Make It Happen

Recently someone asked me to discuss how to choose interview questions, and specifically how to look for for people with a great work ethic. Here's how I answered:

If you are of the mind that past performance is an indicator of future performance, then part of what you want to do is dig for examples of the performance that you are seeking. Just about any question that starts with "Describe a situation where..." will do the job.

This by itself will never be enough, though. A more critical part of the exercise is the verification that you do with their references. In addition to any standard fact-checking, make sure that you ask the references questions that allow you to verify the candidate's answers. These questions will always start with "I understand that they were involved in ______; can you describe..."

Some other questions that can use this ask/verifty model:

- How have you dealt with slower-paced colleagues...
- Provide two examples where your speed of delivery made a difference, and what you learned from the process...

The other possibility is to move away from exclusively using the traditional "behavioral" interviews, and consider using experiential or case-interviews in addition. Experiential interviews involve giving the candidate a task, and observing how they do it. A typical task might be to pull together a presentation, and then deliver it. A verbal case interview is when a candidate is given a business situation, and has to solve it. Based on the pace of the candidate's questions, it isn't that tough to sort out those who naturally process quickly vs those who are slower.

Randall Craig
www.RandallCraig.com

I recently had the pleasure of spending time in Houston, Texas. The people were friendly, the weather was great, and the event was a success. I stayed in one of the nicer hotels, The Westin, which was convenient, but also because of a great prior experience there. They gave me one of the nicer rooms near the top of the building, away from the noisy elevators and ice machine.

Unfortunately, sleep was impossible because of a loud party (complete with DJ) in the suite directly above mine. When I called the front desk to complain, their response was that they had "contracted" for the suite, and the music should end sometime soon. I pointed out that I had "contracted" for peace and quiet, and that I certainly wasn't getting any.

This anecdote is a perfect example of a gap between performance and expectation. This same gap appears all of the time: between employee and employer, between vendor and customer, and even between a web site and it's users. When the gap is narrowed, service quality increases and relationships become stronger.

Whenever there is an interaction, each person brings along their own assumptions. It isn't rocket science, but so much of the gap can be closed merely by validating these assumptions, and setting proper expectations. This can be done either contractually or through informal meetings. The rest of the gap is closed by executing flawlessly. (If execution gaps occur too frequently, look to solve the problem by examining the execution process itself, then looking at the process training.)

PS: To their credit, the Westin offered to comp the night for me. It didn't make me less sleepy, but it did reduce the sting a bit.

Randall Craig
www.RandallCraig.com

How can you do better at job interviews? It's not about being "lucky", nor is it about winning a beauty contest, it's about preparation, presentation, and perseverence:

1) Fish where the fish are: Only apply for those positions where you have a strong chance of success. Energy wasted with pointless applications can best be applied prepping for interviews where you're in a position to win.

2) Research the company and the industry: Learn about industry issues, the corporate structure and priorities, and the jargon. You'll look more like an insider if you do.

3) Research the corporate culture: Is it aggressive and cut-throat - or supportive and nurturing? The interviewer will be on the look-out for a match - and so should you.

4) Identify the problem that they are hoping to solve: If you know why they are hiring for the position, you will be able to quickly describe your experience to solve it.

5) Rehearse. Like any skill, the quality of your interview will get better with practice. But don't memorize your answers to so-called standard questions - customize them for the situation.

6) Know your stories: Every phrase on your resume should connect to an example story that is relevant to the interviewer. If you can't recall the details behind the words on your resume, then you have no right being there in the first place.

7) Get a good night's sleep: This will improve your processing power during the interview, and help prevent that "tired" look.

8) Dress appropriately and be well-groomed: Learn about the standard workplace attire. Don't dress too informally, or this will reflect poorly on you. Yet don't dress too formally, or you will appear haughty - and you may embarrass your interviewer. If you can, use a mirror for a last-minute check before you go in to the interview.

9) The interview starts in the elevator: It continues with your introduction to the reception, and in the walk to the interview room. It ends when you are safely out of eyeshot (and earshot).

10) Answer the first question well. Usually, the first question is "tell me about yourself", and is designed to make you feel comfortable in the interview. Don't give too detailed a history, but highlight the accomplishments that you are most proud of, which are also relevant to the situation.

11) Follow-up. Whether it be a simple thank you, a more detailed elaboration on an issue, or several questions that you need answered, following-up shows that you are engaged in the process, and remain interested in the outcome.

This Week's Action Item: Did you think that these tips only applied to a job interview? They are relevant every time you need to sell an idea to a colleague, supplier, or client. Look on your calendar for your next important meeting, then go through this list to make sure you're in a position to win.

Randall Craig
www.RandallCraig.com
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I just finished reading another fascinating book: Freakonomics by Steven Levtitt and Stephen Dubner. This pair of authors (one an economics professor while the other an accomplished journalist) have probably done more to explain economics than any of the two-dozen-odd economics textbooks that I have in my library.

Levitt's area of interest is exploring difficult questions in human behavior by examining data related to incentives. Chapter titles include...

- What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common?
(It seems that they both have cheated in very specific ways.)

- How is the Ku Klux Klan like a group of Real Estate agents?
(How information provides market power.)

- What makes a perfect parent?
(What makes a child do better in school, and what doesn't)

... and several more.

Each of these chapters presents their case through (believe-it-or-not interesting) statistics, and anecdotes. For example, on real estate sales, Freakonomics has looked at the data and noted that real estate agents never take the first offer when they sell their own houses - they hold out for a higher one. Yet, when they sell on behalf of a client, the data indicates that they often will push to accept that first offer.

Why? One assumes that the interests of the agent and their customer is aligned - but this actually isn't so. If a house is receiving an offer of $300,000, then with a 3% commission, the agent will earn $9000. The agent then needs to weigh the possibility of a higher offer coming in later. If an offer were to come in at $310,000, then the extra $10,000 would be worth only $300 to the agent - but $9700 to the customer. Yet the delay in selling may cost the agent well over $300 in extra advertising, time spent running open houses, etc. So according to the data, they will (almost) always push to accept the early offer - even if they know the house will sell for more later. (And again, the only exception to this rule is when they sell their own houses.)

Fascinating!

Randall Craig
www.RandallCraig.com