“What can you call your pinnacle?” “What’s the thin line between humility and arrogance?” “How do you see yourself in ten years?” “How many hats can you wear all at once?” Here are some of the most intimidating interview questions I came across with. I seriously don't know what this has to do with finding the right candidate, and until now, I still don't. While the talent acquisition team may find these ‘flabbergasting’ questions a good way to find a top candidates, think again.
You are giving the candidates a chance to manipulate answers that will later put your business at stake. A staggering rate of 58% American employers stated that they caught a lie from an applicant resume. The dirty work can be pretty tough to handle if you are rooting for the best. 57% of these applicants have fabricated their skillsets even within the interview (Poll, 2014). The bottom line?
Why Do Applicants Lie
Well, think of it like this - they want a job that pays incredibly well. The only way to get that? Is to make a shiny first impression. The questions “Why should we hire you?”, “What can bring to the table?”, “What is your competitive edge?” are never reliable. Instead, why don't you ask your applicants these: 1. Can you tell me more about your experience related to the role? 2. What's the biggest problem you encountered and what did you do to solve it? 3. If I were to contact your previous boss, what do you think would he tell me about you?
What You Shouldn't Ask
Brain-teaser questions “If you can be a bird, what species would you be?” “If you were to be stuck in an island, name that person you want to be stranded with.” I'm pretty sure how much you abhor these questions. And no, it's not about how good your candidates are in metaphors. There's no way this question reveals how the candidate understand the inductive-deductive approach. They are wanting to be a part of your company, not some impromptu speech competition. Google Executive Laszlo Bock told ABC News that these questions “don’t predict anything” and “only gives the interviewee the feeling of being smart”. Generic "sell yourself" questions “Why should we hire you?” “What makes you a cut above the rest?” Well, aren't you tired of asking the same questions and hearing the same answers all over and over again? I sure am. Your applicant might pre-rehearse their answers (I've met quite a few who have memorized their responses). These questions are very predictable and gives you nothing but bluff. If your applicant would respond in a very verbose way, you might think they know a lot. If they respond with highfalutin vocabularies, subconsciously, you think of them as persuasive communicators. These are all quantitative skills that you can find. Your goal is to find someone that can embody the role, not tell you how they are going to handle it.
What Should You Ask?
As per the Small Business Optimism Index, 52% of the small businesses sector experience the big scarcity in qualified candidates. The reason? They only base the hiring decision from the results of the interview. Recruiters claim that there has been a huge scarcity for qualified people climbing to 65%. You might be thinking, "what are the questions that I can ask to weed out these people?"
The answer is – dont ask, but test.
- Give them a short scenario and ask about their insights Evaluate on how they present their points and how they express their perspective. Remember, the goal is to find a problem solver. Not someone that keeps making hypotheses.
- Let them read a case study Present them some of the most uncommon workplace problems and ask them how to deal with it. Do a roleplay as if it's a real situation.
- Do a mock test Let them finish a task they claim to know and put them under time constraint. There's no better way to see how they organize things under pressure and how well they handle stress.
- Ask for an on-the-spot background check. Tell them "I'm thinking of calling any of your work references right now. What do you think will they tell me?'' Test their reaction. Observe their body language and how will they justify if it's not the right time to call their listed reference.
The Shocking Truth Behind the Recruitment Pitfalls 72% of employers are not satisfied with the workforce performance within the operations. The interview process is an age-old way of screening candidates.
In fact, the candidate's work ethics and interpersonal skills won't be observable unless you hire them for a trial.
Even when you are hiring remotely, you can test their skills and work ethics quickly and easily by letting them use communication, project management and employee monitoring software.
Better yet, stop basing everything on what is written within the applicants' resume. Do extensive research on their previous jobs, their career path and even their university. Turn tables, not truths.
