2D9w39f My book includes an appendix with sample interview questions.

I help organizations Recruit, Onboard, Actuate, and Retain Top Talent.

See you on Tuesdays!

Bill Humbert is available for Speaking, Talent Attraction Consulting, and Training contracts.

Bill@RecruiterGuy.com 435-714-4425

https://www.espeakers.com/marketplace/speaker/profile/23767/Bill-Humbert

USA 01-435-714-4425 Bill@RecruiterGuy.com

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