Get the Info You Need In the Job Interview
Feb. 5, 2003 -- There's a reason Ingrid Bergman doesn't leave town in the opening five minutes of Casablanca: good storytelling takes time.
You'll never win an Oscar or earn DVD residuals for doing it, but do everyone a favor and "direct" the interview so that candidates can really shine: Let them tell their story.
And when you direct, remember that Ingrid is almost silent in the final scene. That's because great lines ("We'll always have Paris," "Here's looking at you, kid") need a receptive audience. Listen to what they have to say.
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Set the Stage:
Thank the candidate for coming. Introduce yourself. Briefly explain your role in the organization. (Even if you already explained this during the telephone interview, explain it again. Do your parents understand your job? And how often have you explained it to them?). Let the candidate know that you will be making the hiring decision. Tell the candidate how much time you anticipate spending. (Keep it short: The first interview should never be longer than 90 minutes. Anything longer may be misinterpreted as a hostage situation). Offer a brief (two or three sentences) overview of the topics that you'll be covering.
Begin the interview. To get the most out of it:
Don't start with the big questions. Would you break the ice on a first date by asking about child-rearing philosophy? Of course not. Ask simple questions first to help candidates relax. Just don't ask, "What's your sign?"
Follow a logical train of thought. Begin by asking about a candidate's experience, then his current or most recent job, then the job you have open, then his long-term career plans. Jumping around confuses everyone. (And yes, you can revisit a topic if you forget something or later answers raise questions).
Vary the questions. Give candidates some variety by asking both close-ended questions ("What was your salary in your last position?") and open-ended ones ("What is there about this job that appeals to you?").
Limit your role:
Throughout the interview, keep this rule in mind: The candidate talks 80 percent of the time; you talk 20 percent of the time. (You can open up during subsequent interviews. By then you'll have the data you need, and you'll want to explore what kind of give and take you can have with a candidate. But that's later.)
Here's the second rule: Anything you say should be said almost entirely at the beginning of the interview and at the end. Here are a few tricks that make it easier:
Tell the candidate up front that you'll answer questions at the end of the interview. Interviews get off track when candidates jump in with questions and interviewers answer them. You want answers that are as genuine as possible, not answers shaped by information you've provided. If candidates ask anyway, gently remind them that you'll be happy to answer their questions later.
Dr. Pierre Mornell, author of Hiring Smart!, suggests asking all your questions at the outset and then letting candidates answer.
Tolerate silence. If candidates struggle to answer a question, don't rescue them. Let them think. If you must say something, simply encourage them to take their time.
Find your own tricks to keep quiet. One interviewer trained himself to take a drink of water every time he wanted to say something. Another leaned on the table and put her hand over her mouth as a reminder. Find a way that works for you.
Be prepared. Interviews get off track when there's no agenda. Certainly some questions will occur to you as the candidate talks. Ask them. But have a general plan and follow it.
Stay Out of Jail
Take notes. You won't remember everything and it may be helpful later (should there be a legal dispute) to have a record of the interview. Make notes of what you say in addition to what the candidate says.
Do at least the minimum: Put duct tape over your mouth if need be, but be quiet and listen.
Get More Info
Smart Staffing, Wayne Outlaw, Upstart Publishing Co., Chicago, 1998
Hiring Smart!, Dr. Pierre Mornell, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA 1998
Bob Rosner is the co-author of The Boss's Survival Guide (McGraw-Hill, 2001), along with Allan Halcrow, former editor of Workforce Magazine and Alan Levins, senior partner of San Francisco-based employer law firm Littler Mendelson. Rosner is also founder of the award-winning workingwounded.com. He can be reached via fax at (206) 780-4353, and via e-mail at: bob@workingwounded.com.