The face-to-face interview with a prospective
candidate is the most important component of the employment process.
Explore, clarify, and confirm are three
important objectives that drive my preparation for the face-to-face
interview.
In the Topgrading© system that I
have adapted for retained search, the face-to-face interview lasts about 3.5 to
4 hours and covers the entire range of Topgrading©
competencies: intellectual, personal,
interpersonal, management, leadership, and motivational. This interview includes 30 minutes in which
we video tape the candidate answering select questions that are
particularly relevant to the position for which we are recruiting. This video will be edited down to about a 15-minute
summary that will be shown to the client as part of the candidate analysis
presentation.
You may not be interviewing the next CEO of a
health system or the Senior Vice President of Operations and three to four
hours may not be practical. However, if you are planning to make a mission-critical hiring decision
based on a 30-minute interview, you are playing the employment equivalent of
Russian roulette.
Regardless of who is conducting the primary
face-to-face interview, the CEO or the department hiring authority, the
most important aspect of the recruitment, aside from having a panel of
qualified candidates, is to be prepared. Effective interviews do not happen by
accident. Do your homework.
In addition to doing your homework – a characteristic
of a best-in-class recruiting system at each step of the process – you should develop
an interviewing strategy. Whether it is
a team or panel interview, or whether three or four people spend an hour or so
with the candidate one-on-one, your strategy should focus on identifying the
critical questions covering the aforementioned competencies, especially as they
relate to relevant experience, style, presence, personality, chemistry, etc. You should be trying to confirm that what you have
learned, or has been learned by others, from the resume review, the telephone interview and
any personal or behavior and values assessments. At JohnGSelf Associates, we use DiSC© and employ a Certified Behavioral Analyst who has also talked with the candidate
and filed comments and suggestions for the face-to-face interview.
Here are some suggestions to consider. Remember, this critical session with the candidate is an interview for exploration, confirmation, clarification.
There Is A Reason Good Candidates Are Good. At this stage of the interview process you should be talking to the best of the best. Most are adept at anticipating and communicating. Good candidates sense a pattern in the interview questions and they can anticipate what you are looking for and how you will react to a question. A wise client once remarked: “Be sure the person we interview is going to be the same person who shows up for work!” Good candidates are competitive, not dishonest. If they want the job, they will work hard in the interview. You have to work equally hard to be sure that the candidate you are interviewing can deliver the value and results you require.
HINT:
Always insert a pattern-breaking question to disrupt the flow. An example: What could you stop doing in your daily routine that would help you become a more productive and effective leader?Most, after recovering, will talk about not being a slave to email, or being more careful with the administration of their “open door policy.” However, for an important moment or two, you have broken the rhythm of the interview and forced to the candidate to get back on their toes.
Admitting the Bad Things. Candidates, just like the organizations that are recruiting them, are loathe to reveal their negatives. Candidates, exactly like the organizations that are recruiting them, have weaknesses and quirks. Far too often both sides go to great lengths to enhance their favorables and downplay their negatives.
HINT:
I like to offset this with a series of what are called truth serum questions. For example: When we talk to your references, what will they tell us about your strengths? Or, if I talked to several of your former assistants and direct reports, how would they respond if we share with them what you list as your strengths? There is always a moment when the candidate, who is aware of our detailed background checks -- something that we remind them of throughout the process -- is not sure who we will talk to.Consistency Is Important. Consistency is a key attribute in leadership. Inconsistent executives and managers can wreak havoc on an organization.
HINT:
To measure a candidate’s consistency, I will “revisit” a candidate’s earlier comments with the same questions reframed. Very few interviewers can wing this. You must give careful thought to developing a sequence of questions on various issues. For example, one of the questions that seems to throw otherwise good candidates into a spin and prompt a less than a stellar answer is:Tell me what your weaknesses? Candidates just cannot seem to help themselves. Frankly, the “I work too much” common response just does not work for me. I usually resist the temptation to editorialize and wait for an opportune time to raise the issue again with a reframed question: When I talk with your supervisors and subordinates, how will they describe your weaknesses? Or, Earlier we discussed your approach to communicating with your team and key stakeholders. When we talk to the people you worked with in the past, what will they tell us about your style and your effectiveness as a good communicator?I have seen search consultants and clients interview candidates and take not one note. I am not sure how they plan to remember what the candidate said and how they said it when reconstructing the interview, but I suspect if there is an interview feedback form – and there most assuredly should be – I am not sure it will be that beneficial.
Most recruiters, especially those working in an internal recruiting department, say they do not have the time for such in-depth interviews, or such a thorough process. Perhaps their management and executive turnover rate is much better than the national average -- 40 percent of all externally recruited candidates leave or are forced out or quit within 18 months, according to several studies.
Remember, effective interviews do not happen. Given the astronomical cost of a mis-hire, preparation seems like a small price to pay.
© 2010 John Gregory. Self
Seed Newsvine
That type of situation has happened to every recruiter who has practiced for any length of time. In our case, the Face-to-Face interview normally lasts between 3.5 to 4 hours. If we "missed it" that badly on the telephone interview, we would devote an appropriate amount of time for the person but not the entire period. We would conduct a video interview. That would document the situation. We would be careful not to discriminate, or exhibit any behavior that might lead to a claim under ADA. That also protects the organization's recruiting brand.
I will be happy to chat with you about assessment tools. Contact my directly.
Posted by: John Self | July 08, 2010 at 12:34 PM
John,
How should we handle a situation where the person who shows up for the interview doesn't come across as the as the one who we conducted a phone interview with. The candidate who showed up was very quiet and reserved and during the course of the onsite interview, informed us he used an amplification devise during the phone interview. While the candidate had the knowledge for the position, the candidate didn't have the demeanor we were looking for to hold the high level position. Should we just cut off the interview and thank them for their time, or continue the interview? We want to be respectful of their time, but also those conducing the interviews.
Posted by: Josh | July 08, 2010 at 12:09 PM
John,
Would you be willing to share some tools with those who read your blog? Providing an example of an interview feedback form would be helpful.
Josh
Posted by: Josh | July 08, 2010 at 12:02 PM