The Deceptively Simple Type Of Question Every Interviewer Needs To Know
“Launching questions” are straightforward,
open-ended, and 12 words or less. Here’s how to use them.
We all love to hear ourselves talk, and good interviewers can make
a job applicant open up just by asking the right questions. But what makes a
question good? Simple: When it’s easily understood. Too often, the questions
recruiters and hiring managers ask are confusing–they use too many words,
overwhelming the listener.
Questions posed the right way can be comprehended quickly, letting
listeners think carefully about their answers. You can actually see this
happen; when people are asked compelling questions, they pause, think,
and then respond. When they do, their answers are thorough,
accurate, and satisfying for everyone involved in the conversation. And there’s
one type of question that every job interviewer can ask in order to get
responses like this–it’s simpler than you think.
“Launching questions” are provocative, open-ended questions that
can be posed in 12 words or less. Their brevity ensures that they’re
immediately understood, launching people into giving detailed answers. The goal
of asking them is to create a conversational quid pro quo: The questioner wants
to understand, and the respondent gets to be heard.
In fact, just about every ordinary response can be turned into a
new launching question, which can help you quickly develop an even deeper
understanding of the candidate. Here are three examples of launching questions
you can use early on in the interview process, either during a phone screening
or at the start of an in-person interview:
- “Why us?” Motives
are important. Knowing if your candidate is inspired by your company’s
mission or just needs a job will help you pick the best people.
- “Why now?” When a
candidate is actively searching for a job, knowing what’s driving that
decision is important. Is the candidate desperate to make a change, ready
to leap at the first offer? Or is she happy and simply open to a new opportunity
that could make her life better? Knowing what’s driving someone’s behavior
is crucial for making the right hire.
- “What type of
job suits you best?” Too often, interviewers ask
candidates about their “perfect” job, but that sets both questioner and answerer
up for failure since jobs and companies are rarely perfect. Instead of
asking about perfection, ask about personal fit.
Launching questions are particularly important for recruiters who
are speaking with so-called “passive” candidates, people who aren’t actively
searching for work. The challenge is to engage them in a meaningful
conversation and get them interested in hearing more about a new opportunity.
If someone says they’re happy in their current role, ask, “What
would make you happier?”
For example, when someone says they aren’t seriously looking to
change jobs, you could ask, “Under what circumstances would you consider
something new?” If someone says they’re happy in their current role, ask, “What
would make you happier?” Both examples get prospects thinking about the
possibilities and offering input on what they care most about.
Asking launching questions doesn’t just help you get to know
prospective candidates, though–it also helps you sell the
opening you’re trying to fill. And make no mistake: Hiring is a form of
selling. The hope is that the best prospective buyers—top talent—choose you.
During interviews, you walk a tightrope, balancing the need to sell the job
with the need to confirm that the candidate is a good fit for it.
Virtually no one likes to be sold to. We’ve all been on the
receiving end of a sales pitch, and it’s often an unpleasant experience.
Salespeople usually default to the “tell, sell, and swell” method, explaining
why their company is different, touting their product’s features and benefits,
and swelling our egos with compliments. We’ve learned not to trust everything
salespeople say.
In job interviews, you’ve got to make way for the better
salesperson to do the selling–and that’s the candidate, not you, the
interviewer. Candidates always believe themselves but may or
may not believe you as you talk up your company. If they’re going to buy into
your opportunity, they’re the best-qualified salespeople to
make that happen. Want candidates to believe your organization is the best
choice? They’re the ones who should do the convincing. Will
they remain committed to accepting a job now or in the future? Only if they
tell themselves it’s the right idea.
Candidates always believe themselves but may or
may not believe you as you talk up your company.
Think of it as “collaborative selling”: The seller (you) guides
the conversation while the buyer (the candidate) does the selling. You’re
learning important details, and the candidate is selling herself on the
opportunity.
Simple as they may seem, launching questions are the best way to
get this collaboration under way and sustain it through the course of the
interview. They can come in handy in every interview, including those on the
phone, by videoconference, and the ones you conduct in-person. Launching
questions are powerful levers capable of heavy lifting. Keep them short,
simple, and open-ended, and they’ll elevate you and your organization in the
eyes of job candidates, showing you care what they have to say.
You’ll draw out important details to inform your decision
making–all the while letting the better salesperson sell themselves on the
possibility of joining your team.
BY SCOTT
WINTRIP
https://www.fastcompany.com/3069197/career-evolution/the-deceptively-simple-type-of-question-every-interviewer-needs-to-know?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fast-company-daily-newsletter&position=4&partner=newsletter&campaign_date=03242017
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