Let’s Get Back To Business

By now you have voted, or will on your way home. You’ll stay up watching the results; you’ll be elated or sad, there is no middle ground. But tomorrow, yes tomorrow, we all have to get back to business. The most important job you have is hiring people to make your business successful.

I have written articles about this, read many more, and it still comes down to the in-person interview. Here are some questions I have used that are great conversation starters and which allow you to learn a lot about candidates in a very short time.

1. What was the worst problem you ever faced at work? How did you resolve it?

2.  Tell me about a situation where you came up with a great solution for a stubborn problem at work.  Did your solution work?  Did your employer acknowledge your success?

3.  Have you ever discovered a way to accomplish a routine task in a better way?  Did your employer adopt your plan?  Was your success spread around in your company?  If not, how did you feel?

4.  Tell me about a situation where you were frustrated at your previous job.  How did you overcome your frustration?  If not, what kept you from success?

These simple questions will open up your candidate’s mind to you.  If they answered no to the basic questions, they are robots.  Might be good on an assembly line.  If they were confrontational on each answer, they will be that way in your company.  If they were open and truthful, hire as quickly as you can.