Q. I am the VP of business development for a growing IT and telecom
company. We are in the process of interviewing candidates for a business
development manager position. Our applicants come from various sources:
online ads, internal employees and referrals. To date we have not had a
successful interview process, any tips?
A. The last few columns I recommended that each and every applicant
who applies for a position complete a pre-qualification questionnaire
and be telephone interviewed before you extend an invitation for an
on-site interview. I’m assuming that you’ve gone through this process
and have chosen candidates to meet with your selection team based off of
your “best-fit” profile for the position and company.
What is a selection team? It is a group of interviewers who are
knowledgeable about your company’s history and milestones, plans for
growth, products, services, strengths, challenges and have a strong
understanding of the best fit for the position and company. Each and
every person on your selection team should be coached on interviewing
techniques (do’s and don’ts), work from a list of pre-approved interview
questions and take detailed notes.
Why? If the selection team is asking random questions it will be
difficult to assess the candidate’s fit for the position. If the
selection team is asking inappropriate questions you could be opening
yourself up to legal issues.
I recommend a post-interview meeting. This is an opportunity to
debrief with the selection team and evaluate the positive and negative
qualities about the candidates and assess who is the best fit.
How long should the interview last? Thirty to 60 minutes per
interview is sufficient time. It is important to stay on schedule – time
is valuable. How many people should be involved in the interview? It
depends on your organization. Some companies, due to their size and
operation, prefer one person from each department. If you are a large
company this could turn into an all-day interview. If you’re a small
company the key decision makers are the best choice.
You mentioned that some of your applicants are internal employees.
This can be tricky. It is important that all applicants go through the
same process. Keep it formal, no special favors or cutting corners for
this critical step. If this person is not selected for the position it
is important that this be handled delicately. Help this person
understand why they were not selected for the position and how they can
improve their skills.
The best and worst hires can be promotions from within. Why? Because
internal candidates sometimes feel a sense of entitlement – they’ve been
with the company for a period of time and believe that they are the
best person for the job even though they lack the experience. Hiring
managers can feel obligated to promote internal employees because of
their time with the company and friendships developed on and off the
job, but the employee may lack the skills to make a difference in the
role.
Here is a list of the most popular interview questions. If you’re
planning for a 30-minute interview, pick five questions to ask, and if
you’re planning for a 60-minute interview choose 10. It is helpful to
communicate to candidates that you have planned for a certain amount of
time and have approximately five to 10 minutes per question. It’s
important for all interviewers to learn how to command the interview.
1. Tell me about yourself. (This is a good warm-up question that
helps people open up and talk about themselves. You can learn a lot
about someone from just this one question.)
2. What do you know about our company? (What you’re looking for here
is their knowledge of the company’s history, goals, products, services,
ideal clients, management team and philosophy. Have they done their
homework?)
3. Why did you leave your last position? Tell me about your past
relationships with co-workers and supervisors. (Are they committed to
your industry and this type of position? How do they communicate about
their former employers or managers? Look for patterns; everyone has a
story. )
4. What are your strengths? (Look for someone who can communicate
their positive attributes related to the position backed up by examples
minus an inflated ego.)
5. Areas for improvement? (Every one has one or two, beware of candidates who say they have none.)
6. Give an example of your greatest accomplishment and biggest
failure. (Best fit are people who have experienced success and failure
and understand the causes.)
7. How do you handle pressure and stress? (Ask for examples when they
were under extreme pressure or stress and how they handled the
situation.)
8. What is most important to you in your job? (What are their
priorities: money, benefits, flexibility, career development, solving
problems, helping others, challenges?)
9. Why do you want to work for us? (What is their level of interest and motivation in working for your organization?)
10. Why should I hire you? (Are they confident about themselves and able to showcase their selling points?)
Always end the interview on a positive note. Why? Because you are the
face of the company, and it is crucial that this person walks away
feeling positive about their experience.
We live in a world of social networking, and people are talking about
their experiences – positive and negative. What do you want people to
say about you and your company?
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