Page 167 - Boost Your Hiring

The Surefire Way to Boost Your Score 153

The interviewer began to see a pattern of someone who quits when
the going gets tough. Because this position required someone to rise
above adversity, there was a concern that Michael would not be able to
hang in when things were tense or stressful.

Listening is one of the most important skills that an interviewer can
develop. Listening and looking for certain words or patterns will weed
out the poor candidates and assist you in finding the candidates who are
a good fit for your job.
The most convincing answers to your questions will be those that are
examples of past experiences. When you can get specific examples of
performance in similar situations, you will be able to compare whether
this person can do the job. Remember, if this person did it before, he or
she can do it again.
These examples include any results they’ve achieved as well as fail-
ures. It is not the example itself that will tell the story, but the skills and
traits you will hear about as you listen to the story.
Train yourself to note certain qualities you hear as the example or
story is being presented. Some examples of skills or traits that you could
hear in a story are, “took the initiative,” “good interpersonal skills,” “a
team player—good people interaction ,” “good problem-solving skills.”
When listening to specific examples, keep in mind that you are listen-
ing for comparisons with the job that you have open so that you will be
able to determine whether this person has the skills and experiences
necessary to perform in your position.

Consensus/Comparison Rating
The rating system you use will depend on the circumstances and number
of people who will be interviewing the candidate. If you are the only per-
son doing the interviewing, the decision of whom to hire rests with your
rating system alone.
When you have multiple interviewers, there will be multiple opinions.
Because each person will have his or her own agenda, there is bound to be
differences as to whether this is the right person for the job or not. By
using an objective rating system, you can take some of the subjectivity
out of the process and resolve some of the disagreements that can occur
when a candidate is being rated.
There will most likely be built-in prejudices and doubts based on past
experiences on the part of some of the team members. If you are the ap-
pointed coordinator, listen and hear each person out. One way to make