Review by
Richard SumrallBook LookWhy are so few managers
consistently successful in hiring the best employees for their business? In
his new book, "The Manager's Book of Questions," business consultant and
author John Kador answers, "The primary reason why many managers mismanage
the selection process is that they almost always approach the hiring and
interview process informally. … The net result of this approach is that they
make unreliable decisions, resulting in the wrong candidate being selected
for the job at hand." To avoid this informal approach Kador's book describes
a three-step process to effective interview techniques: job interview
questions by category, sample interview scripts and other crucial interview
topics and questions.
Job interview questions by category
According to Kador, job interviewing involves a mix of seven basic kinds
of questions. The icebreaker and background questions usually relax the
candidate, make them feel comfortable in talking about themselves and give
the interviewer the chance to find out about their experience.
Behavioral questions are different from background questions; these
questions allow the interviewer to move from a resume-driven conversation to
a question-and-answer session that can help predict future performance in a
given position. A good example would be, "Tell me about the time you had to
implement an unpopular decision."
Questions that determine a candidate's "fitness" refer to the
interviewer's need to determine if the candidate can integrate into a
company's existing culture. This line of questioning usually addresses the
subjects of craftsmanship, commitment to quality, fitness within the
corporate culture, a passion for work, personality and the ability to accept
constructive criticism.
Every interviewer has specifically developed questions for a given job
opening. These core competency questions reveal a candidate's skill,
expertise and ability to achieve the goals and objectives required in that
position. Competencies can be measured at the individual, managerial,
analytical and motivational levels.
One aspect of the behavioral question approach involves ethics. Ethics
questions can sometimes draw out a candidate's fundamental expression of
behavior. According to Kador, ethics questions "allow an interviewer to
consider the sophistication of the candidates as they articulate thorny
issues around ethics and the role of leaders in shaping ethical behavior."
Although brainteasers and business problems are sometimes stressful to a
candidate, their value lies in determining how well someone can think on
their feet in an analytical and logical fashion. Two important
considerations to remember: (1) Sometimes these scenarios have no right or
wrong answer; and (2) interviewers should select teasers or problems that
are relevant to the job and the candidate's experience.
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Normally an interview ends with the question, "Do you have any
questions for me/us?" It may be surprising to learn that managers
and recruiters find the biggest mistakes made by interview
candidates is not poor performance, concerns over money or
tardiness; it's the failure to ask any questions. Some good closing
questions for an interviewer might include, "Is there any question I
should have asked you but did not?" or "Based on what we have
discussed, how do you feel about this job?"
Sample interview scripts
One of the most interesting sections of this book is the 40
sample interview scripts. There are numerous scripts that follow the
aforementioned job interview question categories, and they can help
any interviewer conduct a revealing and successful interview. Kador
has devised scripts for virtually every position within a company,
including entry, general, administration and management, finances,
supervision, sales and marketing, customer services, project
management, human resources, information technology, and education
and training.
Other crucial interview topics
In today's society it is essential that employers understand the
difference between questions that are acceptable and unacceptable.
If an interviewer is unsure if a question may be discriminatory or
unacceptable, Kador offers these suggestions: Make certain that all
of the questions are job-related; ask questions that speak directly
to business necessity; and avoid questions that cannot be legally
used. He also includes a very informative list of sample acceptable
and unacceptable questions related to the topics of marital status,
pregnancy and children, citizenship, age, disability, arrests, and
religion.
Another subject that will surface during the interview is money
or compensation. This always presents a paradox -- employees are
trying to determine how much they will have to pay and candidates
are trying to determine how much they can get. Companies need to
know a candidate's salary requirements so as to avoid such questions
as, "What is the minimum salary you will accept?" Kador has
developed 52 different questions that aid interviewers in obtaining
this information in a more amiable and professional manner.
"The Manager's Book of Questions" is an excellent guide for
anyone who is responsible for the interviewing and hiring for their
company or organization. The book "supplies all the interview
questions you need -- in an easy-to-follow format that helps you
break the ice and reveal the real person behind the resume." This
book is recommended to managers, administrators, human resource
officers and anyone involved in the hiring process of their
business.
[Text from file received
from Richard Sumrall,
Lincoln Public Library District]
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