Page 61 - John Kador - 201 Best Questions to Ask on Your Interview-McGraw-Hill (2002)

THE RULES OF THE GAME

What accomplishments in your career are you most proud of?
or

Can you tell me about your greatest weakness?
Brookshier would be impressed by a candidate who countered with:

What accomplishments in its history is the company most proud of?

or
Can you tell me about the company’s greatest weakness?

THE PREEMPTIVE QUESTION
If you really want to assert yourself and take complete control of the
interview, there is a compelling question that will transform the inter-
view. This question is best used if your interviewer is the actual hiring
manager, or the person with hiring authority. It is less useful with
screeners. The question is:

By what criteria will you select the person for this job?
This marvelous question, recommended by Irv Zuckerman in his book
Hire Power, lets the candidate effectively seize control of the interview
in a way that many interviewers find reassuring. Here’s a typical ex-
change (with comments) between an interviewer and a candidate:
INTERVIEWER: Thank you for coming. Can I get you a cup of coffee?
CANDIDATE: No, thank you. Perhaps later. (Leaving the door open soft-
ens the refusal to accept the interviewer’s hospitality. Avoid anything
that might spill. Also you will need your hands free for taking notes
on the important information you are about to receive.)

INTERVIEWER: Well, then, make yourself comfortable. Can you tell me
about yourself?

CANDIDATE: I’ll be glad to. But first, may I ask a question? (Always ask
permission.)

INTERVIEWER: Of course. (You will never be refused. The interviewer is
now curious about what you are going to ask.)

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