Page 88 - Boost Your Hiring

74 Boost Your Hiring IQ

ANSWERS
The Strongest Answer
(C) This is the best answer for many reasons. It gives a specific ex-
ample of a time when the candidate actually took initiative and
follows the structure to allow you as the interviewer to see the
action taken to complete the task. The ending of this example
is especially impressive because the candidate not only was re-
warded for his initiative, but he determined that the process
will save time and money. Wouldn’t you want to hear more
from this person to find out what other time- and money-sav-
ing ideas he had initiated?

The Mediocre Answer
(A) This is a mediocre answer not because of the content,but because
it leaves you with unanswered questions.There is no doubt that
there was a quick decision made and an initiative taken,but what
happened in between is somewhat of a mystery. Quick thinking
and judgment are skills that any job would require. However,
you will have to probe deeper to peel away the layers to under-
stand this example and uncover more necessary details about
what happened.

The Weakest Answer
(B) Thisanswerreallymissesthemarkasfarasinitiatinganactionis
concerned.In fact,this answer is so vague that it is difficult to see
what the person was trying to accomplish other than follow her
plan. In fact, the answer gives very little information other than
sharing that the candidate is a planner and likes to have things
follow a plan. This could be a red flag, showing that this person
may lack flexibility and not be able to shift gears when things go
wrong. You will need to probe to find out what the action of
“stopping all activities” would cost in the way of time and staff
and whether there were other, less drastic steps that could have
been taken.

RATE YOURSELF
If you chose answer (C), give yourself 5 points.
If you chose answer (A), give yourself 3 points.

If you chose answer (B), give yourself 0 points. ______