Hiring

Interviewing can be challenging, but here are a few things that will help develop a strategy and improve your chances of a successful hire.

The First-Time Manager by Belker, McCormick and Topchik

• Pay attention to attitude; you can hire someone with all the experience, education, and qualifications, but if the person has a bad attitude, it will bring problems.
• Avoid questions the prospect can't answer, such as: why do you want to work here? What makes you think you're qualified for the job? You must strive to put the prospect at ease, aiming to get to know them better and not create an aggressive tone.
• After an introductory small talk, consider sharing a bit about the organization: "I'd like to tell you about the company. Because we are considering you, you're also considering us, so we want to answer any questions you may have about the company."
• Most people-oriented managers can't help themselves when silence comes; they move in and try to help. It's an act of kindness, but in this case, it interferes with obtaining information.
• Here are some sample questions:
  • What did you like about your last job? If the prospect speaks about challenges, promotions from within, encouragement, and assistance with educational opportunities, these are indicators of someone who has recognized what is valuable in a working environment. On the other hand, if the person speaks about social activities, employees getting Fridays off, or paid vacation in the first year, you may have an applicant looking for a place to socialize, which shouldn't be the main reason for seeking a job.
  • What did you like least about your last job? Suppose the answer involves things such as being required to work overtime occasionally, being asked to come in on Saturday, or having to give up a Sunday to go to a community college to acquire skills that will be helpful on the job (even though the company paid for the fee). In that case, these are not the answers you are looking for.
  • Tell me about your manager. This open-ended question can give much insight; if the prospect speaks ill of their manager, it says more about themselves than the object of scorn. On the other hand, if they state, "We had our differences, but I liked and respected her," it shows a diplomatic description of what may have been a bad situation.
  • How did your last job allow you to grow professionally? This question can show you how they see their work. Someone who states that they did not seek opportunities to grow says they see work more as a job than a career. To be clear, this is not a bad thing, but it is a valuable insight. If they tell you that the lack of opportunities was a significant frustration, you have a different insight into how they see their employment and seek to advance. If they tell you they grew significantly, you can discuss their professional goals.

Leading from Anywhere by David Burkus

• Get a feel for what candidates would be like on a team:
  • What does your ideal team look like? How often do they interact?
  • In what culture do you feel you do your best work?
  • What was it like working on your last team?
  • Have you ever been on a team that just didn't work well? What was it like?
• Compare the answer to how your team would answer; this will help envision how the prospect would work with the team. Some communication style questions:
  • How do you like to keep in touch with team members?
  • What type of communication do you prefer?
  • Tell me about a time a team member misunderstood you. How did you resolve it?
• Another measurement is how independently your prospect can work.
  • Have they ever worked as a freelancer?
  • Have they owned their own business? It's ok if they weren't successful in those endeavors, but the experience likely taught them how to get work done when no one was watching.
• Toward the end, here are some additional questions that can help with self-motivation:
  • How do you organize your day-to-day tasks?
  • How do you stay motivated when working alone?
  • Tell me about a project you took all by yourself. How did it go?
  • How do you limit distractions around you when you work?