January 23, 2012

11-Questions To Ask a Job Hunter

You are about to interview a candidate for a job with your organization. Doesn’t matter what job.

Here are 11 questions you should ask to determine if he has what it takes to help you build a Unique and Distinctive organization.

1. Tell me about a Project you led where your Execution was brilliant. What did you do to make it so? The words passion, clear vision, shared purpose, recognition and relentless focus on the goal should be sprinkled through his answer.

2. Define Marketing. Make sure his answer contains the following words: Value Creation. Fans. Packages. Personalization. Unique Wants and Desires. Give him the heave-ho if he constantly references Marketing 101 stuff like The 4 P’s and customer needs.
3. Define Leadership. Listen for the concept of “Serving People”. If you don’t hear it, wave to him as he leaves your office.

4. How much CRAP have you eliminated in your previous jobs? If he doesn’t understand the question, you could be looking at a good candidate for someone else.

5. Do you like Human Beings? Watch for a confused look on his face like he knows it’s a trick question but doesn’t know where you are leading him.

6. Tell me a Story that would prove that you DO love Humans He will either leave you cold with his answer or he will give you goosebumps. If he gives you goosebumps you have a winner.

7. Have you ever developed a Service Strategy? What did it say? Listen for words like Experience, Memories, WOW and Dazzling.

8. Define Sales. If he says anything that resembles the Flogging notion AND if he doesn’t talk about building deep relationships, throw him out!

9. Have you ever worked for a company that had Dumb Rules - Rules or Policies that made no sense to customers? If he says “no” he’s lying. What did you do to help eliminate them? If he doesn’t say he was instrumental in changing them stop the Interview. It’s over.

10. What would he do to help you make your organization Remarkable, Unique, Distinctive and Gaspworthy? Look for stuff done to serve customers. Ignore technology answers.

11. How are YOU DiFFERENT from anyone else? What makes you special? If he can’t define how HE stands out from the Herd, what makes you think he will be able to so it for your organization?.
Anyone who gives thoughtful answers to these questions is a keeper. Send the others packing.

P.S. Notice there are no questions on education. Formal learning credentials are irrelevant. Table- stakes really. Earns you the right to have the interview. Value to an organization is MUCH more.

Cheers,
Roy
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Posted 1.23.12 at 05:00 am by Roy Osing | Read Comments (0) | Leave a Comment