“I get everything I interview for, everything! The problem is, I can’t keep any of those jobs more than a few months. I’m sure I need fixin’, I just don’t know what’s broke!”
How’s that for an enviable problem? It’s not an exaggeration, either. There are folks who are so personable they blend into every situation they find themselves. They are so perceptive, they seem able to read the minds of those who interview them, and can respond with just the right words, spoken in just the right way.
What’s broken? They can’t make it last.
“I get every candidate I go after. They may not want my company at first, but by the time I’m finished talking to them, I’ve signed them up! The only problem is, they don’t last very long. I think I’m doing my job but the boss thinks turnover is my fault. Who’s right and what’s the solution? ”
The goal of an interview, for applicant and interviewer, is to determine if the job and the person are well matched. A simple method, and one that actually works, is for each to ask the other questions, consider the responses, ask some more, reflect, and decide the next step: go for another interview or keep looking.
The goal isn’t achieved if the interviewer sells the company to the applicant, overcoming objections and discounting questions. The goal isn’t achieved if the applicant sells to the company, stating abilities well beyond capabilities, and achievements that just aren’t so.
Vision that is short-sighted has no benefit beyond the present. Consequences count: A bad hiring decision costs a company plenty; in lost time, production and morale. It costs the employee plenty too, in hard to explain resumes and bad references.
How can applicants avoid traps of their own making? Stop selling.
Job seekers who know themselves and can describe their strengths with authority are not boastful. They are self-confident. They know what they bring to the table that can make a difference to an employer. They know what they don’t do well and are honest about that too. They know where and when they have been successful, which managers have challenged them most and have brought out their best. They know what they seek and what to leave alone.
- They know what to ask and how to ask it.
- They know how to listen without jumping to conclusions.
- They know how to understand without premature judgment.
Good interviewers do their homework. They learn what their companies need and why they need it. They understand their company’s goals and methods for reaching them. They know what makes management tick and the personality types who are rewarded for achievement. They know the obstacles to success, for the new employee and for the company. They know what doesn’t work and the behaviors that turn people off. They believe in the value of people and product. They can talk about what they know in ways that are objective and candid.
- They are perceptive without pre-judgment.
- They know how to ask and how to listen.
- They probe without intimidation.
Salary questions can short circuit the interview. Applicants and interviewers have to establish their case before putting a price tag on it. Both want to know how the other responds to change and challenge. Both need to know the others’ track record to predict growth potential. Both need to take time in the interview. The work place will be rushed enough.
Second interviews are revealing. Initial interviews, like first dates, can be deceiving. Cautious applicants who start out slowly, saying little and asking less, can become downright chatty in subsequent meetings. Others who come on strong can fade in later sessions. Second interviews benefit all parties, giving each person the time and space necessary to focus on reality and not illusion.
Use the carpenter’s rule: measure twice and cut once. Interviewers and applicants can increase their potential for success by doing just that.
