The Interview
The chances for success when you are not prepared and ready to interview increase by a mere 2% when compared to just flipping a coin!
We want to increase our chances so there are clear choices, not last-minute changes. The solution is basic and fundamental – preparation.
Make sure you allow enough time for the interview. How much time do you expect your sales team to spend with a homeowner on an appointment?
Consider who will be conducting or sitting in on the interview. It is ideal and certainly our recommendation, to interview your candidates more than once. You can interview them at different times of the day with different people and see if you all reach the same conclusion. Additionally, the more often a candidate comes back in for an interview, the more relaxed they become and the more their true colors come out. It is impossible for one person to catch everything about a candidate, so use multiple interviews to gain as much information from a number of different perspectives within your company. For the first interview, it is ideal to have the direct manager the new hire will be reporting to present and asking the questions.
For follow-up interviews, it then makes sense to bring in other managers or the owner to get other opinions. If you choose to interview in tandem with other team members, be sure you have a plan on who will do what and spend some time coaching your team on what’s important and what you are looking for.
Interview Make sure your house is in order. Your office should be organized and clean, or a conference room should be reserved for the interview. Be sure to set aside enough time for the interview. Turn off your cell phone, or better yet, leave it in a different room altogether.
Notify your team that you are interviewing and that you cannot be interrupted during the interview. You will want to be able to give the candidate your undivided attention for the duration of the interview. Can you imagine the impression it gives a candidate if you have employees busting in the door during the interview to alert you of a situation or crisis? Or, if you are taking calls or checking emails on your phone during the interview? It doesn’t make you look busy and important. No, it makes you look disorganized and disrespectful.
Who would want to work for that? If you are asking the candidate to put their best foot forward, remember that you also need to put your best foot forward. Great candidates will have their pick of the litter in terms of where they choose to work. Another important part of preparing for the interview is determining what questions you will ask.
More often than not, when a manager is asked if they use a pre-determined set of questions during an interview, we find that they do not. “I like to get a gut feel.” I’m good at reading people.” Really? How’s it working out for you?
If you don’t have a pre-determined set of questions that you ask every candidate who applies for a particular position, how can you possibly compare apples to apples? You can’t.
Many of us are used to asking what we’ll call “traditional” or “softball” interview questions. These are questions like;
- “Tell me about yourself”
- “What are your biggest strengths?”
- “What are your biggest weaknesses?”
- “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”
Sound familiar? Sure, because as managers, those are the types of questions we have been trained to ask.
Here’s the bad news: those are also the same questions that people looking for jobs have been trained to answer. So, it is easy to see why we are concerned about people being “professional interviewers,” Smart candidates are expecting these questions and usually have some canned responses ready. It is near impossible to get to the heart of who a person REALLY is with these types of questions.
What they are not expecting, however, are behavior-based questions. The principle behind behavior-based questions is that past behavior is the best and most accurate predictor of future behavior.
Instead of asking candidates a hypothetical question, such as “what would you do in this situation”, ask them exactly how they handled a similar situation in the past. If you were to ask a smart candidate a hypothetical question such as “Tell me what you would do if you saw another employee stealing company property?”, you would most likely get a response such as, “Well, strong ethics and integrity are something that are core to my beliefs, so I would definitely turn them in.” You may be thinking, “Wow, great answer! When can you start?” BUT if you made that question behavior-based and instead asked, “Tell me about a time when you witnessed another employee engaging in unethical behavior. What did you do about it?” You will most likely first get a stunned look, then a pause while they think, then a response (good or bad) about how they actually handled that situation.
Another key when preparing your interview questions is to be sure they are specific to the job. This again goes back to the job description. You are not looking for the same attributes in a call center employee as you are in a salesperson, so why would you ask them the same questions? Under the “Knowledge, Skills and Abilities” section of the job description, there is a list of key talents/traits. These are the traits that you want to create your questions around.
For example, “influence or persuasion” may be a key trait of a salesperson but not of a customer service representative, so be sure to customize the questions per position.
A note of warning: The first few times you ask these types of questions, it will feel awkward for you. Don’t give up! This is where careful preparation will help you, and the more you do it, the easier it will become.
Here’s what’s important: studies show that while traditional interviews have a 14% predictability of success on the job, behavior-based interviews increase that by over 1000%! WOW!
A final step in preparing for the interview is to review the resume of the candidate who is coming in. Were there red flags on the resume that you wanted to clarify in the interview? Did you have specific questions about their work history that you wanted to get additional information on? Remember, although you want to ask each candidate the same set of questions so that you are able to compare apples to apples, it doesn’t mean you can’t probe further with different candidates on different questions about how the information on their resume may or may not make them a qualified candidate for your open position. And, as a side benefit, the candidate will feel valued and important if they realize that you have read their resume and were prepared for the interview.
Assuming the candidate arrives for the interview on time, you should also be available and ready to start the interview on time. Make the candidate feel valuable and important. If it turns out you want to offer them a position later, the fact that you made them feel valued will increase their probability of saying ‘yes’!
Try and break the ice a little bit by asking if he/she found your location ok, chatting about the weather, the local sports team, or whatever. Consider offering them something to drink as well. A relaxed candidate is often an honest candidate.
Once the candidate is ushered into the interview room, start with an introductory statement. Thank them for taking the time to submit their resume and coming in for the interview. Just like a salesperson will set the agenda for a homeowner when running a lead, you should set the agenda for the interview. Let the candidate know that you will be asking them a series of questions to see how their skills and experiences match the requirements of the position, Indicate that you will be taking notes so that you can recall the conversation later. And finally, let them know that you also want to give them time to find out more information about the company and position and to find out the answers to any questions they may have.
Explain that this is a big decision for both of you, and you want them to feel comfortable and have open communication so that you can really get to know each other. After all, you will be spending a lot of time together if the position is offered to the candidate. Let them know it is vital to get everything on the table now because you don’t want to ask the candidate to do a job they only partially want to do and you want to set them up for success. You need to know that the candidate is able to perform the duties of this job, such as be available to travel, work weekends, nights, be on-call based on weather, etc. This way, the company will operate better and both parties will be clear and happy.
Then, start the interview. The first question on the interview guide is the same for every position, and the purpose is to serve as an icebreaker Ask, “Why don’t you start out by telling me which duties you enjoy most and which duties you enjoy least in your current position and why,” Be sure to jot down any key points as the candidate is responding. Then move on to the behavior-based questions that are specific to the position on the next several pages of the interview guide. Remember, the candidate will not be used to answering these types of questions – they were prepared with answers to those “softball” interview questions we talked about. So, here’s what you can expect:
Responses that are not very specific. The candidate is probably not trying to be elusive, they may just not know what it is you expect, so help them. If the answer isn’t very specific, ask them to get more detailed and paint a picture for you of the event or situation. The problem is, sometimes we may think we are getting a detailed response when we really are not. For example, you may ask a question such as, “Tell me about a time when encountered a problem at work. How did you handle it?”
The candidate, who will not be used to answering these types of questions, may respond with, “Oh, it is part of my job to handle problems, almost on a daily basis in fact. I take time to analyze the problem, do some research, then I come up with possible solutions and present them to my boss.”
You may be drooling at this point thinking, “What a great answer!” But again, ask for more details and specifics – “That’s great, Sally But can you give me an example of a specific problem you encountered and what you specifically did to overcome it?”
Answers to the types of questions you are asking should most likely take some thought and time in order for the candidate to reach back into the recesses of their mind, and recall a situation from their work history that illustrates the situation/question you are asking.
It is VERY common for lengthy pauses to occur after you ask the question and before the candidate responds. DO NOT interrupt them! They are thinking, so do not interrupt the thought process. DO NOT let them off the hook. Silence is uncomfortable for many people, and often 30 seconds of silence can feel like 5 minutes. You may be tempted to reword the question to give them a little push in a certain direction or say, “That’s ok, we’ll move on to another question.” Wait it out!
Questions that the candidate simply cannot answer. Based on their work experiences, you may occasionally have a candidate who does not have a specific example to illustrate a situation and therefore cannot answer the question. There are a few ways to handle this. First, ask them if there’s an example they can think of from a personal situation, say from school (if they are fresh out of school), committees they have served on, church groups, etc. If they still cannot come up with an example, tell them you’ll come back to the question later in the interview. They may be unable to answer the question simply because of nerves. If you come back to it and they still cannot answer the question, choose a different question to ask from that section of the interview guide.
Three questions are listed under each section/trait; consider asking two from each section and saving the third for these situations. If this scenario happens once in the interview, there is no reason for concern. If, however, the candidate consistently is unable to answer the questions, it may indicate they either don’t have the experiences to draw from (which means they may be unqualified for the position) or they are unable to think well on their feet.
If your candidates consistently cannot answer the questions, then perhaps it is time to revisit your job posting and evaluate the caliber of candidates you are recruiting.
The entire hiring process is all about continually narrowing down the list. By the time you get to the follow-up interviews, you will most likely be bringing in only 2-3 people. Or, it may be that you are only bringing one person back for a follow-up interview, and that is completely fine. Sometimes managers feel like they need to bring in more than one so they have a number to choose from.
Don’t bring in extra candidates for a follow-up interview just for the sake of having extra candidates. It’ll be a complete waste of time for you, other managers you get involved in the process, and those extra candidates!
Whereas the first interview should give the manager an indication of job fit, you can use second and third interviews to get others’ opinions of a fit into your culture. Follow-up interviews don’t need to be quite as intense or lengthy as first interviews, but they may be depending on how the conversation flows. Follow-up interviews should be conducted by other managers or the owner, with or without the direct manager present. Or, you can have multiple managers or employees interview in tandem. Just be sure they understand how to interview and what it is you are looking for.
Another consideration is to hold your follow-up interviews at different times of the day If the first interview was in the morning, consider holding your second interview in the afternoon. This will give you a good feel for their energy level at different times of the day
Background Checks.
There are a variety of background checks you can run on a candidate, some more valuable than others. At a minimum, it is strongly recommended that you perform a “Driver’s History” A Driver’s History is mandatory for DOT drivers and recommended for anyone who may be operating a company vehicle. If possible, it is best to try and run this check after the job offer is made and accepted, but before the new hire begins their employment with you. You will want to consider running this check annually on your employees as well. Another common check in our industry is a “Criminal History” check, as many of our employees are working in others’ homes. If something shows up on the check, consider the severity of the issue, whether or not it relates to the employee’s job, and how much time as passed since the crime was committed. Again, it’s all about gathering as much information as possible on your potential new hire.
Reference Checks. There are two schools of thought on reference checks. One camp thinks they are worthless because anyone who a candidate would choose as a reference would give a shining review. The other camp thinks they are valuable and should be performed each time. Whichever side you land on, the key here is to be consistent. If you are going to check references, then check them,. . Every single time. If you don’t believe in them, then don’t ever do it.
More and more, former employers are rarely able to give out information about a candidate due to liability issues. Often times, you can get confirmation that the employee worked there and dates of their employment, and that’s it, However, it may still be worth a try If you want to go this route, try this strategy and see what happens: Ask the candidate to call their previous employer, and ask that employer to speak openly about them to you. “Could you arrange to contact Mr./ Mrs. X and set up a time that we could speak?” Their reaction can give you interesting insight.
Use structured behavior-based interview questions with all candidates
Can you honestly say you are prepared for the interview?
Isn’t this process important enough that you should be?
Don’t underestimate the power of follow-up interviews. Get others involved. Interview at different times of the day. Compare notes. It is well worth the time and effort!
Be aware of what you witnessed. Was it enthusiasm or desperation? Assign more homework!
SALES MANAGER
CANDIDATE :
DATE:/ /
INTERVIEWER :
- Explain what is going to happen during the interview.
- Find out how the candidate’s experience and education fit the requirements of the job.
- Find out how he/she has acted in past work situations.
- Give him/her an opportunity to find out more about the job.
- Ask him/her to be as specific as he/she can in answering the questions.
- Explain that you will be taking notes so you can recall the conversation.
Ratings:
3 = Excellent Match
2 = Good Match
1 = Marginal Match
0 = No Match
Results:
Developing Others Leading Others ____________
Personal Accountability Customer Focus ____________
Accountability for Others Interpersonal Skills ____________
Resiliency ____________
ICEBREAKER: Why don’t you start out by telling me what duties you enjoyed most and which you enjoyed least in your current (or previous) position?
Duties Enjoyed Most
Why?
DEVELOPING OTHERS (The ability to contribute to the growth and development of others.)
- What is the difference between training and coaching? Which are you better at doing? Give an example that illustrates your strength.
- Difference
- Preference
- Example
- How would you go about identifying and developing a training plan to improve someone’s performance? Give a recent example of how well it has worked for you.
- Approach
- Example
- Give me an example of a time when you delegated a project to someone for the purpose of developing that individual. How did you stay in the loop? How successful were they?
- Example
- How Monitored
- Outcome
LEADING OTHERS RATING (The ability to organize and motivate people to accomplish goals while creating a sense of order and direction.)
- What do you believe are the attributes of an effective leader? Give examples of how you’ve demonstrated those attributes. Where would you like to grow?
- Attributes
- Examples
- Growth Areas
- How do you keep subordinates and team members informed about the information that affects their jobs? Give a recent example.
- Approach
- Example
- Give an example of a time in which you felt you were able to build motivation in your co-workers or subordinates at work. What skills did you use?
- Example
- Skills
PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY RATING (A measure of the capacity to be answerable for personal actions.)
- Tell me about a time when it was necessary to admit to others that you had made a mistake. How did you handle it?
- Situation
- Action
- Give me an example of a lesson you have learned from making a mistake. What did you do differently going forward?
- Mistake
- Lesson Learned
- Do Differently
- Describe a situation when you demonstrated initiative and took action without waiting to be told what to do. What was the outcome?
- Situation
- Action Taken
- Outcome
CUSTOMER FOCUS RATING (A commitment to customer satisfaction.)
- Tell me about a situation where you were able to anticipate a customer’s needs before the customer even brought up what they wanted.
- Situation
- Action
- Describe a situation where you went over and above what was expected to exceed a customer’s expectations. How did you feel about that? How comfortable would you feel about doing that regularly?
- Situation
- How I Felt
- Do It Again
- Tell me about a time when you handled a customer complaint effectively.
- Situation/Complaint
- Action
- Result
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR OTHERS RATING (The ability to take responsibility for others’ actions.)
- How do you go about establishing performance standards for others? Give me an example of specific standards you set for others and how you kept track of performance.
- Approach
- Example
- Describe a sensitive issue you have dealt with in correcting a subordinate. What made it so sensitive? What factors did you have to consider when dealing with it?
- Sensitive Issue
- Factors
- Considered Outcome
- Describe a time when it was necessary to discipline or take punitive action with an employee. How did it work out? Did you do anything differently the next time you faced a similar problem?
- Example
- Outcome
- Lesson Learned
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS RATING (The ability to interact with others in a positive manner)
- What is the most stressful or difficult situation where you had to maintain your composure at work? What did you do to maintain the composure? If you had it to do over, what would you do the same or differently?
- Situation
- Approach
- Lesson Learned
- What is your single biggest communication strength? How do you know? What has been your greatest business success acquired as a result of this strength?
- Strength
- Success Acquired
- Give me a specific example of a situation where you had to develop a productive relationship with someone whose point of view was different from your won. How did you go about sustaining the relationship?
- Situation
- How Sustained
RESILIENCY RATING (The ability to quickly recover from adversity.)
- Tell me about a specific setback you faced at work. How long did it take you to get past it?
- Setback
- Getting Past It
- Describe a time when you received negative feedback from your manager. Did you feel it was accurate or warranted? What actions did you take as a result of receiving the feedback?
- Feedback
- How to Felt Action
- Give me an example of a time when you had an idea and had to abandon it. How did you recover?
- Idea
- Why Abandon
- Recovery
MISCELLANEOUS
- We’re almost finished now. Is there anything else you would like to say to convince us that you would be the best candidate for this position?
- Tell me what you know about our company.
- Now, can I answer any questions you might have about the job or company?
INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR SALESPERSON
CANDIDATE :
DATE:/ /
INTERVIEWER :
- Explain what is going to happen during the interview.
- Find out how the candidate’s experience and education fit the requirements of the job.
- Find out how he/she has acted in past work situations.
- Give him/her an opportunity to find out more about the job.
- Ask him/her to be as specific as he/she can in answering the questions.
- Explain that you will be taking notes so you can recall the conversation.
Ratings:
3 = Excellent Match
2 = Good Match
1 = Marginal Match
0 = No Match
Results:
Customer Focus __________
Resiliency __________
Diplomacy & Tact Goal Achievement __________
Duties Enjoyed Least __________
Why? __________
CUSTOMER FOCUS RATING (A commitment to customer satisfaction.)
- Tell me about a situation where you were able to anticipate a customer’s needs before the customer even brought up what they wanted.
- Situation
- Action
- Describe a situation where you went over and above what was expected to exceed a customer’s expectations. How did you feel about that? How comfortable would you feel about doing that regularly?
- Situation
- How I Felt
- Do It Again
- Tell me about a time when you handled a customer complaint effectively.
- Situation/Complaint
- Action
- Result
RESILIENCY RATING (The ability to quickly recover from adversity.)
- Tell me about a specific setback you faced at work. How long did it take you to get past it?
- Setback
- Getting Past It
- Describe a time when you received negative feedback from your manager. Did you feel it was accurate or warranted? What actions did you take as a result of receiving the feedback?
- Feedback
- How to Felt Action
- Give me an example of a time when you had an idea and had to abandon it. How did you recover?
- Idea
- Why Abandon
- Recovery
DIPLOMACY & TACT RATING (The ability to treat others fairly, regardless of personal biases or beliefs.)
- Give me an example of a time when you felt irritated or frustrated when dealing with a customer. How did you handle the situation? What was the result?
- Example
- How Handled
- Result
- Give me an example of a time when you had to respond to a customer who was becoming demanding beyond an acceptable level? How did you handle it? What was the outcome?
- Example
- How Handled
- Result
- Tell me about a time when you receive negative feedback from a customer about you personally. How did you feel? How did you handle it?
- Feedback
- How Felt
- How Handled
GOAL ACHIEVEMENT RATING (The overall ability to set, pursue and attain achievable goals, regardless of obstacles or circumstances.)
- Share with me 3 goals you have previously set for yourself in your career. How many have you accomplished? What have been the reasons for your successful completion of them? How about those you have not completed?
- Goals
- Accomplished
- Reasons
- Give me an example of a time when you really procrastinated before getting started on something. How did you get started? Did you complete that goal or project?
- Example
- Getting Started
- Complete
- Give me an example of a time when you were really able to focus your efforts on a single goal. How were you able to do that?
- Example
- How
PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY RATING (A measure of the capacity to be answerable for personal actions.)
- Tell me about a time when it was necessary to admit to others that you had made a mistake. How did you handle it?
- Situation
- Action
- Give me an example of a lesson you have learned from making a mistake. What did you do differently going forward?
- Mistake
- Lesson Learned
- Do Differently
- Describe a situation when you demonstrated initiative and took action without waiting to be told what to do. What was the outcome?
- Situation
- Action Taken
- Outcome
CONTINUOUS LEARNING RATING (The ability to take personal responsibility and action toward learning and implementing new ideas, methods, and technologies.)
- Tell me about the last book you read or the seminar you attended. What was it? What were the two important ideas you have learned? How did you put these things into practice?
- Book/Seminar
- Two Ideas
- Application
- Describe for me how you have invested in your own professional growth in the last 12 months.
- Situations
- How do you do things differently than you did 5 years ago? Give me specific examples.
- Do Differently
- Examples
MISCELLANEOUS
- We’re almost finished now. Is there anything else you would like to say to convince us that you would be the best candidate for this position?
- Tell me what you know about our company.
- Now, can I answer any questions you might have about the job or company?
