Page 38 - Boost Your Hiring

24 Boost Your Hiring IQ

ANSWERS
The Strongest Question
(A) It is difficult for candidates to discuss failure in an interview
when they are trying to sell themselves, but this question is the
strongest because it asks for the positive, not the negative. It
will be confident, assured candidates who can talk about lessons
learned without feeling that they are in hot water when they
answer this question in an interview. Listen carefully and try to
read if the candidate really did learn a significant lesson from
the experience.

The Mediocre Question
(C) This is an okay question because of the tone of the question as
much as the question itself. As the interviewer, you have ad-
mitted that we all make mistakes. The candidate sees that you
understand the situation and trusts you not to be judgmental
about mistakes and as a result may respond more readily.
Candidates’ answers may reveal whether or not they agree
that it’s okay to make mistakes and that life situations happen
to everyone. What you will be listening for is the lessons
learned or the attitude of self-forgiveness instead of self-dep-
recation.

The Weakest Question
(B) This is the weakest question because it doesn’t ask for a specific
example. When you ask, “What would you do if” questions,
you are asking the candidates to make up a story. What you
want is for them to show you proof of their work history.
The answer in this case may reveal as much about the per-
son’s integrity and loyalty as it would about the mistake itself.
Not only must candidates deal with a mistake but also with the
idea that they could get away with something at a cost to
someone else.

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