I am always interested in finding screening questions that can assist with the “WHO” do l want to interview. Our postings always drive interest and the key is to learn ways to weed out the resumes that do not fit.In our company, we have developed several quick steps to identify initially who might be of interest before we dive into a phone interview- profiling and then face to face time with a candidate.
The following are four great questions for a first over the phone interview to determine if he/she qualify to move to a second step among other clues such as how they presented them self on paper. Attract Attention Build Interest and Create Action if you are not doing that with your resume trust me… l will not see who you are! Thought l would just fire that in this article for those of you out there looking.
Getting back to these four Questions;
1) What are your career goals? – Give the candidate the 1st word rather than telling the person about the company, Talent people know what they want to do and are not afraid to tell you about it.
2) What are you really good at professionally? – Make sure the candidate gives you at least 8 – 12 positives so you can build a complete picture of their professional aptitude.
3) What are you not good at or not interested in doing professionally? If the candidate comes up woefully short, if the weakness are all strengths in disguise or if you hear deal breakers relative to what you need then screen the candidate out.
4) Who were your last (3) bosses and how will they each rate your performance on a 1-10 scale when we talk to them? – Notice the language used “When”. Candidates will be thinking “l’d better be honest”
After a candidate answers one of the primary questions get curious about the answer with “what,’ ‘how or tell me more’
Sample: What do you mean?– What did that look like?– What happened?–What is a good example of that?– What was your role? – Probe, Probe, Probe.
Hopefully the above will give you at a start to uncover the “WHO’ you may want to entertain into an interview.