But They Looked So Good in the Interview
By Herbert M. Greenberg, Ph.D., Founder and CEO, Caliper
How often, after hiring someone who does not work out, have you asked yourself: “How did this happen when he looked so good in the interview?” While interviews can provide valuable input into the hiring process, they often confuse as much as clarify.
Part of the problem is the inherent limitation of interviews.
Instead of lending insight, interviews can often become a form of theater in which all of the actors are tripping over one another, trying to put their best feet forward. The employers are busy attempting to leave a favorable impression of themselves and their companies, while the applicants are trying to mold themselves into whatever they perceive is desired.
Meanwhile, it must be kept in mind that any bookstore worth its salt has a shelf full of guides for playing this game to the hilt. And anyone serious about applying for a job has read at least one of these guides.
So, job interviews are replete with people trying to leave the best first impression. The result, all too often, is what we call “Interview Stars” — those individuals whose best performance occurs during the interview.
These Interview Stars are able to convey a favorable first impression, but it wears thin very quickly. The difficulty employers encounter is delving below the surface to get a clear understanding of an individual’s true motivations.
A first step is to conduct a personality assessment, which can provide insights into an individual’s strengths, limitations, and motivations. For example, a comprehensive, in-depth personality test can provide insights into whether someone is assertive, confident, and a self-starter. It can also tell you if the individual you’re considering has the relationship-building skills, problem-solving capabilities, and work ethic necessary for success in your organization.
As one client puts it, “Personality testing gives me a six-month head start in really knowing who I’m hiring.”
A second step, and equally important, is to compile a list of the key attributes that are going to be required for the individual to succeed in the job and to work effectively with his manager. For instance, for a sales position, persuasiveness, service orientation, independence, reasoning ability, empathy, and the ability to bounce back from rejection are increasingly important as customers seek quality.
Then you need some questions that will help you determine the extent to which each applicant possess these traits and can effectively make use of them in the job at hand.
For instance, when trying to determine if an individual is confident and assertive, ask him to tell you about an individual who can influence him. Ask the individual to tell you about a time when he had to go against the rules. Ask him what the best suggestion he ever made was. Then listen. As the story unfolds, you learn much more about the individual — rather than simply reviewing a resume as is so often what happens in interviews.
In assessing an individual’s problem-solving and decision-making abilities, ask, “If you could change a policy at your present company, what would it be?” Ask the person what are the easiest kinds of decisions to make? What are the hardest? Then, again, listen.
And there are many other questions to pursue to help assess an individual’s level of independence, initiative, sales skills, caution, energy, leadership, organizational ability, communication skills, ability to follow directions, and service orientation.
These questions can be windows into an individual’s personality. Coupled with the findings from a valid personality test, they can provide you with an accurate read on an individual's motivations — before you bring that person on board.
First and foremost, you need to know the qualities you are looking for in a particular position. Then, through valid personality testing and comprehensive interviewing, you will be able to delve below the surface and get a clear understanding of an individual’s strengths, limitations, and motivations. The key to a successful job interview is to determine if the person is just looking for a job — not that there is anything wrong with that. But see if the job candidate really loves doing the work involved in the position. All of our studies have shown that no one can reach the top of his game unless he absolutely loves what he is doing.
About this Blog
This blog is created by NAW and its partner Caliper, an international management consulting firm that offers a wide range of personnel services to wholesale distribution companies.
