I hate watching people squirm. You know, making people uncomfortable and watching them struggle for a response or a way out. This trait is not helpful when part of my job is to hire. Conducting an interview means asking hard questions and observing how people respond—this often includes watching them squirm.
As a way of dealing with my inherent discomfort with watching people squirm, I developed interview questions that spoon-fed the answers to the interviewee. I would provide a ton of context—too much context—before my questions. I would say, “On our team we have a lot of large personalities. What are some of your personality traits and how would they complement our team?” I gave it away! I already told the candidate that I’m looking for someone who can bring the intensity of the group down a few notches, and that I need her personality to complement the team. I’m not putting her in a position to provide an honest answer about her personality. Rather, I’m being too explicit for what I’m hoping she’ll say. If she’s bright, she’ll say what I’m seeking in order to get the job. If I take her answer at face value, I’ll be misled into thinking I’ve found someone who can balance the large personalities on my team. What I’ve actually found is someone who can mold her answers to sound like what I want, regardless of her true personality and its ability to complement the team.
What I should have said was, “We’re seeking someone who will complement our existing team. What are some of your personality traits and how do they manifest in group settings?” Here, I haven’t given away anything. I’ve informed the candidate that the position is part of a team, but I haven’t given away the makeup of the team or what we’re looking for in a new team member. I’m leaving it up to the candidate to present her personality and to figure out that this is the time to share ways that she would be an asset to the team. I’m more likely to get an honest depiction of her personality and dynamic in a group. Then I can assess if she would be a good fit or not.
When you waste the opportunity to observe your candidate handle a tough question, you do them a disservice—they have no chance to shine. Likewise, you do your company a disservice—you don’t get a strong sense of the candidate’s honest abilities. Check yourself before interviewing candidates, and remember that you need them to prove themselves, even if it means watching them squirm.
Do you conduct interviews? Tell us about how you create interview questions in the comments below.