If you find a company with a sub-standard culture and ineffective operation you will most likely find a company whose interview process is not up to par. That’s because the success of a company is closely tied to the success of its hiring process and the interview process is the most critical part of the hiring process. This makes the interview one of the most important functions in any company.
Getting the interview process right takes a lot of effort but it is well worth the time and money spent because most of the individuals being hired will be with the company for many years to come. There are a few companies who understand this concept so multiple interviews (phone and in-person) are done before making their final decision. Companies who do their due diligence during the hiring process find that their operations are successful and their retention rates are in the high 90th percentile.
So, if interviews are so important to company success, what type of interview questions should be asked? Is there one type of question that is better than others? It depends on the type of company but there are three types of questions asked during a typical interview: Technical, Cognitive, and Behavioral. Companies should consider using all three types to really get a full understanding of the interviewee’s skills, experience, and future behavior. Here is a quick rundown of the types of interview questions.
The more technical the job, the more technical questions should be asked. Relying on what’s placed on a resume won’t cut it. Asking technical questions only those in that profession would know is a good way to get an idea of the level of knowledge and experience a person may have in that area. Some companies even conduct a “hands on” portion during the interview process. In this case, interviewees are asked to demonstrate their technical skills in front of the interviewer.
This line of questioning is on the rise. These questions are designed to see how an interviewee processes problems. In some cases, there is no right or wrong answer or there are multiple answers to the same question. Responses like getting the interviewer to repeat the question, asking if it is okay to write things down, or to use props in the immediate vicinity of the interviewee shows their problem-solving skills and their ability to think on their feet. In a lot of cases, an answer is better than no answer at all.
This type of questioning is really popular with hiring authorities because it is a great way to measure leadership skills. In this line of questioning, the interviewee is asked to provide real-life examples from their own experience that shows they have utilized these skills in the past and are able to provide a recent and relevant story to demonstrate that skill.
Behavioral-based questions should always be aligned with the organization’s needs and directly tied to the critical responsibilities of the job vacancy. These competencies are usually found on an organization’s web site and in the job advertisement itself.
So, in order to select the best candidate for the job, hiring managers need to ensure they find individuals with the right blend of technical, cognitive, and leadership skills required to excel at the job. By identifying the most valued competencies in the company and more importantly for that specific position, hiring managers can target their questions to the areas that have the greatest return on investment for the company. If hiring managers are able to hire individuals with the experience and skills necessary to do the job, they may not have to spend as much time or money investing in the skills once the person is hired which is an added bonus.
A great way to identify these requirements by position is to use a process I call calibration. When competencies are calibrated, individuals who are familiar with the position, identify the top skills necessary to succeed in that job. A calibration basically takes the complete list of competencies valued by the company and then prioritizes these competencies in order of necessity for a specific position by the people most familiar with the job (current position holder if still available, supervisor, etc.).
When all of the competencies are prioritized, that group of competencies form a competency model. The developmental competency model organizes the competencies needed to perform successfully in a particular setting, whether it is a specific function, occupation, or task. These aggregated totals can provide insight into the type of courses and other developmental opportunities a company should expect to address year after year.
So, if companies want to succeed, it starts with the interview. Getting the questions right can ensure the company identifies and acquires the talent they need to be successful now and into the future.
The Talent Generator® Competency Framework comes with 60 pre-defined leadership competencies to choose from. The tool also allows you to select the definitions that define your needs and then allows you to quickly modify your definitions to get it just right. Our save feature also allows you to get it right before locking in your model. You are now ready to use the Talent Generator® Calibration Tool.
Using the Talent Generator® Calibration Tool gives you peace of mind knowing you just identified the right requirements needed to creat a set of interview questions designed to meet the needs of your organization and at the same time, lays out a developmental roadmap for the future employee. I want to invite you to check out the Talent Generator® Calibration Tool on the Talent Generator® website: www.talent-generator.com and get started on personalizing your interview questions in a fun and engaging way.
