–Below is a leadership bullet from Tom’s rifle named Shot–
STRANGER! BEWARE. Be especially aware if the stranger plans to stay. What kind of a dude is he? What’s she all about? What stories will they leave behind? Drifter? Today, perhaps? Tomorrow, who knows?
Interviewing potential employees is like assessing strangers. Consider, asking questions about past actions to determine what they may do in the future. Before anything, recognize that in-person interviews serve to assess critical behavior on the job, not ability to do the job. The latter is best determined from resumes and preliminary phone inquiries. Think “will do” and “fit,” not “can.” Use in-person interviews for tricky things such as handling conflict, dealing with unsavory customers, sorting out ambiguous directives, working in a team environment, being honest amidst compromising concerns—whatever is important to a particular job. Ask about times when candidates experienced X and what they did. You might even say, “tell me about a time when you faced X, and how you worked through it.” Follow each response with, what did you learn from the situation? You see, they may not have handled things well, but they may have learned and be equipped for your challenges. You will need to analyze the responses, but you will be purposeful and in control.