I’ve Hired Many; 4 Interview Differentiators That Sold Me
Nov 21, 2019
Interviewing Comments from a CEO
I’ve hired a lot of people and had strange and head-shaking interviews. Before we get to the positive differentiators for you, let me mention a few don’ts that are laughable and really happened.
- Never bring a parent to participate in your interview. Per Tim Elmore, Human Resources expert for Fortune 500 companies, said about Millennials in a Truth@Work curriculum video, "One in eight candidates bring a parent to a job interview." I was aghast - until I remembered that we Baby Boomers raised the Millennials.
- Don’t tell the interviewer that you want his/her job in 18 months, especially if you are a recent college graduate and are being interviewed by a leader at the organization.
- When asked about weaknesses, don’t say that you work too hard or are such a perfectionist. Interviewers see right through this old and unsuccessful attempt to turn the weakness question answer into saying a strength. I’ll use this answer in a humorous way a little later. Keep reading...
- Never say, "Please, tell me what this company does.” I will have to give the people who say it this way kudos for politeness.
I could go on with more “I can’t believe this happens” examples, but let’s get to what I looked for in people and some good differentiators to use in your interview.
What I Look for in Potential Colleagues – My Interview Biases
Always consider the source. From my CEO perspective, here is a partial list of attributes I look for in an employee.
One of my sayings is, “Hire brains and train.” I hire potential, not for the current job duties. Applicants need to be able to do some of the job. However, jobs change so much and so often these days, that the colleague needs to be able to grow, grow effectively, and be coachable.
We all make mistakes, so I liked people who made mistakes by commission, not omission. Those who try and fail are better than those who don’t try and fail. I ask for failure examples.
All potential employees must be willing to take various assessments near the end of the multi-stage hiring process. Good companies these days conduct these assessments to learn more about the applicants and how they would fit into the culture and the career path requirements. There are more items, but you get my perspective.
Four Interview Differentiators to Consider
Differentiator #1 - Use Company Research Results in Your Answers: The first one is to make sure you have researched the company and the leaders in the organization, especially the people interviewing you. Others will do research, but what you will do is weave the results of your research into some of your answers. For example, you may be asked some form of the question about why you are interested in working for ACME Technology. You will be able to say something like, “In my research, I noticed that Mary Smith, VP of Cyber Security, is the kind of person I could learn from. With her coaching and leadership, I could learn a lot from her and feel that she would be open to using my creativity in new product development. Not all of my ideas will be good, but it seems she would appreciate me trying to stretch.”
Differentiator #2 - Take Personality Assessment Tests: Go through something like our Unstatus Your Quo® Career Plan to increase your self-awareness. The reason for this recommendation is that companies like people with high self-awareness. Hiring is a tough part of growing a business, and anything you can do to be clear on who you are and what you are seeking will help the company. Whatever process you go through, you can make two very effective points.
- The fact that you have gone through some form of self-assessment, especially in the career area, will be very impressive. You can say, “I have spent some time and money on testing and understanding what careers are best suited for me with the gifts I have been given. Consequently, I am very focused in my job search.
- I also know what jobs and cultures to avoid because they may put a spotlight on my weaknesses or conflict with my values.
Differentiator #3 - Answering Weakness Question: After differentiator #2, you will eventually get the “What are your weaknesses?” question. If you have a sense of humor, you can try to say with a straight face, “I work too hard. I’m also a perfectionist and can’t stand not doing a great job at everything I do.” Then you can laugh, and say with a smile, “I know these are canned answers for this question. In truth, however, I … Give an answer that comes from the weaknesses revealed in the testing you’ve done like, “You can count on me for opinions due to my analytical nature, but forgetting that I might be the least experienced or the newest person on the team, I may give my opinion too early and before hearing the wisdom in the room.”
Differentiator #4 - Impress with Thoughtful Questions: This differentiator comes from the research in Differentiator #1. There will be a time that they ask you if you have any questions. If they don’t, there are three reasons: 1) they are not interested in you, 2) they are not used to people coming with questions from research, or 3) they have already decided to recommend you for the next round of interviews. In any of these cases, it is okay to say that you have questions you would like to ask. One example might be, “I am looking for a career, not just a job, which I know may be unusual these days. I am interested in a company that will be offering the possibility of advancement and professional development. One of the ways this can happen is if the company grows. Can you describe what your plans are for growth and what your personal developmental plans look like for promising employees?”
Be Yourself!!
When I was finishing up my MBA, one of my classmates was getting a lot of offers. I asked her what her approach was and what she felt made her successful. She said that she was herself, stayed professional, and did not try to talk her way into a job. Many interviewers are pros, and they can see through falsehood.
The good news is that interviewers can be very good at identifying misfits early. In one of my business school interviews was with a big New York bank. The interviewer was a seasoned, crusty guy one year from retirement. After 10 minutes, he said, "Charlie, you need to get out of here. You are an entrepreneur and would hate working at a bank. There's no sense in us continuing."
They can help you avoid a bad situation. If they tell you that you are not a good fit, thank them. They have just saved you from years of frustration, dissatisfaction and pain. Go nail that interview!! Email me if you would like to talk.
Charlie Haines
