Some Thought Provoking Interview Questions

How do I choose the right person for the job?

This is the bottom line question for any manager who needs to fill a position. Up until recently, it seemed that the candidates abilities, rather than their specific experience, was the most important factor in determining who would get the job.

But things have changed – companies no longer want people who can think, who can be trained to do the job. They want someone who already has the skills developed so they can “hit the ground running” and not have to worry about the “learning curve.

I believe this is a very narrow, very short sighted view. People are not robots, and trying to run a company like your employees just some combination of skills does not show you value them or their contribution. Hiring someone should not be like ordering off the dollar menu at the local fast food place.

Employees, and candidates for employment, are human beings, complete with emotions, feelings, and blemishes. No one is perfect, and no one should expect perfection from anyone else. A business, no matter how large, is a community of people, full of hopes, dreams, imperfections, and perspective.

When looking for a new employee, the minimum skills should obviously be there, especially in technical areas. But more importantly, the new hire must fit in with the culture and mission of the organization. Which means, as someone who is involved in the process of hiring, the manager of that person should be in touch with that culture as well – and his boss – and his boss – all the way to the top.

Culture, in any business or community, cannot be dictated. It must grow organically from the members. The culture should, for the most part, reflect the personality and goals of the founders of the company. In today’s overly litigious society, that can be overshadowed by an over abundance of policies, and so those policies really need to be thought out (and not just tossed together by some lawyers and bureaucrats.

So, where is all this heading?

Every business has a mission, and all businesses need to make a profit in order to survive; but it is the mission and goal of the company that determines the quality of the people that will want to be part of the organization. Every employee should be well aware of what the company stands for, what is trying to accomplish, and this should be obvious within its culture. With this in mind, not only should every new employee be asked the following questions, but everyone in the organization should as well. The leaders should both answer for themselves, and the company.

TWO QUESTIONS

We all have needs – in some circles of psychology, these needs are expressed as the “four basic needs” – safety, variety, respect, and relationships. When these needs are met, the fifth need, “life’s purpose”, can be achieved.

So how does this fit into an interview?

An organization has similar needs. And, just as in human beings, one or two will be more important than the others. If your organizational mission, as determined by it’s founders and leaders, is one that values “safety” and “relationship” highly, then so should it’s employees. The founders and, by extension, the organization will have a driving force behind them that determines which of those needs are most valued. And, also by extension, those driving forces and needs will be influenced by how the founders and leaders see the world.

And so, we come to it – the two questions that can help to ensure that the person you are hiring is the right one. If their answers are similar to the answers given by the founders and leaders, which are hopefully similar to the majority of the employees, then you have a very power basis on which to make your selection, even if the skill set and experience are not a complete match.

THE QUESTIONS

What Drives You?

What is Life About?

Simple questions, but very powerful. In the answers, a knowledgeable manager or HR professional can determine the important needs of the candidate and whether they will be fulfilled by the organization. Hiring an employee should be a win-win for both the candidate and the company – this is one way of finding out whether each will be happy with the other.