Page 36 - Boost Your Hiring

22 Boost Your Hiring IQ

ANSWERS
The Strongest Question
(A) This question will evoke a variety of answers—and for that
reason it is the strongest.The greatest reward is sometimes the
process of overcoming the problem and not the problem itself.
Listen carefully to see what kind of determination this person
demonstrates, especially after facing a problem. Listen to what
he or she learned from the situation. You are seeking an an-
swer that will show assertiveness and willpower, especially
after facing adversity.

The Mediocre Question
(B) This is another “spin me a tale” question. It is a good question
because it asks for some introspection and about lessons
learned, but it’s weak because it doesn’t ask for specifics. You
should listen to the tone of this answer and then for the atti-
tude when the answer is given. Is it upbeat and positive or re-
gretful and angry? You could probe deeper for more
information about the lesson learned and how the lesson
learned might be applied to the position you’re seeking to fill.

The Weakest Question
(C) This is the weakest question because it is too broad and can be
answered with a simple yes or no/ If the candidate does not ex-
pand on his or her answer, then it will be your job to probe
deeper to find out about the particular event or events that led
to a missed deadline. You will also want to find out if this was
an isolated incident or something that happens often or peri-
odically.
A stronger way to ask this question would be to ask, “Could
you tell me about an incident that involved missing a dead-
line?” Now you have asked for a specific example of an inci-
dent involving a missed deadline.

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