Hiring The Best

"The less you assume," Einstein suggests, "the better off you are." But even good questions are just starting points. The most powerful interviewing tool ever invented, in his view, is the follow-up question. It doesn't have to be fancy; it's often just a variation on "why." If you assume that most interviewees are ready for the most obvious questions, follow-up questions will take you deeper -- provided the interviewee feels comfortable. Questions like "Why did you do this?" or "How did that come about?" will make applicants depart from their scripted responses and provide more detail. If nothing else, you may learn that the person is unable -- or unwilling -- to cooperate, which could be useful in and of itself.

* Getting behind the rÈsumÈ. Good rÈsumÈs tend to glorify somebody's past activities; most character references have a hidden agenda (fear of a lawsuit, maybe, or guilt). You can't ignore them, says Einstein, but the best way to get an in-depth view of the significant things people have done is to ask the candidates themselves. Einstein calls it the "A to Z method," and it works like this: At a certain point in the interview, ask the applicants to help you understand their past achievements. You ask them to name three accomplishments they're most proud of. Then, you invite them to take you on a journey through each experience, from start to finish, in as much detail as they can give.

The beauty of this technique, say managers who use it, is that it helps you put the spotlight on what the individuals -- not their departments or their bosses -- have done. Recently, for example, Plastech's Campbell interviewed a number of people for the job of controller. Most looked great on paper, he says, but when he used the A to Z method, one candidate in particular fell apart. "He couldn't get specific," Campbell recalls. The person who got the job talked vividly about his favorite projects. "You could tell he was excited," Campbell says.

This technique goes beyond mere facts and figures. You can also get a peek at your candidates' approach to business, their ability to focus on detail, and what turns them on. When you read a rÈsumÈ, it's hard to know what a person actually can do. This helps you fill in the blanks. "In general," Einstein says, "people who can't go into detail -- or refuse to -- don't know what they're talking about." This doesn't mean that you'll have to disqualify them from consideration, but you might want to. The likelihood that somebody can duplicate something they can't even describe is slim.

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If the experience of other managers is any indication, Einstein's ideas won't be the answer to all your hiring woes. For one thing, you'll still need to interpret the information you get. Many managers find that they have to upgrade their listening skills so they can hear more of what individuals say -- and don't say. In any case, you'll probably need to spend more time with prospective employees. It's hard to conduct a good interview in less than an hour; it's more likely to take two or three.

What's the payoff? You and your managers will know a lot more about the people you're considering than you did before. You might make some of the same sorts of choices that you used to make following your gut. The big difference is you'll have a clearer sense of why.

THE ART OF ASKING QUESTIONS

It's not what you ask but how you ask it

Deciding whether someone is right for a job is always a little confusing. It's rare for a manager to have all the information he or she needs to make well-informed decisions. But knowing how to ask good questions can make a world of difference. The secret, says psychologist and personnel consultant Kurt Einstein, is understanding the difference between open-ended and closed-ended questions.

The problem with closed-ended questions is that they tend to trigger limited, monosyllabic answers. Either that or they'll signal to the interviewee what you're hoping to hear. Open-ended questions make no prejudgments -- and provide greater insights into the candidate. Here are some examples of each: