I’ve never been a big fan of hypothetical questions in a job interview. Essentially, we’re asking someone to describe how he or she might respond, but the interviewer has no way of knowing if what they hear is the truth. Just because someone knows what they should do, it doesn’t mean that’s what they will do.
We all know people who do well in job interviews because they have the gift of gab. In reality, they could be an average performer, but they sound like a million bucks. These are the people who have great hypothetical answers to hypothetical questions. Maybe it is extreme to call this a scam, but at the end of the day, I believe this is the major cause of poor hiring decisions.
Some of you might be thinking: Is it really that easy to fool the person doing the hiring? Can I really improve my interviewing skills to the point that it will increase the chance of getting hired? The short answer is yes, but there is more to the story.
Large retail stores and fast-food restaurants hire new employees every week, but managers of many other businesses may fill only one or two vacancies a year. Managers who hire so infrequently have little opportunity to develop strong interviewing skills. They keep a list of their favorite 10 interview questions and blow off the dust a day or two before they begin interviewing. It doesn’t mean these managers don’t appreciate the importance of hiring great people, but it is not a task they use often enough to justify the time to hone their skills.
When I conduct a training session I always start by asking managers how much training they have received. My goal is to complement and build upon their existing skills. Do you know what the overwhelming response usually is? They have received little or no interview training. Companies put people into management positions and assume they will pick up the necessary interviewing skills along the way. We typically call this on-the-job training (OJT). The point is that you may be much better prepared than the person doing the interviewing, and you can use this to your advantage.
I frequently ask managers to describe an interview that they feel was successful. Why did it go so well? What made the difference? Your questions? The candidate’s behavior? They often tell me they used the same questions they always use, but the candidate’s answers made everything go smoothly. It didn’t feel contrived; it felt more like a conversation with a good friend.
What we have here is a potential “Aha” moment. Many of the people who conduct interviews do not have the best interviewing skills. They know what a good interview feels like, but they don’t necessarily know how to repeat that feeling every time.
As a job candidate, you have the potential to create a more authentic conversation with the interviewer. This will make you a much more desirable candidate. You can do this with personal stories that demonstrate who you are and how you get things done. Don’t just tell them what you did, you want to engage the interviewer in a conversation and describe how you did it.
When the interviewer asks you, “Tell me about a time …, ” he or she is giving you the opportunity to share a personal story. Your goal should be to engage them in a conversation. You may start with a description of what you have done, but then describe how you did it. What did you learn from the experience and how did it make you feel? Were you proud of what you accomplished? Was there a time when you were frustrated, but you didn’t like the feeling of being defeated, so you tried even harder?
You can control the content and direction of the conversation. The interviewer may not understand how it happened, but it is to your advantage to create a genuine dialogue. All things being equal, it is the connection between you and the interviewer that will move you to the top of the list. It is within your control. You can make it happen!
Bill Kaminski is president of Stone Associates Training. He is an HR consultant with 35 years of experience in the employment field, teaching managers the art of hiring great employees. Bill is also an adjunct instructor at Keuka College. You can contact Bill with questions, suggestions or comments at www.bill@stoneassociatestraining.com.
