Here are questions that several real-world managers use to encourage job candidates to reveal their true personalities:
- “What is your dream job? Describe it.” Brian Kautz of Arnold Logistics believes that the answer to that question gives him insight into the types of tasks people like. But, he says, be wary of candidates who disingenuously start describing the job for which they’re applying.
- “What would you do if I gave you an elephant?” Sandy Hofmann of MAPICS, a manufacturing software vendor, likes that question because it helps her identify if someone has the right attitude. For example, one candidate interviewing for a customer support position said he’d slaughter the elephant and eat it. Hofmann figured the candidate lacked the necessary warmth for helping customers. Another more promising candidate said she’d learn how to care for the animal and provide it with food.
- “How would you tell a senior executive that a critical project is substantially over budget?” Tracy Austin of Mandalay Resort Group says a prospective employee once answered her favorite question by saying “I’d have you do it.” Austin instantly knew that that person didn’t have the nerve required for the job.
— Adapted from “How to Hire, So You Don’t Have to Fire,” Meridith Levinson, CIO magazine, http://www.cio.com.
[Photo credit: www.flickr.com/photos/amortize.]
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