I normally recommend against Panel Interviews for most technical positions. However, I’ve recently worked with a group whose panel interviews were quite successful. The positions were for a senior technical leader and a manager, so the candidates needed to be able to present and discuss issues to several people at once as part of their […]
Back in March, I posted an entry for hiring managers on how to develop a phone screen for candidates. Here’s a tip for candidates on how to prepare for a phone screen. (Hiring managers, most of this applies to you too 🙂 Make sure you suggest a few alternative times for a phone screen. Not
A hiring manager recently asked me “How do I assess the motivation of my candidates?” I asked him what he meant by motivation. He replied, “The ability to see what needs to be done and the willingness to see things through.” I’m not sure managers care why people are motivated to work; they care people
Normally I talk about a hiring manager making an offer. My advice to hiring managers is: Determine the candidate’s salary range during the phone screen. That way you know if the candidate is in the ballpark. Before making an offer ask the question, “What would make you say yes to an offer from us?” If
Alan Weiss, of Summit Consulting, is a well-known speaker and consultant. When he talks to speakers (or consultants), he suggests people think about their fundamental value proposition. He says, “Ask yourself how people are better off when you leave?” You don’t have to be a consultant to take advantage of Alan’s tip. When you complete
So you’ve developed a phone screen of 10-12 questions, with your elimination factor questions at the top. You’ve hit a snag with a candidate and you’re sure the candidate will not fit your position. What do you do? Stop the phone screen. Right now. Say, “You’re not a good fit for this position. Thank you
If you need a chuckle, read John Kador’s parody of a rejection letter. I laughed out loud. John is writing a book about the brainteaser interview, available in 2004. Since I’m sure not all hiring managers will heed my advice about not using puzzles in an interview, you candidates may want to read John’s book.
Since there’s a (temporary in my mind) glut of candidates, some hiring managers are asking for specific industry expertise, such as: consumer product, enterprise-wide application, or web-content expertise. Unfortunately, that’s shorthand for what I believe people are really looking for: a specific mindset that meets the cultural requirements of the product development process. Here’s an
I spoke at a graduate class last week, presenting my “Interview with Ease” (candidate version, not the hiring version) workshop to the class. One of the questions that arose was: What do I do when I’m faced with a puzzle? In Down with Games and Puzzles, I suggested using an audition instead of a game
In a comment on my last post, Roy asked if I could elaborate on what I mean when a candidate runs the interview. Here’s what happened to me at one interview years ago: I arrive on time for the interview, wearing a suit (hey, it was the early 80’s, that’s what we wore). The interviewer