96 Great Interview Questions to Ask Before You Hire

273 Pages·2008·4.258 MB·English

by  Paul Falcone

96
Great Interview
Questions to Ask
Before You Hire
SECOND EDITION
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96
Great Interview
Questions to Ask
Before You Hire
SECOND EDITION
Paul Falcone
American Management Association
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Falcone,Paul.
96greatinterviewquestionstoaskbeforeyouhire/PaulFalcone.—2nded.
p. cm.
Includesindex.
ISBN-13:978-0-8144-1351-7(pbk.)
ISBN-10:0-8144-1351-X(pbk.)
1.Employmentinterviewing.I.Title.II.Title:Ninety-sixgreatinterviewquestionstoask
beforeyouhire.
HF5549.5.I6F35 2009
658.3(cid:1)1124—dc22 2008025586
(cid:1)2009PaulFalcone
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Thispublicationmaynotbereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinwhole
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Tomylovelywifeandbestfriend,
Janet,
andourtwowonderfulkids—
NinaandSam—
moreinspirationthananywritercouldhopefor.
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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction:TheParable xi
PuttingCandidatesatEaseandBuildingRapport xxi
PART I:
Interview Questions to Identify High-Performance
Candidates 1
1: ForOpeners:FiveTraditionalInterviewQuestionsand
TheirInterpretations 3
2: Achievement-AnchoredQuestions:Measuring
Individuals’AwarenessofTheirAccomplishments 11
3: HolisticInterviewQueries:ChallengingCandidatesto
AssessThemselves 19
4: QuestionsAboutCareerStability 28
5: SearchingforPatternsofProgressionThroughthe
Ranks 38
6: LikabilityEqualsCompatibility:MatchingCandidates’
PersonalitiestoYourOrganization’sCorporateCulture 47
7: TheCollegeCampusRecruit 58
8: Millennials—TheFutureGenerationofYourWorkforce 67
9: TheSalesInterview:DifferentiatingAmongTop
Producers,RebelProducers,andThoseWhoStruggle
totheMinimums 85
viii Contents
10: SeniorManagementEvaluations:Leaders,Mentors,and
EffectiveDecisionMakers 101
11: PressureCookerInterviewQuestions:AssessingGrace
UnderFire 110
12: GenericInterviewQuestionsKnowntoChallenge
CandidatesintheFinalRoundsofHire 118
PART II:
Selecting Candidates and Making the Offer 127
13: Reference-CheckingScenarios:AdministrativeSupport
Staff 129
14: Reference-CheckingScenarios:Professional/Technical
Candidates 138
15: Reference-CheckingScenarios:SeniorManagement
Candidates 148
16: PreemptingtheCounteroffer:SteeringCandidates
ClearofTemptation 160
17: MakingtheOfferandClosingtheDeal:Questionsto
EnsureThatCandidatesAcceptYourJobOffers 168
PART III:
Key Interviewing, Reference-Checking, and
Recruitment Issues 181
18: StayingWithintheLaw:InterviewQuestionstoAvoid
atAllCosts! 183
19: TelephoneScreeningInterviews:Formatsand
Follow-UpsforSwiftInformationGathering 188
20: GettingRealInformationfromReferenceChecks 195
21: BackgroundChecks 200
22: ReinventingYourCompany’sEmploymentApplication 207
23: RecruitmentBrochures:EngagingInvitationsand
IntroductionstoYourCompany 214
24: MaximizingYourRecruitmentResources 220
Interviewer’sChecklist:The96Questions 227
Index 233
AbouttheAuthor 241
Acknowledgments
TomydearfriendsatAMACOMBooks,especiallyCEOHankKennedyand
Executive EditorChristina Parisi.Thank youfor yourcontinued friendship
andfaithinme.
To my friends and business associates who added untold value to the
developmentofthis bookasitmade itswaythroughthe variousroundsof
editing:DickKaumeyer,principaloftheKaumeyerConsultingGroup;Ann
Kotlarski,seniorlitigationpartneratSeyfarthShawLLP;BarryNadell,presi-
dent of Nadell Investigations; Larry Comp and Terry Lauter, principals of
LTC Performance Strategies (formerly Humanomics, Inc.); Heather Hand,
vicepresidentofhumanresourcesforIntuitiveSurgical,Inc.;andPeterSha-
piro,vicepresidentofhumanresourcesatElectroRentCorporation—you’ve
allbeeninstrumentalmentorsinmycareer.
ix