master class for leaders: 7 secrets to interview candidates like a boss

Master Class for Leaders:7 Secrets to Interview Candidates

Like a Boss

February 22, 2017

Welcome to “7 Secrets to Interview Candidates Like a Boss”

The webcast will start momentarily.

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Cory EusticeTalent Director, Hart

linkedin.com/in/coryeustice

Cory Eustice is a recruiting leader with nearly 10 years experience in growing corporations as well as staffing recruitment firms. His expertise spans across:

• Human capital strategy• Essential hiring practices (including

building hiring processes) • Candidate sourcing• Executive search

Currently, Cory oversees and manages talent growth strategy and recruitment programs at Hart, a health and fitness technology company in Anaheim, California.

Cory develops management and leadership training programs with emphasis on how to hire effectively and efficiently. He believes in a candidate-focused hiring process that goes beyond skill sets.

Today’s session

In order to be effective at hiring and building a grade-A team, managers need to know what questions to ask during the initial interview stages. In this 60 minute session, you’ll learn the 7 secrets to interview candidates like a boss.

We’ll cover:

q Planning Stage: Interview processes that most leaders takeq Interview Execution: How to develop strategic interview questionsq Candidate Evaluation: What to look for in interview answers q Examples: Top interview questions CEOs ask candidates

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Interview Process Most Leaders Take

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Interview Lifecycle: 3 Stages Managers Undergo

Identify Talent Brand

Detail What You Want / Don’t Want

Identify Benchmarks

Define Benchmarks

Craft Interview Questions

PRE

PlanningWhat you need to ask yourself

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Promote Job on Channels

Conduct Phone Screening On-site Interview Homework

Assignment

INTERVIEW

ExecutionInterview steps you / team takes

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Candidate Interview Evaluation Candidate Follow-up

POST

Evaluation /Follow-upClosing the loop and filling the role

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In-take Formhttp://bit.ly/2liNpdS

Exampleshttp://bit.ly/2liNpdS

Formshttp://bit.ly/2liNpdS

Planning Stage: It’s Your Compass Throughout This Process

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Interview Lifecycle: Identify Your Culture Through Talent Brand



Identify Benchmarks

Define Benchmarks


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• What do you want YOUR BRAND to be?• What do you want YOUR TALENT BRAND to be?• What companies with strong talent brands INSPIRE you?

THE PERFECT CANDIDATE

• Metrics-obsessed• Always innovating• Work horse vs.

show pony

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Identify Benchmarks

Define Benchmarks


PRE


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• What are the top 5-10 essentials to YOU and the COMPANY?• What are the top 5-10 essentials to the ROLE?• What are the things you and the company don’t need?



show pony

• 10+ yrs strategy and digital marketing exp.

• Loyal, culture fit, marketing exp in tech

• Junior level, just an executor

Interview Lifecycle: Know What You Want / Don’t Want

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Identify Benchmarks

Define Benchmarks


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• # of years relevant experience• Past tenure• Management experience in successful tech companies



show pony




• 10+ yrs experience• 2 yr min tenure• Manager roles at

Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.

Interview Lifecycle: What Are the Benchmarks?

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Identify Benchmarks

Define Benchmarks


PRE


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show pony




• 10+ yrs experience• 2 yr min tenure• Manager roles at


• Relevant experience & execution?• Loyalty?• Leadership?

• 10+ yrs acquisition marketing across channels with hands-on role

• Reason for leaving…• Leading 5 full-time

employees for 2 years at Google

Interview Lifecycle: Define Your Benchmarks for Clarity

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Identify Benchmarks

Define Benchmarks


PRE


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• Metrics-obsessed

• Always innovating

• Work horse vs. show pony




• 10+ yrs experience

• 2 yr min tenure• Manager roles at


• Have pre-selected criteria:o Application documentationo Knowledge o Skills o Education o Experience o Personal suitability

• Subjective traits are measured by the answers to your questions. For example:

• Leadership: Ask to define it.• Loyalty: Ask to describe it.• Experience: Give examples of

relevant projects developed and executed.

• 10+ yrs acquisition marketing across channels with hands-on role

• Reason for leaving…

• Leading 5 full-time employees for 2 years at Google

Interview Lifecycle: Time to Start Crafting Interview Questions

TIPS:

q Document why + how to for questions

q Ask the same/similar questions

Interview Execution:Crafting Strategic Interview Questions

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Example: Crafting An Action-Oriented (Behavioral) Question

Action-oriented Hires:• Hire employees who take action and take chances. • While chances may lead to failure, they will more often lead to success and mold

confidence while generating new ideas. • Stagnant employees won’t make your company money; action-oriented employees

will.

Sample Question:• Describe a time where you took a chance in your current or a past role that led to

either success or failure, and how did you handle the outcome?

TIPS - What to Look for:q Do they provide a succinct answer with a clear and defined example? q How they answer this can be indicative of how they communicate overall. q Are they detail oriented? Or do they leave a lot to be questioned?

NOTE: This is an interview, so they may be nervous which could affect communication.

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Example: Interview Questions for Top Areas of Focus

• What do you know about the company?• Describe the role you’re interviewing for.• What interests you about the company / role?

Level Setting:Company Basics &

Role Alignment

• Walk me through your past work history that is similar/relevant/related to this role.

• Give me an example of one of the most challenging situations/projects and how did you overcome it. What did you learn?

• Here is a scenario [xyz]. How would you handle it?

Proof Points:Subject Expertise &

Problem-solving

• Tell me about what you’re most passionate about in the work you do.

• What does going above and beyond on a project mean to you?• Please give me an example and describe a time when you went

above and beyond?

Drive for Excellence:Gauge in Dedication

& Drive for Excellence

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• Describe a situation where you needed to use persuasion to convince someone to see things your way. What steps did you take? What were the results?

• Give me an example of a time when you felt you led by example. What did you do and, how did others react?

Ability to Lead:Effective

Communications & Influence

• Recall a time when your manager was unavailable when a problem arose. What was the nature of the problem? How did you handle that situation? What happened as a result?

• How have you contributed to a more productive team? • Tell me about a time when you had to juggle several projects at the

same time. How did you organize your time? What happened as a result?

Judgment & Prioritization:

Ability to self-manage

• Describe a time when you thought the decision made was NOT the right thing to do. How did you address your concerns? What was the result?

• Describe a project that you owned where in hindsight, would have managed differently.

• How would you work with less motivated team members? How would you handle it?

Accountability:Ownership and Integrity in Role and/or Project

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• How are you measured in your current role?• What are the key metrics you measure for [xyz]?• Share an example where you were responsible for analyzing the

performance of a project, the data gathered, and insights you gained. What actions did you take as a result of your analysis?

Data Driven:Level of Comfort

with Data, Insights & Analysis

• What do you think your colleagues / manager would say about you?

• What type of management style do you work well with? What management styles do you not work well with?

• Describe an ideal culture you are looking for.

Culture:Working with Others

& Cultural Fit

• What would motivate you to make a move from your current role?• Where do you see yourself 5-10 years from now?• What motivates/inspires you to come to work and do your best?

Motivations:Needs & Wants

Execution:From Marketing Your Job to

Asking Strategic Interview Questions

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Assignment

Interview


2

Exampleshttp://bit.ly/2liNpdS

Interview Lifecycle: Top 5 Channels to Attract Quality Candidates

Source: Global Recruitment Trends 2017

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Assignment

Interview


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Interview Lifecycle: Law prohibits discrimination in hiring (and other employment decisions)

based on protected characteristics, including:

Discrimination

RaceColor

National origin

Citizenship

Ancestry

Religion

GenderPregnancy

Sexual orientation

Disability

Age (40+)

Military service

Marital status

Association

Tip

q Can’t make decisions in the screening, interviewing, consideration, or selection process based on such characteristics

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Questions to AVOID: Questions You CAN Ask:

• Oh wow! Are you expecting?

• Just dropped my kids off at daycare. Do you have children too?

• If you have kids, who takes care of them when you’re at work?

• Is there anything that could prohibit you from working the following shift(s)?

• Gosh, you have a lot of experience! How long have you been working?

• Oh you graduated from my high school! What year did you graduate?

• You look so young. How old are you?

• How long have you been in this industry?

• You look familiar, where are you from?

• Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Are you Irish? What nationality are you?

• Are you a citizen?

• Are you authorized to work in the United States?

Example Questions to Avoid: Even Small Talk Can Get You in Heated Waters

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Assignment

Interview


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Interview Lifecycle:

Use Phone Screenings to Weed Out Unqualified Candidates

TIPS:

q Candidate to hire ratio for some companies is 20:1

q 30-45 minute qualifying call

q Introduce the company and role within 5 minutes

q Line up questions tying to the top 5-10 essentials to YOU, the COMPANY, and the ROLE need (Identified in Planning stage)

q Keep candidates talking most of the allotted time

q Use case scenarios (role play) to gain the most insights

q Take verbatim notes

EXAMPLE QUESTIONS:

• Walk me through your past work history and share projects that are related to this role.

• Give me an example of one of the most challenging situations/projects and how did you overcome it. What did you learn?

• Here is a scenario [xyz]. How would you handle it?

• What are you looking for in your next play?

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Assignment

Interview


2


On-site Interviews Are for In-Depth Qualification

TIPS:

qCandidate to hire ratio for some companies is 10:1

q60 minute in-person interviews (3+ interviewers –Manager, cross-functional partner, team member, etc.)

qAssign roles and areas to focus on per interviewer

qTake note of presence (professionalism, energy, focus)

qStart with a data-centric interviewing approach (improves quality)

EXAMPLE QUESTIONS:

• Basic Alignment: What interests you about the company / role?

• Drive: Please give me an example and describe a time when you went above and beyond?

• Leadership: Describe a situation where you needed to use persuasion to convince someone to see things your way. What steps did you take? What were the results?

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Assignment

Interview


2


Homework Assignments Can Help Affirm Hiring Decision

TIPS:

q Deadline from 2 to 48 hours

q Email / print detailed instructions of homework/test

EXAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS:

• Marketing: Build a presentation detailing lifecycle marketing

• Engineering: Provide code. Ask to identify errors and how to fix it.

• Writer: Provide a topic and ask for a 700 word blog post

Evaluation:What to Look For in Answers and How to

Evaluate Candidates Fairly

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Evaluating Interview Answers: What to Look Out For

• Blaming: Look out for candidates that constantly blame others for mistakes and take all the credit for themselves.

• Negativity: Be weary of candidates that speak ill of their current or previous employer.

• Less Hard Working: Ask follow up questions to candidates if they constantly mention PTO, work/life balance, etc. Note: This isn't bad, but the reasoning could be something bad.

• Conflicting Messages: Be mindful of inconsistent messaging throughout the interview. This may include inability to use specific examples and provide in-depth details. Pay attention to body language and lack of eye contact.

• Suspicious Work History: Leaving roles in past work history (e.g. disagreements/personal conflicts, etc.) may reveal more about the person.

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Examples: Analyzing Interview Answers

Interview Answer Example Analysis

Question:

Tell me about a project that you owned that did not meet expectations. Why did it not meet expected results? What would you do differently?

• Gain insight on project owned. Learn about depth of involvement/role (assistance vs. true ownership)

• Gain learnings on critical thinking.• Understand how he/she would do things

differently• Identify lack of accountability / negative finger

pointing.

Answer:

a)I managed a global email customer marketing campaign. b)I drafted the email copy that announced the release of a new product.c)When the email launched, there were typos and the campaign was sent to the wrong email list.d)This wasn’t my fault though. This was due to our campaign operations team not sending the campaign out to the right list, they used the wrong version of the drafted copy, and my manager was the final sign-off who was supposed to oversee the process start to finish.

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Post


3Forms

http://bit.ly/2liNpdS

TIPS:

q Complete evaluation form same day as interview

q Evaluate all candidates on the same scale (e.g. 1-5)

q Avoid discrimination (see slide 21)

q Never make a spot-on decision

q Align your feedback with other interviewers

q Consider in-person interview performance coupled with homework assignment


Treat All Candidate Evaluations The Same

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For Candidates You’re Considering: Close Loose Ends with Interviewed Candidates

Can Help with Employer Brand

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For Candidates You’re Rejecting: Close Loose Ends with Interviewed Candidates

Can Help with Employer Brand

CEO Interview Questions:From Marketing Your Job to

Asking Strategic Interview Questions

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CEO Interview Questions and What They Look For

CEO Interview Questions Analysis

To become an expert at something it is said one must put in 10,000 hours ofpractice. What have you put 10,000 hours into? Or what are you working on putting10,000 hours into?

“By telling us about your routine, schedule and focus, we can learn whether you have acommitment to excellence,” says Chase Garbarino, CEO of VentureApp, a vendor consulting firm.

What motivates you to come to work every day?

Maren Hogan CEO of the B2B marketing agency Red Branch Media hopes it’s more than money because that paycheck isn’t what typically keeps employees motivated. “If the motivation is ‘paying off my student loans,’ take a pass,” she says.

What are you good at doing (I focus on soft skills) and how well do you know yourself?

“These two answers reveal more about the person if they are choosing their degree based on their strengths, challenges and personality,” says J. Isabella Johnston, CEO of the strategy consulting firm Pivot Business Consulting. “I look for entrepreneurial, coachable types that want to lead, follow and work well in teams and independently.”

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① Taking time to work through the 3 interviewing lifecycle stages

• Planning• Interview Execution• Candidate Evaluations + Follow-up

② Craft action-based or behavioral interview questions for top areas of focus (e.g. ability to lead, judgment, prioritization, accountability, etc.)

② Consider promoting your job through these top 5 sources for quality candidates:

• Referrals• Job Boards• Social Professional Network (e.g.

LinkedIn Talent Solutions)• Staffing Firms• Internal Hires

Summary: 7 Secrets to Interview Candidates Like a Boss

④ Be aware of hiring discrimination. Avoid making decisions in the screening, interviewing, consideration, or selection process based on protected characteristics

⑤ Default to phone interviews before on-site interviews. Some companies have a 5:1 interview ratio.

⑥ Evaluate candidates and their answerswith these points in mind:

• Negativity & finger-pointing• Conflicting messaging & body language• Work motives (e.g. money vs. passion)• Suspicious work history

⑦ Don’t forget to close the loop with a follow-up email.

LinkedIn Talent Solutions offers a full suite of tools to help you find, attract, and hire top candidates. Contact us to learn more.

Call

855-655-5653

or visit http://bit.ly/ContactTalentSolution

s

Let’s connect!

#hiretowin

Cory EusticeTalent Director, Hart

linkedin.com/in/coryeustice

master class for leaders: 7 secrets to interview candidates like a boss

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