| Powerful questions to get below the surface | | | | 7. Avoid hypothetical questions |
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| 1. Ask for specific "stories" of complete | | | | "If you were promoted, what would be your |
| situations | | | | first action?" |
| | | | |
| "We all meet situations where people disagree | | | | Hypothetical questions invite hypothetical |
| on the correct way to proceed. Can you give | | | | answers. They're worthless. |
| me an instance from your own experience where | | | | |
| it was up to you to deal with this kind of | | | | I once sat in on an interview when the |
| disagreement? Perhaps a time when you had to | | | | interviewer combined a hypothetical question |
| lead a team to find an answer everyone could | | | | with an attempt at pop psychology -- and got |
| rally behind?" | | | | more than he bargained for! |
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| 2. Build on answers with specific questions | | | | "If I were to ask you," he said, "What would |
| on "how?" and "why?"a) "What exactly | | | | you say was the most vivid memory you retain |
| convinced you to chose this career path?"b) | | | | from childhood?" |
| When the candidate has answered:"Exactly why | | | | |
| were you convinced?"c) Finally: "Why has this | | | | The candidate paused, then said: 'Sitting |
| proved to be the right path?" | | | | naked in the bath with my sister." |
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| If you must ask multiple questions, make sure | | | | The interviewer nearly fell off his chair. |
| each part builds extends the previous one in | | | | |
| a single direction. It's better to stick to | | | | "What did you learn?" I asked him afterwards. |
| simple questions if you can. In interviewing, | | | | |
| less is more. | | | | "Heaven knows!" he said. |
| | | | |
| 3. Stick with actual happenings | | | | I'd learned the candidate was cleverer than |
| | | | the interviewer and had a wicked sense of |
| General, non-specific answers let people talk | | | | humor. |
| about what they wished they had done, not | | | | |
| what actually happened.a) "Please tell me | | | | 8. Never ask leading (or rhetorical) |
| about a specific situation where you were | | | | questions |
| able to show your ability to cope with a | | | | |
| tough deadline. How did you handle it?"b) | | | | Leading questions assume an answer. |
| "What did it teach you?" | | | | Rhetorical questions are statements dressed |
| | | | up as questions. |
| Abstractions are easy to handle...and fake. | | | | |
| Talk is cheap. Stick to verifiable actions, | | | | "When did you stop abusing your spouse?" is |
| not intentions. | | | | the classic example of a leading question. |
| | | | Try to answer it and you agree with the |
| 4. Put an unexpected "spin" on a questiona) | | | | assumption that you're abusive. Translated |
| "Has it become easier or harder to plan a | | | | into working life, you get questions like: |
| marketing campaign over the time you've been | | | | "When did you first discover you need help |
| doing that kind of work?"b) "Why is this?" | | | | with creating budgets?" |
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| Look for evidence of how the person reasons | | | | An example of a rhetorical question is: "Of |
| and learns from experience. How long he or | | | | course, I'm sure you'll agree that labor |
| she has worked in a specific field can be | | | | relations are best handled with firmness, |
| learned from their file. What matters is what | | | | wouldn't you?" |
| those years have taught them. That's what | | | | |
| they'll carry into their next job. | | | | 9. Take your time |
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| 5. Ask for comparisons | | | | Complex question need to be split into |
| | | | natural parts and asked in a logical |
| "How does leading your present team compare | | | | sequence. Lead the candidate where you want |
| with the first group you ever had to lead?" | | | | him or her to go. Don't overwhelm the person |
| | | | with a mass of questions asked all together. |
| Comparisons bring out how someone thinks and | | | | |
| uses past experience. | | | | 10. Avoid questions that invite simple |
| | | | answers |
| 6. Mix statements with questions | | | | |
| | | | "How much do you want this job?" ("Very |
| "I find it tough to convince people to change | | | | much.") |
| when they're comfortable with the status quo. | | | | |
| It puzzles me how to do this well." | | | | "Do you have experience in financial |
| | | | controls?" ("Yes.") |
| Make an interesting statement, pause and wait | | | | |
| for a comment. We do this all the time in | | | | That kind of closed question stops progress |
| informal conversations. It's a natural | | | | and leads nowhere. |
| invitation to the other person to add their | | | | |
| ideas. Too many questions, one after another, | | | | Follow these simple steps and your interviews |
| sound like an interrogation. | | | | will be more productive and easier on you and |
| | | | the candidate. |