WEBVTT

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Whew. If nothing else, we are
prepared for wind and cold.

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Was this better for everybody?

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Great.

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- Good.
- Good.

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Oh, alright.
So preparation.

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I usually start by taking
a few minutes

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and looking through
the application resume

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and then I ask them questions about
their experience. What else is there?

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Listen, I know there are times in
our jobs where we have to wing it;

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but, trust me, interviewing
can't be one of them.

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To be prepared, we have
to develop questions

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that relate directly to the things
we're evaluating for

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and we have to map out exactly

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how we're going to conduct
the interview itself.

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And, speaking of questions,
they have to be the right questions.

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Meaning?

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Questions that focus
on the three dimensions.

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Oh, right. The three dimensions.
Capability and... What are they again?

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Capability, commitment
and chemistry.

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For capability, you need
to look at the job description

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and come up with questions
based on the key competencies;

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you know the essential skills
and knowledge needed to do the job.

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You also need to have
some commitment questions

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that evaluate the candidate's
motivation and attitude about work,

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the position and the organization.

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And, finally, there's chemistry.

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They're questions that will identify if
the candidate's values and work styles

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gel with the organization's.

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Alright, I get the capability and
commitment thing. But chemistry?

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If we're looking for people to fit in,

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won't we just be hiring a bunch
of clones or something?

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Chemistry doesn't mean "identical."

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Sure, you're looking for people who
will work well in your environment.

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But you also want them to add to it;

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you know, bring their own unique
backgrounds, experiences and work styles.

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Alright, that makes more sense.

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Well... so, what else do
I need to do to be prepared?

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You also want to think about the
types of questions you're going to use.

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Types?

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There are three common types of
questions you can use in an interview,

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and each has it's place -

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behavior-based, situational
and self-evaluation.

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Okay, behavior-based.
That one I know.

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You ask someone to describe
something, specific and job related,

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that they've done in the past.

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Exactly. I'm not surprised
you knew that one.

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Behavior-based questions
are really widely used.

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They're based on research
that says past behavior

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is a good predictor
of future performance.

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I use a lot of these
with most candidates.

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Can you give me
an example of a time

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when you had to deal with
a problem client or coworker

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and how you handled it?

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Okay, I do use those. But...

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the other two - self-evaluation
and... what was it?

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Situational.

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Situational questions ask for
actions a candidate would take

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in a hypothetical
job-related situation.

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I also think they're also a good
predictor of future performance

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because they're based on the premise
that intent precedes action.

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They're great for when you run up
against somebody who's giving you

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well-rehearsed answers...

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and you need to see if they really know
what they're talking about.

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Yeah, that and I like to mix in a few
situational questions

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when I'm interviewing people who
don't have a lot of work experience.

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Completing projects on time is
extremely important in our environment.

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Now, how would you handle
a situation where unforeseen delays

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had an impact on the completion
of a new product website?

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Okay, that's situational.
What about self-evaluation?

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Self-evaluation questions ask people
to tell us something about themselves.

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I usually throw in a few.

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They help me get a better picture
of what motivates a person.

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And they help you see how
self-aware someone is...

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Even a little about their
emotional maturity.

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Personal and organizational integrity
is very important to us, so...

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I'd like to know under what
circumstances, if any,

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you feel it's okay
not to tell the truth.

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Okay, so I need to have questions
that focus on the three dimensions.

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I need to know what
types I'm going to use -

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behavior-based, situational
and self evaluation.

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What about order?

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Well, I don't know about you guys,
but I start with capability,

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then commitment,
and wrap up with chemistry.

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Logical. Seems to flow pretty well.

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And don't forget all the questions
have to be legal.

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Sure. They all have to relate directly
to the specific requirements of the job.

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That and you need to know the kinds
of questions that are out of bounds.

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We can't ask questions that have to
deal with age, skin color, disability,

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gender, national origin, race, religion
or creed, or any other illegal topics.

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Wait a minute. I've had candidates
volunteer something that's off-limits;

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they start talking about their family
or religious affiliation or whatever.

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That happens. The best thing
is just don't pursue it.

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Ignore it. Ask another
question from your list

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and get the interview back on track.

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I don't mean to change
the subject, but...

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Are we planning at eating
anytime soon?

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- I'm starving.
- Oh, sure! Sorry, sorry.

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I just need to get this
stupid thing to light.

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Ah, this might help.

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Amazing. Gas. Who knew?

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Anybody need something to drink,
you know where to find it.

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I'll be right back.

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Okay, for those of
you keeping score -

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here's what I'd learned
up to that point.

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Preparing for a structured interview

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means developing a list
of job related questions

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that focus on the three dimensions -
capability, commitment and chemistry;

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it means knowing what types
of questions we're going to use

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and the order we're going
to ask them in.

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And double checking
to be sure they're legal.

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I had the preparation thing down.

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So now what I needed to know was

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how to actually conduct
a three dimensional interview.