Interviewing: What's your Agenda?

In my last post, I talked about approaching an interview with skepticism and working to extract useful and objective information. I want to build on this by suggesting an interview format, particularly for the first phone screen.

1. Prepare. You don't walk into a client meeting with no prep whatsoever. You already have surprisingly little input about this person you will be spending your time with and entrusting with your company! So dig in.

• Re-read your awesome job posting, and think again about the type of person you need in the role. What do their accomplishments look like? Their expertise? What do you expect their demeanor to be like?
  
• Read the resume and cover letter. Are they directed to you personally and address the challenges of the company? Do they want your job or just a job?
  
• Google the candidates name and past employers. What did the companies they work for do? How big (or relevant) are they?
  
• Reflect. Why might this person want a job with your company? Why do they have 10 jobs over the last year?
  

2. Agenda. Have an agenda and stick to it. An agenda helps you be at ease during the interview and ensures consistency across candidates.

• First, tell the candidate the agenda for the meeting.
• Ask the candidate questions.
• Then tell the candidate more about your company and the open position. You'll likely be tempted to explain the role and company first, so candidates can explain how their background fits your needs. Resist. You want people to rise to the top because they naturally have the past experiences and mindset that fit the role - like a missing puzzle piece. Plenty of the candidates can tell you how they are like your open role and can fix your challenges. If you make them 'go first' it just makes your job easier.
  
• Have a hiring time line, communicate it and then stick to it. Tell them if you have another week of interviews, when your review team will look at resumes and meeting notes, and when they will hear back (i.e. you'll here from me in the early part of the week starting May xx). Let the candidate know they can check in, give more info, or ask questions before this time if they see it valuable.
  
• Leave time for questions.
  

3. Put the candidate at ease. Be conversational and make small talk. I know I just said stick to the agenda and to make them give their experiences first. BUT, if someone is in 'interview mode' you'll likely miss what they are really about. It is ok to find some common ground, talk about where they live, a hobby they've listed on their resume, or what not... Set them at ease and feeling as natural as possible - this is the person you will work with, not the regurgitating polished interviewee.

4. Focus. When talking about past experiences or how a candidate would deal with a situation in your workplace, keep them on target. It's easy to find yourself listening (with head in hand) as they digress into tangents.

• Hone in on actual results reached. Ask for data points and facts. Candidates may reveal their feelings, what they think they contributed, and they will analyze ... but dig for facts. What was their sales quota? Actual sales? Biggest account? What was the targeted release date for the software they worked on? Target budget? Actual budget?

• Instead of company and team achievements, get at personal achievements.

5. Manage. Keep notes - you'll want them after meeting with 10 folks. Have a rating system for key criteria (use even numbered scales so you force good/bad).

• If/when you have multiple interviewers, avoid asking all the same questions over and over. Share your notes and outline what each interviewer should be focusing on. You can have some similar questions, but in general some folks should verify technical skills and others looking for company fit (for example). Asking the same questions over and over can reveal your disorganization.

6. Challenge your instincts. You form an opinion in the first 20 seconds with someone. In person, they may dress more casually (or formally) than expected. They may try to control the interview or seem quiet and unapproachable. Recognize that you have formed an opinion and then try to prove it wrong.

• If you assume they aren't technical enough, ask specific details about how they accomplished their last project.
• If they seem scattered ask about their organizational tools.
• If they come across as bossy and direct ask about their personal relationships.
• Take your opinion of the candidate, imagine the opposite and ask questions about it.

Interviewing is one of the most important things you will do. It's also a time consuming task that teaches you very little about the person you will entrust with your company. You need to make the most of it. An agenda should help things going smoothly and help you to use every tool at your disposal. What's in your agenda?

Interviewing 202

What is your greatest weakness? Well, I often stay out way too late drinking and come to work late and struggle to be productive.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? I'm hoping to be the benefactor of some crazy lawsuit or come into a huge inheritance so I can be sitting on a beach.

No. This does not sound like your typical interview. But, to be honest, I think I would enjoy hearing these answers from time to time. It would be ... refreshing. Instead candidates give answers that sound good. They can prepare an 'acceptable' answer. So what can you ask to really let you learn more about a candidate?

I've been interviewing quite a bit recently - more often than not, I take a casual approach, generally knowing what information I want to cover. It turns out, most folks follow a similar 'unstructured' interview format. I learned, unfortunately, this format (and typical interview questions) just don't allow you to see the realities of the person. You are judging a book by its cover. Candidates manage their 'cover' closely, acting to create the most favorable impression. The Society for Industrial & Organizational Psychology, as well as numerous other sources, quote Prof. Allen Huffcutt, who has done some serious examinations of interviewing and the link of interview assessment as a predictor to performance on the job. In the book Sway, he posits that most interview questions provide little value. He recommends focusing instead on job-related hypothetical scenarios, past experiences based on data and verifiable accounts, and/or aptitude tests.

These are some real and helpful points to consider! I still see value in the interview, so with Prof. Huffcutt's comments in mind, here are a couple good things you might add to your interview:

• What do you know about our company?

A solid starting point. Did they take the time to research your company? Did they find relevant aspects of the business? Were they able to identify what might be core issues? Did they see how their position and possible contributions might fit in?

• Specific past experiences

Dig in to the resume and ask about their role on the Deloitte project or how they reduced spending by 40%, or whatever! Even asking specifics about how they managed their team, enforced milestone achievement, or stayed in touch with an off-site worker. The process of answering these can be revealing.

• Job-related hypothetical scenarios

What would you do if you your sales support staff never wanted to follow-up with difficult people, your receptionist always came in late, or your CEO never gave you details needed to accomplish a project? Think of a real scenario in your company the candidate might face ask how they might deal with it. First of all, they can't prepare for that question, and secondly you will have an idea if their answer will work for you.

• What was the largest personal conflict / power struggle you have seen at work and how was it resolved? Or what do you think people might misunderstand about you?

Perhaps candidates can prepare for these questions, but I still find the answers revealing. I like to just listen and have candidates expose themselves.

• If talked to someone at Your Past Company, what would they say about you?
  

Like the last question, this can help draw out characteristics or performance your candidate might not have volunteered. If they have something to hide, you are likely to hear about it now.

Keep in mind, as I imagine Prof. Huffcutt might remind us, the interview may give you nothing of value. So, I say make sure to take the opportunity to prepare the candidate and to sell the company! Give them a realistic picture of the company (yes, the bad stuff) and see how they react? Do they embrace it constructively and have suggestions for improvement? And of course, get them excited about the position, the team, and the company. If they turn out to be the dream candidate, then they need to be intrigued and enticed after talking to you.

What are some of your favorite interview questions?

Core Values

HR is often tasked with drafting Core Values. It can be a daunting task - especially when most folks yawn at the mere mention of the words. Like 'mission statements', core values are often perceived as a fruitless exercise. I agree in many cases! I'm against immature start-ups creating values that will just need changing in a month.

However, I think it's good to know that those core values already exist in your organization - they've just been buried in all the busyness. And, when the time is right there is real value in having and living your true core values. In Built to Last, Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras spent 6 years researching organizations that have endured recession and depressions. One of their key findings was that in every case, these companies defined their core values in the very early stages and built a culture of people around them.

The creation process is often one of the problems with core values - without meaning and accuracy they become worthless. And setting them is not an easy task. In his book Traction, Gino Wickman's gives step-by-step instructions to set up your core values.

Get the leadership team off-site for a couple hours.

Step 1: List 3 people (preferable in the organization) that they could clone if the could
Step 2: List the characteristics those people embody ('is never satisfied', 'personal integrity', 'extremely detail oriented')
Step 3: Narrow down the list (edit, circle, combine)
Step 4: Discuss and debate, narrowing down the list to 3-7 values

Let simmer for 30 days, regroup quickly to finalize, and share with the rest of your team. When relaying the values to your team, you need to use stories, anecdotes, and analogies to show your values in action. Once established, use your core values to help you through decision making, in the hiring process and insert it into the common language of the organization.

Do you have core values that are actually helpful? That communicate your mission and enforce the behaviors you need to be successful? Core values that help you stay focused and make decisions?

Everyone Hates Performance Reviews

The Wall Street Journal just posted a piece about how Performance Reviews suck.

This corporate sham is one of the most insidious, most damaging, and yet most ubiquitous of corporate activities.... Pretentious, bogus practice that produces absolutely nothing...

Ouch ... now that is some nasty name calling. But, we already know everyone hates HR, and especially performance reviews. This article just feels like a strip of flypaper - attracting those that share a displeasure in their under-performing managers and antiquated, broken systems. It's not too hard to do.

The author, Samuel A. Culbert, claims there is a better way - simply 'asking and listening'. He throws in some belittling to boot, "Imagine that. It's called a conversation, and it's a rarity in workplaces today." Well, well, well ... Good Day Sir!

Really, all of this is NOT about the performance review, it's about bad performance reviews. It's about poor managers and management. I agree a bad review (i.e. rigid, irrelevant paperwork) and bad management is harmful to the company, to relationships, and productivity. But I can't help think Culbert's gratuitous and cavalier flogging of the process solves nothing. Except, perhaps, it perpetuates the dogma that the review is the problem.

Culbert's suggestion of 'asking and listening' (or ideas of 'straight talk' and 'previews' he has previously suggested) can go just as wrong as a review! It can be ignored, it can be inconsistent, and it can subjective. It can be . At the end of the day, there's no greater contribution to operational effectiveness and success than honest and timely assessments of a worker's performance - an ongoing partnership and conversation. Don't blame the concept of a performance reviews to cover up for a poor process or a lazy manager.

Don't be such a hater. If you really care, let's focus on ways to give employees consistent and worthwhile feedback, rather than eliminating the only feedback some folks get. Can't we use our time to find real and positive ways to gather the ideas and challenges of employees and work together to solve problems and drive performance?

Traits of a Successful Business

I just started reading Traction by Gino Wickman. Wickman sees common problems with entrepreneurial organizations and sets out to give the tools to address them. I think his summary of successfully operating businesses can be a great reference for all of us.

Successful businesses:

• operate with a crystal clear vision that is shared by everyone
• have the right people in the right seats
• watch and manage a handful of numbers on a weekly basis
• identify and solve issues promptly in an open and honest environment
• ensure everyone documents and follow processes
• establish priorities for each employee and ensure that a high level of trust, communication, and accountability exists on each team

Sounds simple enough. How do you score on these bullet points? Wickman claims, and I agree, that most companies operate at less than 50% in these key components of operation. Do you focus on these things on a regular basis?

The Offer Letter

Do you give actual offer letters when bringing on someone new? Of course you do. Yes, even when you've reached a verbal or email agreement, you still go through with all that old formality.

Don't get me wrong, no one should find out about an offer in an offer letter - it should have already been discussed it in detail. But the letter does make it official - like a referee with a whistle. Candidates like that. And you like that. Folks (sometimes you) forget or misunderstand what was agreed on. Not only can you use the letter to welcome your newest hire but it also ensures you are on the same page with all the details, and it prevent arguments in the future.

Here's what to include:

• Expected start date
• Supervisor's name
• Job title - list exempt/non-exempt and FT/PT status
• Primary job tasks - make sure to say these may change, expand or evolve over time)
• Earnings (I think listing annual salary is fine, but some argue to only list earnings per pay period in - order to avoid any arguments the letter represents a contract). Stick an At-Will statement in their to cover all your bases. And definitely don't say any incentive payments are guaranteed.
• Equity - include just the basics here, like # of options, strike price and vesting period
• Benefits - Holiday, vacation, personal, FSA, 401(k), etc...

• Expiration date - give a date they need to get back to you with a decision -typically this is a week, but listen to their needs and make your own call. Give time for, and encourage, discussion with family and friends.

• Non-compete - add a phrase that by signing they are indicating they are not part of any non-compete or similar agreement that would preclude them from taking this job.

• Contingencies: State that offer is contingent upon completion of an I-9 form as well as any other background checks, screens, or confidentiality agreements that you require employees to complete.

I know .... several of these items seem like too much. Well, they are until you have a problem and wonder how it could have been prevented. The whole thing should not exceed 2 pages and you should create a template to work from next time. Add some personal touches - like the writing about the importance of their hire, the exciting things on the horizon, or by delivering the letter via singing telegram or with a sweet present.

Did I miss anything? Do you have any offer letter success or failure stories?

Start-ups and Holidays

I know you don't want to think about it. Your start-up is cool because you don't have to designate Holidays. You don't need to. But, alas, I'm here to say you need to write down and distribute the Holidays your company is closed. It's good for recruiting, good for employees, good for the company, and good for you.

Do you give the Friday before the 4th of July off? The day after Thanksgiving? Imagine being a new employee recently completing a move to Boston. You head in to work on Patriots' Day to find out you are the only one in the office. Or worse, you come into work on Patriots' Day and only half your team is there. Do you get angry that nothing gets done? Do you give the staff that showed up an extra day off?

Employees want to know in advance so they can plan that bbq or ski trip. And they'll remember when they work a day when others are 'off'. For your part, if an employee actually asks, you don't want to have to think about days off on the fly - especially when your answer is no. Worse yet, you don't want to get irked when 3 of your team don't show up on President's Day because they thought it was a Holiday.

In the US, on average, companies usually provide 10 paid Holidays.

• New Year's Day
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
  
• Washington's Birthday
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
  
• Columbus Day
• Veterans Day
• Thanksgiving Day
  
• Christmas Day
  

Source: 5USC Sec. 6103.

If you want to give more days, fine. Give 'em. At a moment's whim you can still declare National Administrative Professionals Day or International Talk Like a Pirate Day as a paid day off. You can decide at the bar that you'll shut down if there is enough snow to go sledding. It will even feel like a cooler place when staff get days beyond what was expected. But you'll also be laying the foundation of a strong company (think audit and legal), giving yourself a starting point to address problems, and employees want to know.