The Interview Question “give me an example”
By Brian Anderson BA Search Group, RCC
If you want to get at the truth about a candidate – any candidate – I caution you against relying on "give me an example" questions. As the behavioral interview evolves, more training companies are encouraging clients to focus on this type of question, believing that the best way to assess candidates is to directly ask for examples of how they've displayed a certain competency. But if used incorrectly, these questions are an inadequate way to assess a candidate. The fact is using "give me an example" questions can telegraph to the candidate what an interviewer is looking for while also allowing them to omit negative aspects of their work history. Once the question is asked, many candidates immediately know what to say to suggest they have a particular competency. Sometimes the examples candidates give are accurate and sometimes they're embellished or worse, completely fabricated.
But in even the best cases, you're probably not getting the whole truth because you're not hearing about someone's entire work experience. What's more, candidates have a wealth of resources to help them learn how to nail these common questions. Noted interview coach Robin Kessler just released a book, "Competency-Based Interviews," that serves as a how-to guide on acing questions geared towards revealing competencies. And Fortune magazine recently showcased a Boston-based company that charges upwards of $3,000 to coach novice candidates on how to interview. The evidence confirms what we already know about the next generation of candidates – they will be much more prepared to give polished answers to typical interview questions. While "give me an example" questions are ineffective for interviewers, they're also unfair to candidates.
For one thing, they force unnatural responses. Individuals organize their memories around their past job experience, not around instances when they've demonstrated a particular competency. When pressed for an answer, some candidates may come up with a poor example, giving the appearance that they're weak in an area where they actually may be very strong. Or, if they sense what the interviewers are looking for but can't cite an example, they may just make one up. Candidates who can't think of an answer at all fare the worst, as the experience of having nothing to say can be so frustrating that it ruins the entire interview. I don't advocate completely dismissing "give me an example" questions, but they have their time and their place. Ideally, the questions belong at the end of the interview as a safety net to ensure a candidate has a quality not yet discussed. Think of it as putting together a mosaic of the candidate's past behavior, and "give me an example" questions fill in the last pieces.
Brian Anderson is the principal founder of BA Search Group an executive search, coaching and consulting practice in the Naperville, Aurora, IL market.
www.basearchgroup.com, Brian@basearchgroup.com
Thursday, July 20, 2006
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1 comments:
Brian, I like this. I wish I could have forwarded this blog entry to every interviewer I've met with since November, 2006.
I responded to a question like this just last night, via email (is there any better way to solicit polished and canned responses?). I was asked to write an answer to: "Can you give a tangible example of your leadership skill set in action?"
I sat with an empty email window for at least 10 minutes. Half that time I was thinking, "Gee, I'm sure glad I wasn't asked this in a f2f interview!" Some other part of the time I thought, "This is stupid: I don't take notes of my so-called brilliant leadership decisions, and half the time I won't know when my leadership skill-set produced results in someone else's work-style or life!"
I finally introduced my answer with this sentence:
"I feel I'm the wrong person to answer this question: my former managers would best give you an unadulterated view of my leadership skills. Also, I believe leadership is proven through service, and every day of my work history was a tangible example of my philosophy of leadership. As a relationship-based influencer, there are many of my 'fingerprints' still evident at both of my former employer's businesses."
Then I went on to provide some "tangible" examples. Whatever that means.
Meanwhile, I rolled my eyes.
Having worked in large- (1,000+) and medium-sized (150+) corporations for fifteen years, having seen the quality of most new hires at those august institutions, having hired staff myself, and having gone through a dozen-plus face-to-face interviews from Fortune 100 companies to churches in the desert, I'm absolutely convinced that most people making hiring decisions have no clue how to hire or what to look for in an applicant.
It's sad, really.
Rich
BlogRodent
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