Brad Remillard

Eliminate Candidate Embellishment

While not every candidate is guilty of puffery, we know from experience that it happens. Candidates claim responsibility for accomplishments that really were not their accomplishments, but rather those of bosses, peers, or perhaps even subordinates.

There is a bulletproof solution to the problem of “accomplishment inflammation,” and that is to become a great detective. When you learn to probe every answer for relevant details, you’ll discover what we have: There hasn’t been a candidate born who can make up false answers quickly enough. They’ve either done what they say they’ve done and can describe it in infinite detail, or they will implode in the chair right in front of you (and it’s messy when it happens).

Every time you ask a candidate a question based on examples, expect to spend fifteen to thirty minutes exploring the details of each example. Put the candidate’s answer under a magnifying glass, and ask for multiple examples to make sure something wasn’t an anomaly.

Every interview will be different, but no matter what example is being discussed, your probes will generally follow the time-honored journalist’s “5 Ws”:
• Who?
• What?
• When?
• Where?
• Why?
• For good measure, throw in How? (Yes, even though it is not a W.)

Train yourself to have a knee-jerk reaction to high-level, nonspecific answers. Usually, it’s not that the candidate is trying to deceive you; it’s that he or she simply hasn’t thought to give concrete, detailed answers. You can help the candidate along by following up assertions and blanket statements with one of the following Magnifying Glass questions:
• “Could you give me an example of that?”
• “Can you be more specific about that?”
• “Can you give me a bit more information about that?”
• “What were the most important details about that situation?”
• “What was your responsibility within the project team?’
• “What did you personally do to ensure that success?”
• “Who else was involved in that project?”
• “Why did you take that approach on the project?”
• “Why did you pick those individuals to be on the team?”
Get all the details. Dates, numbers, names of people, schedules. Both of you will be helping each other to get to the facts faster and with more relevance.

Other good Magnifying Glass questions:
• What was your role in the project?
• What success was achieved?
• How did you decide what to do?
• Can you give me a few examples of your personal initiative on the project?
• When have you faced a comparable challenge?
• Where did the resources come from to get that accomplished?
• How were parameters for the project set?
• Would you consider that process a success? Why or why not? (Remember, even a failure has value)
• When have you failed to meet your boss’s expectations?
• How did the team make mid-course corrections?
• What did you learn specifically?
• With benefit of hindsight, what would you do differently next time?

Keep going until you know what you need to know (or until it becomes apparent the candidate is being elusive or downright lying. If this happens, it’s time to cut and run.) Whatever you do, don’t give in and assume it’ll work out. Some candidates are great about changing the subject and making you think you got enough information. Be sure to make a note of what happened and then move on.

When the pool of talent is narrowed down to the final two candidates, it’s time for the interview team to come up with homework assignments. An important predictor of how a candidate will adapt to your organization’s environment is to see an example of his or her thought processes, analytical skills, and problem-solving, up close and personal.

Effective homework assignments are projects of reasonable size and scope that involve one of the most critical Success Factors listed in your Success Factor Snapshot. The candidate should be given all the support he or she needs to adequately answer the question or complete the assignment. The candidate should then return to the interview panel and present results and conclusions, and lead a question and answer discussion based on the homework. No matter what functional area, homework should entail questioning, analysis, research, and a panel discussion with some form of presentation.

While homework assignments are “out there” in the hiring world, some candidates may object to doing what they perceive as unpaid work.

Most Top 5% Talent, because of their self-motivated nature, will be intrigued and embrace the challenge. But if they’ve had previous encounters with unscrupulous employers who actually do assign homework and go on to use candidate ideas (even though they did not hire the candidate) you’ll need to reassure them that you aren’t asking them to come up with the “right answer.” Instead, you are looking for a concrete example of their approach to problems, their analytical and presentation skills, and their ability to synthesize information.

The scope of homework should be appropriate; that is, you shouldn’t ask candidates to dedicate forty hours on nights and weekends to solving your most pressing problem as “homework.” Make it clear at the outset that the homework is not going to be as deep as the actual job, and that you aren’t looking so much for their answer as for deep insight into their thought and action processes.

Article Tags: Homework Assignments

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