Good Interviews Are Easy, Bad Ones Are Tough

I love to conduct job interviews. One of my really good feelings is having the opportunity to listen to talented people talk about themselves. However, interviewers confuse me. They act as though they want to hire more than the applicant wants the job. 

Most of us don't interview regularly. When we do, it's often done in a frenzied environment that isn't conducive to sound decision-making. These Twelve Techniques Toward Interview Truth can make interviewing job applicants more fun and effective. 

1. Listen, don't talk. You need to learn, not teach. Interviewers are often too salesy and talk too much. Remain still, attentive, and challenge yourself to keep your mouth shut. Relax, sit back, and let the interviewee do the talking. 
2. Buy, don't sell. I'm astonished by how many interviewers put on their selling shoes before the interview is over. The prospect will want the position more if you give signals that many individuals seek the opening. Well into the interview process, when you know who you want, you can open up a little and sell your organization. Until then, be a buyer. Force the interviewee to sell. 
3. Don't share all your sins. Hey, your organization isn't perfect, but there's no need to talk about corporate acne. They'll find out soon enough. Effective interviewers present themselves and their organizations in as good a light as they legitimately can. 
4. Have tolerance for the unusual person. It's sometimes the unconventional applicant who has the most potential. Don't reach your conclusions too early or too emotionally. 
5. Facts and truth aren't synonyms. Facts, such as numbers, can intentionally mislead. Close listening and precise follow up questions will help find the truth-but you may have to reach for it. Remember, an applicant who knows what he or she is doing is selling. 
6. Behavior repeats itself. We've all interviewed the person who was fired as many times as hired. It's always someone else's fault, of course. Behavior is predictable and repetitive. Watch out. 
7. Ask the question, "What have you accomplished that has been unusual?" Most of the time, you'll get a blank stare or a paragraph of baloney. Occasionally, however, this question will cause an interviewee's eyes to light up like the Las Vegas strip. When this happens, make sure you've got his or her telephone number. 
8. Invite talent. Too many interviewers are leery of hiring people they fear might be smarter or more talented than they are. There's a direct correlation between talent and achievement. How can the interviewer not be interested? 
9. To find out, ask. Go for the jugular if necessary to get direct, unhedged answers. If responses are indirect, persist with follow up questions. Take control of the interview and the answers will come. 
10. Always ask indirect questions. The burden of talking should be on the applicant. Phrase your indirect question in a way that the applicant can't answer by "yes" or "no." Require them to expound in more detail. Phrases such as "tell me about" work well.
11. Be more interested in the person than the position. Steve Jobs of Apple Computer fame said he tried to find exceptional talent, then looked for something for them to do. His point is valid. Too many times we turn away capable people in favor of a mediocre hire because he or she fits the exact slot better. Talent is the name of the game. If you get enough of it and know how to cultivate it, you are going to do well.
    Some people have it. Some don't. The business of hiring and keeping talent is the profession every achieving business person should be in. ‍
12. Check basic skills. Spelling and writing are important skills, but it's amazing how many applicants do neither well. It's also shocking how few prospective employers bother to check! We give all applicants a spelling test as part of the initial interview. I hope the test, reproduced in the next section, is of as much value to your skill analysis as it has been to ours.