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Rate Your Hiring Skills

Written by: Carole Martin

Article Overview: Take this quick hiring test to see how you do as an interviewer.

Rate Your Hiring Skills

1. “Describe a time when you had to adapt to a new situation.”
What answer actually answers the question? Which answer should you be wary of? Are there any Red Flags?

(A) “I’ve become quite accustomed to new situations in the IT industry. I have been laid off twice in the last five years. In fact, one of the companies closed the doors as we walked out. I’ve had to accept the fact that not all start-up companies are going to make it.”

(B) “My military background has prepared me for this part of any job. When you have been on call day and night and responsible for your unit’s safety you learn to be adaptable and flexible. Being flexible in the service is not only necessary it is mandatory. I bring that same set of skills and sense of urgency to any job. I do whatever it takes to get the job done.”

(C) “I was on call 24/7 one weekend and when the phone rang on Sunday morning I knew there was a problem. Sure enough, there was a main frame that went down. The first thing I did was to cancel my plans for the day. I responded to the call within one hour. I teamed up with three technicians to get the system up and running before morning. We each had a responsibility but worked as a unit. We stayed until 2:00 a.m. When the employees arrived at work that morning no one was aware there had been a problem. We got high kudos for responding so quickly.”

I think the strongest answer is ____


The Strongest Answer
(C) This is the strongest answer because it answers the question with a specific example of adapting to a situation. As the interviewer you can hear how flexible this candidate is when she describes canceling plans and getting to the scene within an hour. This answer also shows how well this person works with others. This person’s willingness to stay until 2:00 a.m. should convince you that this person is dedicated to getting the job done.

The Mediocre Answer
(B) While this is a good example it is a mediocre answer because it does not give an example of a specific time. You get a sense of the adaptability of this person and that they have experienced responding to new and unexpected situations but you will need to hear a specific example to ensure that this is not talk with no action. In other words, is this a tale instead of an example?

The Weakest Answer
(A) This answer doesn’t show how this person adapted to something that was within his control. It is not a bad answer because there was adapting to a new job when he was laid off, but he did not adapt to a situation where his actions would have made a difference.
This answer is more about accepting and moving on than it is adapting. Anyone can get laid off and adapt to not getting a paycheck, but what they did to take control of a situation is more important.

You will need to probe for more information about how this person adapted to the new situation. A red flag to watch for is not so much that this person is being laid off, but the decisions he has been making about the companies he has chosen. Did he do research before he accepted the job? Would he have accepted the job if he had known the facts he needed to know about the company? You will want to find out if this person thrives on or if he has just had a run of bad luck. In other words, how long is he going to stick around?

(this is from the book – our format is different)
If you chose answer (C), give yourself 5 points
If you chose answer (B), give yourself 3 points
If you chose answer (A), give yourself 0 points ________


2. Learning about potential problems that could affect performance.

Select the strongest question—the one that will provide you with
the most information.

(A) Is there any reason that you will not be able to perform the duties
of the job with reasonable accommodation?

(B) Did you get any negative feedback from your last job?

(C) Do you have any health problems that would keep you from
doing the job?

I think the strongest question is ______

ANSWERS
The Strongest Question

(A) This is the best way to ask this question. You are treading on
sensitive ground when you begin to ask about limits or disabilities.
Be sure to ask the question so that it is not discriminatory
against people with disabilities.
The term “reasonable accommodation,” is somewhat vague.
Be aware that this question has the possibility of eventually
coming back to haunt you if the candidate feels that you discriminated
against him or her.

The Mediocre Question
(B) This question is just average because it is not specific enough
to garner any information that might be helpful. A stronger
way to ask this question would be, “Tell me about a comment
on your last performance appraisal, or from your boss, that indicated
you needed to improve in some area of your performance.”

The Weakest Question
(C) This question is not only weak, but it is illegal to ask. The
Americans with Disabilities Act states that you cannot ask
questions regarding health unless health is relevant to the requirements
of the job and the duties that will to be performed.
You can ask if there are any reasons the candidate cannot perform
the duties of the job with reasonable accommodation.


RATE YOURSELF
If you chose question (A), give yourself 5 points.
If you chose question (B), give yourself 3 points.
If you chose question r (C), give yourself 0 points. _____



3. Ascertaining the candidate’s communication skills.
Select the strongest question – the one that will reap the most information.
(A) “Rate your communication skills. Are they excellent, above Average, or average?”
(B) “What percentage of your current job requires good communication skills?”
(C) “How would your coworkers describe your communication skills?”

I think the strongest answer is ______


The Strongest Question
(C) This is not only the strongest question but it is also an excellent way to test how the candidate rates his or her skills through the lens of a group of peers. Speaking through others’ words is much easier for the candidate and in-turn he or she may be able to speak more freely.

The Mediocre Question
(B) This is an OK question, particularly because it has two-parts. The first part of the question – the percentage - could be answered with one word. When you add the probe, “Give me an example,” the question now asks for specific information that will be more revealing.

The Weakest Question
(A) With a question like this one, you will not gather any valuable information. It is unlikely that anyone is going to rate themselves “average” during the interview, even if they are. The candidate is there to impress and sell you. What decent sales person would ever say that his or her product was average?

You can strengthen this question by asking a follow up question such as:
• “Give me an example of a typical day using your communication skills.”
• “When have your communication skills been challenged?
• What types of communication are you responsible for in your current job?


If you chose answer (C), give yourself 5 points
If you chose answer (B), give yourself 3 points
If you chose answer (A), give yourself 0 points _______


4. Can you give me an example of a time when you were working on a project that required sustained and persistent effort?”

What answer actually answers the question? Which answer should you be wary of? Are there any Red Flags?

(A) “I have handled all assignments with the same amount of effort. I do whatever it takes to get the job done. If I haven’t been able to get my job done during the day I will stay late to complete whatever it is that didn’t get accomplished. I pride myself on getting the job done whatever it takes.”

(B) “The assignment that comes to mind is when I had a deadline to meet that would take three days to complete and I only had two days. What I did was to prioritize and delegate to other team members what I could. After that I worked steadily by blocking off hours to work on nothing but the project. At the same time I still had to get my regular work done. I put in a lot of extra hours but for the most part, planning and prioritizing ahead made a huge difference and I got the job done on time.”

(C) “I think the most sustained and persistent effort that I ever made was when I established a database for my last company. It was tedious work and I had to work continuously or I would lose the momentum of getting the task done. I am pretty good at concentrating when I have to. I got through the project and did a good job but I was glad to be over with that tedious task.”

I think the strongest answer is ______



nswers

The Strongest Answer
(B) This is the strongest answer for several reasons. First the candidate listened to the question and answered what was asked: “Of all the assignments you’ve had which required…?” The candidate also showed key qualities of planning, team work, and prioritizing. And, the candidate displayed an attitude of being willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done, as well as the ability to do it in a smart manner.

The Mediocre Answer
(A) Although the question didn’t really get a specific answer this is an ok answer because the candidate shares good information and the answer has the right energy behind it. The phrase, “I always do whatever it takes to get the job done” would require some probing to get to a specific example of the behavior. If the candidate cannot give a specific example perhaps the words are empty and claim something that may not be quite true.

The Weakest Answer
(C) This answer is weak for a couple of reasons. First, it shows that the candidate lacks confidence through the use of words such as: “pretty good.” They're either good, or not good. It also has the tone of someone who had to make a real effort to get through a tedious task. Depending on the job that this person is interviewing for, you will have to determine whether he or she will burn out from the types of tasks they will perform in this position. The answer will require further probing to find out if this is a pattern of behavior or just boredom with this particular task.

4. Describe a time when you had to make an unpopular decision.

Which response actually answers the question? Which answer
should you be wary of? Are there any red flags?

(A) “In my job as a project manager I worked with a team of technicians,
and it was my task to find cost-cutting measures. This
included laying off personnel. I labored over my decision to
make sure that I was being objective. I analyzed each person
and his or her role in the project. In the end I was asked to cut
staff by 20 percent. I prepared my list based on my careful
planning. I was the one who had to tell each person the job was
being cut. I felt I had treated the situation as fairly as I could,
but I must admit it was a very tough task to announce the layoffs
to my staff.”

(B) “There was a time when I decided to hire an external candidate
for a job that several internal candidates had applied for. Many
people were upset with my decision and let me know about it.
In fact, one person actually was upset enough to go to human
resources and claim that she was discriminated against. I defended
my decision to people who complained and tried to justify
my decision. I had to do what I felt was in the best interest
of the department. I felt like I had picked an excellent candidate
and stood by my decision.”

(C) “Sometimes a manager has to make unpopular decisions.
That’s what we get paid to do—to think outside the box and
make decisions. I’ve made some difficult decisions over my career,
and some were the right decisions and some the wrong
decisions. If I think something is wrong, I will let you know
about it. I’m not a person who lets things pile up. I try to act on
the problem as soon after it happened as possible.

ANSWERS

The Strongest Answer
(A) This is a great example of a time when a tough decision had to
be made. As the interviewer you can hear that although telling
people that their jobs were over was not pleasant, it was dealt
with objectively. The tone of the answer indicates that this was
done in a very careful and caring manner. It also shows careful
preparation with the planning of the task. This answer also
demonstrates strength in the ability to do whatever it takes to
get the job done.

The Mediocre Answer
(B) This answer does not give any specifics about the candidate
herself. She made the decision, but you as the interviewer do
not know why she made the decision or what criteria she used
to justify not hiring the internal candidates. You know that one
person went to HR to complain, and you know that people
were upset with her, but you don’t know much more than that.
You will need to find out more information by probing.

The Weakest Answer
(C) This is the weakest answer because it does not answer the question.
It starts out with a statement and then carries that statement
through the answer. A red flag is the statement, “some
were the wrong decisions.” If you hear an answer like this,
probe further to find out if the wrong decisions were well
thought out or made in the spur of the moment.


5. Rating someone’s problem solving skills.
Select the strongest question – the one that will reap the most information.

(A) “What approach or steps do you take when faced with a problem?”

(B) “How much analysis of problems did you do in your last position?”

(C) “Was there a time when you identified a significant problem in your past job?”


I think the strongest answer is ______


The Strongest Question
(C) This is the strongest question because it requests a specific time or incident when a problem occurred. There is always the chance that the candidate might give a “Yes,” or “No” answer. If the answer to this question happens to be “No,” then you could move to the next question asking the candidate about the steps he would take if he had to handle a problem.

The Mediocre Question
(A) This is an ok question because it is a situational question. These are the questions where you ask, “What would you do ‘if’…?

The answer to this question reveals more about the way the candidate thinks through a process rather than what he or she has had experience with in the past. Listen to the answer to determine if he or she uses a systematic or a random way of thinking through problems.

The Weakest Question
(B) The answer you’ll get to this question will be too broad and not specific enough to make a hiring decision. Anytime there is a problem that is to be solved the person must first think through the problem. Listen for the thinking process and determine whether this candidate is just answering the question or if the answer deals with the problem solving process.



If you chose answer (C), give yourself 5 points
If you chose answer (B), give yourself 3 points
If you chose answer (A), give yourself 0 points ________

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Article Tags: answer c, doors, interviewer, job, kudos, main frame, military background, new situation, red flags, sense of urgency, sunday morning, willingness



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