Interviewing candidates for a job has been going on as a process since years. Recruiters and hiring managers seem to love interviews as they possess the power to make the very significant decision of hiring or rejecting a potential candidate.
But research has shown that a typical interview is pretty unreliable. The person sitting across the table comes all decked up, trying to please the people with the power to hire him and somehow convince strangers how good he would be at this job.
Since interviews are generally verbal in nature, how does one assess the real character and passion of a candidate? All of it seems like a grey area. This is because most candidates talk their way into a job and hardly fall true to their claims. Performance in an interview is not an indication of performance on the job, which is why it is difficult to analyse if the person can actually execute or not.
How does one identify a ‘talker’ from a ‘doer’? Someone who actually takes charge of the work as claimed during the interview process and does not run away from responsibilities. We have compiled a list of questions that defy the conventional questions asked during interviews, answers to most of them are anyway rehearsed. These should help you understand whether the potential candidate will walk the talk or not!
Here’s How You Can Identify A ‘Talker’ From A ‘Doer’ While Hiring!
The best way to differentiate between a talker and a doer is to ask detailed questions. People who aren’t genuine will fumble and will have no concrete answers. You will easily be able to assess the kind of answers that are made up and shallow versus answers that have depth and a sense of meaning to them. Here are some questions that will help you better assess a candidate’s real worth:
How will you identify problems and opportunities on the job?
New hires seek to identify problems that should be addressed in a new job. You can ask the candidate to walk you through some steps of the process that he has in mind, to overcome problems as well as work out new opportunities. This will help you assess the mindset of the person and how he approaches anything in life.
Solve a problem you will face?
Find out the actual capability of solving a problem of the candidate. Give them a piece of paper mentioning the problem along with a list of solutions. Figure out how they approach the problem that will be waiting for them on the first day of their job. Simply talking about problem-solving and actually applying one’s strategic thinking in getting to the base of the issue will help you identify a talker from a doer.
Forecast and talk about the job and this industry:
Being forward-looking is one of the essential aspects of a candidate since the jobs and the overall industries are constantly changing today. They should be able to anticipate changes and plan ahead. Ask the candidates what they think is the future of your industry and how he plans to stay relevant to the changing industry trends.
The candidate should be aware of the top firms in your industry as well as what changes may occur as a result of business transitions, new technology and the need for increased speed and innovation.
Show us your adaptability when a dramatic change is required?
The market is extremely volatile and every industry change will also reflect changes in your company’s working style. Ask the candidates how they plan to adapt to the changing conditions and emerge successful on the job.
You can also ask them about any particular situation they have in mind, where due to their ability to quickly adapt to sudden changes, they were able to successfully work things out. If your firm focuses on innovation as a value, you should definitely work out some questions that will help you figure out how innovative the candidate really is.
Pick out any area of your business, and ask the candidate how he will bring about innovation in that area.
List and rank your job acceptance factors?
Just as you have the option to select between multiple candidates, candidates also have the option to pick amongst different jobs. This is why you need to know what motivates candidates to pick one job over another. Respect their choices and ask them to list out factors that will affect their decisions to accept or reject a job such as pay, job duties, fit with the manager, levels of responsibility etc.
Ask them what matters to them, like feedback, rewards, communications approach etc.
List and rank the capabilities you bring to this job?
Utilizing a candidate’s strengths is really important when hired to match them with the requirements of the job. Given the four important categories of knowledge, experience, education, and skills, ask them to list in descending order what they feel are their strongest five capabilities that will make them a top performer on the job.
While you are discussing strengths, don’t shy away from discussing their weaknesses too based on assessments and appraisals in their previous job.
Put more thoughts into important questions that will drive out answers that make it easy for you to figure out who is bluffing, who is serious and who is simply there to talk and not perform. For a proactive and effective workforce, make sure you have more doers in your organisation!
