Interviewing

Riddle me this, Batman!

February 2, 2016 By Marta Goertzen

What happens when you have had 34 interviews and no job offer?

Answer: Nothing.

Jack (not his real name!) called me the other day totally frustrated with this exact situation. I coached him on interview skills last year. He thought he was doing everything right but he was getting no results.

I was stumped too. So we had another session together, this time on Skype. We both thought having a video discussion would give some insight into what was going on. Maybe the problem was with his physical presentation and not his words?

The mock interview went well. Jack’s responses were great. He clearly loved his career and had great stories to share about his accomplishments. His response to “tell me about yourself” could be a little smoother but his other answers and his stories were wonderful, more than making up for any fuzziness in his initial response.

There must be something else going on.

Listening is critical when I coach. I get a great deal of information from what you, the candidate, thinks.

You are in the situation. You are absorbing the clues and cues during the interview. Somewhere deep inside, you understand what is going on. It is usually difficult to express. But the key to solving a persistent problem like this usually lies inside.

Jack said he has been told he appears to be very serious, he does not seem passionate or enthusiastic and they wonder if he can handle difficult situations that come up in his somewhat political career.

Huh. These are important clues to what might be going on.

Jack loves his career. I mean he really loves to talk about it and he has great stories about real accomplishments that made a difference in his community. He goes out of his way to research each opportunity, even visiting the location to talk to people so he can get context to frame his interview responses.

He is a serious guy. Wait a minute. Maybe we are on to something!

Every hiring manager is subconsciously trying to answer three questions, whether they know it or not: 1) Can you do the job? 2) Will you love the job? 3) Will you get along with the team.

Take another look at what Jack has been told: he does not seem passionate or enthusiastic. This could be a way of saying they are not sure you will love the job. If you won’t love the job how committed can you be to do that job for 8+ hours a day? So perhaps he is getting dinged for the way he expresses his passion?

He has also been told that they are not sure he can handle difficult situations in the job. Maybe that is a way of saying they are not sure he can get along with the team or get the team to do what they need done? Perhaps he is being dinged for the way he gets along or convinces people.

Even one “no” to the 3 questions probably means you are not getting the job. Perhaps Jack can adjust the way he expresses his passion and his ability to influence?

I am a big believer in DiSC behavioral assessments. When I described the elements to Jack we both agreed that Jack is probably solidly in the “C” Conscientiousness quadrant characterized as precise, analytical and reserved. He doesn’t express much emotion in his face. But he can flex a little!

Jack is absolutely passionate about what he does. He will practice smiling and engaging people in conversation more. He practiced a little on our call. It will take a while before he feels comfortable but in that little time he looked less serious. He will fake it till he makes it!

Jack has a track record of getting along and getting his ideas approved through influence. He needs to demonstrate this more in interviews. He will practice observing the behavior style of others so he can give the interviewer what the interviewer needs to see in the way the interviewer needs to see it.

If you have had too many interviews and no job offers, it might not be what you are saying but the way you are saying it. Let someone (a coach, a trusted friend, The Interview Doctor perhaps) help you pull out what might be going on so you can work on a different way of presenting yourself.

Let your inner strength and accomplishments shine through your behavior!

See Candidates in Action: Is the Perfect Candidate really all that Perfect?

December 22, 2015 By Marta Goertzen

You have a critical vacancy on the team, a position that will make or break your year. The wrong hire would be a disaster. You’ve bitten your finger nails to the quick but that doesn’t seem to help.

You need to know that the person you hire can do the job, will love the job and will get along with the team, right? What if there was a way to test out the candidate before hiring? Heather Richkowski, an Interview Doctor, has a technique that works: work simulation interviews.

Here is how it works. Heather kicks off the process with a short meeting with the hiring team. They outline a scenario the company faces that the candidate would address during the normal course of business.

Heather turns this information into an interview scenario, sort of like a case study.

At the assigned time, the candidate comes to an office space outfitted with business equipment and tools. Heather explains the business scenario and resources available to solve the problem in an allotted amount of time. She provides colleagues’ names and contact information so the candidate can reach out for information or tools the candidate might need. The goal is to see how the candidate solves problems, reacts to interruptions and interacts with colleagues.

Behind the scenes Heather arms each hiring team member with information or tools the candidate might use. Some team members are designated “nudges” to interrupt, annoy and otherwise try to distract the candidate.

At the debrief meeting, the hiring team reviews the solution the candidate submitted along with an evaluation of how much of the available resources the candidate utilized and how the candidate handled the interruptions.

Work simulation interviews recreate a real world working situation to see the candidate in action. No one ever works in a vacuum. In the real world solving problems involves relying on colleagues, building relationships, seeking out information, along with using past experience and your own knowledge to solve problems.

Ingenious, right?

Heather used this tool recently to test the “perfect” candidate. The boss insisted this was the engineer who could change their business. The hiring team wasn’t sure. Heather says, “I suggested that we could confirm the boss’s opinion by seeing the candidate in action. I recommended a Work Simulation Job Interview.” Heather facilitated the planning meeting then created a work simulation interview scenario. She gave the hiring team their assignments as resources or interrupters then invited the candidate to an afternoon-long work simulation interview.

In this case, the “perfect” candidate disappointed. He didn’t utilize the resources, he didn’t call any of the colleagues to ask for more information to help solve the problem and he got distracted by the interrupters who got him to stop what he was doing to chit-chat. Worst of all, the solution he turned in was basic, just scratching the surface of what the company needed to change their business.

Heather says this was a big win. “Even the boss had to admit that work simulation interviewing revealed they would have hired the wrong person. We also learned the kind of competencies and behavior we needed that helped us focus our search to find the right candidates.”

Setting up a work simulation interview for a critical position is not a huge investment. According to Heather, “The Company invested a few hours of my time, compared to the cost of making a bad hire; which in this case would have been over $50,000 in turnover costs plus the delay in implementing their business technology strategy – which could cost millions! A small price to pay for such valuable insight.”

Interested in organizing a work simulation interview for your next critical hire? Heather and The Interview Doctor can help, contact us here or give us a call at 330 495 2337.

Advice To A Motor Mouth – Think Before You Answer Job Interview Questions

December 18, 2015 By Katherine Burik

Are you a talker or a listener? My husband is a talker, a motor mouth.

He can talk to a shoe. He talks non-stop. When we travel with friends on our boat he is famous for his non-stop patter of interesting and sometimes silly comments that alternately annoy and crack up folks listening on the radio. He is the one who can always get the bridge tender or lock master to crack a smile. This is a great attribute most times.

Being a motor mouth is a behavioral style my husband was born with. He was always like that. Although he can be quiet, he is normally chatty. This is a strength for him.

I can’t do that. I am much quieter. I formulate responses in my head before I talk.

Sometimes the words don’t come out as beautifully as they sounded in my head. Sometimes I sit there not saying anything but thinking up a storm.

Chatty people sometimes talk before they think. Quiet people take time to formulate the entire response before speaking. Each style has its advantages and disadvantages. Everyone is different. It is important to use your strengths in ways that enhance your job search.

An interview is not a normal conversation. Each question is asked for a specific reason. You need to consider what the interviewer is looking for before you respond. The first thing to come into your mind and out of your mouth might not be the best answer.

Think before you talk.

There is one piece of advice that benefits both quiet people and motor mouths: Prepare your responses in advance. Simple as that.

Since most interviewers ask the same questions, the questions you get in an interview should not be a surprise. It is possible to prepare in advance exactly what you want to say to each potential interview question. Sort of like a script that you internalize.

Your responses become strategic. You have thought this through in advance and can figure out the best response to each question to direct the listener to the portion of your background or the story you want to highlight.

This approach is advantageous to both the motor mouth and the quiet person.

The motor mouth can practice controlled, focused responses that give only the information the listener is looking for using fewer words without rambling.
The quiet person can have a smooth answer come out of his/her mouth without stammering and fumbling.

Why aren’t you already doing this?

Get your copy of 30 Most Frequently Asked Job Interview Questions here, so you can practice your answers before you go into the interview.

Job Interview Tools Part 1: Do People Still Carry Portfolios?

December 11, 2015 By Katherine Burik

I have a beautiful portfolio with my initials on it. My friend, Stuart, gave it to me years ago.

Stuart was influential in my career, helping me determine that I really was in the proper career during a really extended job search. So that portfolio means something to me. Every time I look at that portfolio I remember the confidence Stuart had in my abilities. I sit up a little straighter.

A portfolio or fancy folder, is a holdover from an olden day when people who worked in offices wore suits to work and wanted to look professional.

These days we don’t wear suits. We dress to reflect our individuality. We seek comfort in exchange for the long hours. Or maybe you work at home in your pajamas, the true reflection of work comfort.

An interview is not like real life. An interview is special. You get dressed up for an interview and try to look as professional as possible. Or rather, you try to leave the impression that you will be a great fit for the team in whatever way the team defines “great fit”.

Interviews are all about impressions. Sort of like play acting. You need the right costume. A fancy portfolio fits the costume.

You choose props to support the impression you want to make. Do you want to look strong, confident, friendly, easy going, or hard core? Each impression might have a different kind of prop to support the image. It is all strategic.

Let’s say you are a man or a woman who wants to leave the impression that you are an executive who wants to work in the board room. You are properly dressed in a nice dark suit. Would you wear lime green gym shoes? No, you select shoes that match the impression you are trying to make. All the props need to match the impression you are trying to leave.

When my daughter graduated from college I bought her a beautiful handmade eelskin portfolio. She uses it for interviews and important business meetings when she wants to make an impression.

Think of it this way: Would you stuff scrap paper in your pockets with a stubby golf pencil? Or would you go to that executive-boardroom type interview without paper and pencil? What impression would you give? The interviewer would have the right to think you were not prepared and probably would not be prepared if they hired you.

In the same way you would not wear lime green gym shoes with a dark business suit, you do not want to stuff scraps of paper in your pocket or pull out a stubby golf pencil.

Having a portfolio allows you to carry information with you in a convenient, neat manner while supporting the impression you want to make.

Looking for a job? Download our FREE Tell Me About Yourself Worksheet which will help you struggle with the answer to the always asked Job Interview question, “Tell Me About Yourself”. Stop fumbling with your words and get clear and confident on your answer with the “Tell Me About Yourself” worksheet.

Chart a Course for Success

December 1, 2015 By Marta Goertzen

We have been boaters for 21 years at the same marina in Sandusky OH.

The docks are kind of warped from the impact of many cold winters and not being attended to or upgraded. Goose poop piles up on the docks during the week. The Internet is sketchy at best. No one from the marina catches your lines when you come in. The gas dock helpers don’t know too much. Once each weekend the manager walks across the parking lot. He nods at people. Maybe you get a smile with that nod but not much conversation. He is not engaged with his customers.

What do you think has been the impact on the marina? As you might expect the marina is half empty now. The only reason we stay is because we can’t convince our friends to leave.

We’ve been traveling on our boat a lot lately. Recently we had a completely different experience at Osprey Marina south of Myrtle Beach SC. An experienced dockhand caught our lines, filled the tanks with fuel and pumped out the holding tanks all the while chatting and asking questions, friendly as can be.

Because he asked questions to generate conversation, he opened the possibility of us staying at this marina for 2 weeks. He guided us to our spot on clean, new floating docks.

The clubhouse offers donuts in the morning and the high speed Internet covers even the farthest corner. The manager walks out to check on us every day, brushing leaves and goose poop off the docks. We see him walking around talking to everyone he meets. He seems to know everyone too. The facilities are spotless with clean shiny washers and dryers.

What do you think is the impact on the marina? Osprey Marina is completely full with a widespread regional reputation for great service at good prices. Although they are full, they find some way to make room for transient boaters with some creative accommodations. Boaters stream in and out of there with smiles on their faces. Revenue is up and the facilities are fully utilized.

I think the difference between the two marinas is leadership and the expectations for performance that leaders set on the team.

Next summer we have a decision to make about where we want to dock our boat. Will we choose the marina with the crabby employees and deteriorating conditions? Or will we choose a friendly marina with great facilities?

Customers are making choices every day that directly impact your bottom line. As a leader you can influence your customers’ choices by creating a great customer experience. Start by understanding your business issues:

Understand your customer experience. What do customers think about your service? How do you know? Who are they telling? Steps you can take include:

Reward and recognize repeat customers
Customer feedback surveys
Social media ratings

Understand the impact of your employees on your customers. What do your employees think about your service? How do you know? Who are they telling? Are they a positive representation of you?

Measure employee turnover, especially 1^st year turnover
Social media feedback
Employee attitude surveys

Set expectations from the moment you being recruiting. How do your employees know what you expect? Don’t assume. Plan, execute and communicate. Understand the outcome you seek, the positive things that will happen by having that particular employee on your team

Recruit for the behavior you want to see
Set expectations from the beginning that are consistent from recruiting

Reinforce values. How do your employees know what you expect – tasks and behavior? How do you reinforce expectations? Do you walk the talk? How do you grow your employees so they can thrive in your workplace so they stay and nurture your customer?

Onboarding
Performance reviews
360 feedback
Pulsing
Training
Delegate to give your employees development opportunities to grow

Be a little introspective to honestly evaluate your business. Then call The Interview Doctor. We can help you put together and execute a plan to influence your customers’ choices by creating a great customer experience!