About two thousand years ago, the officials of the Han dynasty tried to make a science of the hiring process by creating a long and detailed job description and rigorous tests for civil servants. Archaeological records show that those same officials were frustrated by the results of their efforts; few new hires worked out as well as expected. Experience and studies have shown what the Han officials discovered in 200 BC: it is impossible to turn hiring into a science.

Hiring and retaining talent is improved by how we approach interviews. Here are five steps that should be part of every interview.

1. The key is structure. A structured interview is the most reliable technique for predicting performance and for communicating expected performance. This requires having well prepared questions developed from the Performance Profile we discussed in a previous email (click here to view it).  The interviewer must be extremely familiar with the performances and measurements that are required in the position. From these required performances and measurements, questions can then be posed to the candidate regarding relevant prior experiences. The questions should be posed to truly understand the candidate’s actual role and the significance of the performance. A rule of thumb for preparation is 2 to 1; if you expect a structured interview to last 2 hours you will need to spend 4 hours preparing for the interview.

2. Determine competencies. Listen closely to the candidate’s descriptions of prior performances. You should be listening to the candidate 80% of the time and only interjecting to pose additional questions. Your questions should be structured around a SOAR format; the Situation or Opportunity, the Action taken, and the Results. To determine problem solving competency, ask questions such as, “what were the 2 or 3 biggest challenges you faced on the project, tell me step-by-step how you handled the biggest one.” Questioning like this will reveal if the candidate has exhibited all the critical competencies.

3. Determining a cultural fit. Beyond the tangible performances and competencies are the intangible issues of cultural fit and emotional intelligence. Cultural fit is even more critical to an employee’s success within an organization than education, experience, skills or intellect. There is an old saying: You hire for experience and skill and fire for personality and attitude.
   
   During the candidate’s SOAR description of prior performances, interject with questions; “how did your boss manage you on this project?” “Is this how you like to be managed?” Or, “describe the recognition you received.” Avoid asking direct questions; “describe the environment and culture of your previous employer” and “what did you like best and least?”  More often than not the response will be a rehearsed answer.

4. Consistency. The entire interview team must be on the same page. Whether a group interview or single interviews, everyone, regardless of position, must know and agree to the relevant factors in ranking candidates. Of course everyone should have the Performance Profile and an understanding of the position’s required competencies. Assign interviewers a sub-set of the competency model and require them to provide detailed evidence to support their assessment. Review the interview results in a group setting with the hiring manager and senior people, making their comments last. Also start off with the positives rather than the negatives to increase group objectivity.

5. Don’t sell; at this point, be a buyer. You can’t convince a top quality candidate that your position is the best among competing offers if the interviewers oversell and under-listen. The key to recruiting top quality talent is to over-buy and under-talk. This means you need to get candidates to talk more by asking in-depth, tough, and challenging questions. Describe the challenges in the position and get the candidate to describe relevant performances. The more you put the candidate in the selling position the more the candidate will describe prior performances in detail.

Learn how Zenzola Group can help you effectively source out the best candidates for your executive positions.