One of the most common mistakes in interviewing is asking questions that don’t generate meaningful answers. Here are some tips for what doesn’t work, and what does.
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Yes/No questions
Many questions that can be answered Yes or No do not provide helpful information about the candidate.
[YOU ASK] Do you have experience in tax reporting?
[CANDIDATE SAYS] Yes.
Either ask a broader question (tell me about your experience in tax reporting) or ask follow-up questions to determine the extent and type of experience.
Telegraphing
Some questions telegraph the “right” answer.
[YOU ASK] We work under tight deadlines here; are you OK with pressure deadlines?
[CANDIDATE SAYS] Sure, I love tight deadlines, and I have never missed one yet.
Try a more general question—what sort of environment do you like; what sort of environment was in your last job; how did you manage in that environment? Is that what you’re looking for now?
Probe, Probe, Probe
Applicants have access to a lot of information these days about how to prepare for an interview. It’s important that you get beyond the “canned,” prepared answers. It’s especially important to probe a few levels down. For example:
[YOU ASK] Tell me about an important project that you completed.
[CANDIDATE SAYS] I installed a new computer system—it came in under budget and on time.
[YOU THINK] That sounds impressive, but I’d better probe a little deeper.
[YOU ASK] How many people worked on the project?
[CANDIDATE SAYS] Twelve.
[YOU ASK] How long did the job take?
[CANDIDATE SAYS] 9 months from signing the contract.
[YOU THINK] Hmmm, still looks impressive. But I’ll probe a little more.
[YOU ASK] What was the budget for the project?
[CANDIDATE SAYS] 4.5 million.
[YOU THINK] Wow, I’m still impressed.
[YOU ASK] How did you select the people on the team?
[CANDIDATE SAYS] Well, the consultant picked them.
[YOU THINK] Hmmm, the consultant?
[YOU ASK] How did you manage the scheduling for the switchover?
[CANDIDATE SAYS] Well, the consultant laid out a schedule, and we followed that.
[YOU THINK] Hmmm, the consultant again.
A little more probing reveals that the candidate’s involvement wasn’t nearly as impressive as it appeared to be at first. In actuality, the consultant managed the project, made the decisions, and managed the people involved. The candidate was a go-between and a gofer.
Creative or Off-the-Wall Questions
Many interviewers have a favorite question that they ask just to see how candidates will respond. For example:
- Tell me about yourself in one word.
- How to they make M&Ms?
- What is important in life?
- You have unlimited resources. What sort of activity or business would you get involved in?
While it’s true that these questions may produce interesting answers, beware. Some candidates are more glib than others, and you may be measuring glibness, not any job-related trait (unless glibness is an essential function). In real life, you’d probably rather have a good, reasoned, thoughtful response to an important question than a clever, quick response.
In part 2 of this article, we present behavioral and situational interview questions