Page 98 - Boost Your Hiring

84 Boost Your Hiring IQ

ANSWERS
The Strongest Answer
(B) This answer provides a solid example of a project that was suc-
cessful and collaborative. The candidate follows the pattern of
telling what the situation was and what his role in the project
was. He then takes you, the interviewer, through the steps to
move the project from inception to completion.
This answer reveals other skill sets this candidate possesses,
such as communications skills, an ability to use research and
resources from experts, coordinating the information, and
bringing the project together.

The Mediocre Answer
(A) There is a problem with the story in this answer. It’s a success
story of a team pulling together to solve a problem; the only
thing wrong with the story is that the candidate is missing.
The candidate uses the pronoun “we” six times but does not
explain her role in the project. You will have to probe to find
out the candidate’s particular role in the project and how much
she contributed to its success. Follow up with: “When you say
‘we,’ whom exactly are you referring to?”

The Weakest Answer
(C) This is the weakest answer because you know more about the
product rollout at the end of the answer than you do about the
candidate. This is a common problem among candidates. They
tend to focus on the project itself rather than what part they
played in it. Even if the candidate worked with a team, you
need to know what role he played. You will have to probe to
find out just who was making the decisions and how this af-
fected the candidate.

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