CareerBuilder.com has put out another link-bait article titled Top Interview Questions.  I wonder if they send this version out to their employer customers and a modified version out to the jobseekers in a separate email?  Anyway, here is the list:

What circumstance brings you here today?

This is one of the best opening questions ever. This open ended question surprises many candidates. If they do not respond quickly, just sit quietly and wait for the response. Some candidates reveal problems with their current employer, potential insubordination, and both positive or negative character traits.

How would your best friend describe you?

What would you say are your 2 greatest weaknesses?

How do you alleviate stress?

What are your short and long term goals?

What type of work environment do you prefer?

When choosing potential employees, it is helpful to know what type of environment in which they prefer to work. If the company is very professional and usually quiet, someone who likes a loud, casual environment might not be the best fit. It is sometimes good to hire someone who does not fit the mold, but it is usually best to hire people who fit your work environment.

What is your typical way of dealing with conflict?

What tools or habits do you use to keep organized?

Instead of asking are you an organized person, this makes the interviewee prove and describe their organizational skills. Most hiring managers expect that their employees have some type of system to stay organized. Whether it is using a planner, or electronic calendar, these tools confirm that the potential employee is reliable and responsible.

Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond to get a job done.

What was a major obstacle you were able to overcome in the past year?

In what ways do you raise the bar for yourself and others around you?

This question gives the interviewer an idea of who is and is not an above average performer. It also demonstrates leadership potential and the willingness to be a team player.

Tell me about two memorable projects, one success and one failure. To what do you attribute the success and failure?

What unique experience or qualifications separate you from other candidates?

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Ok, I took the liberty of removing the explanation that accompanied most of these questions since I thought they were, well, common.  We use our assessments before the interview which provides a roadmap for questions.  The assessments are like an x-ray view of the salesperson’s ability which means we don’t have to do exploratory surgery in the initial interview.

Comments(0)

We’re in the middle of a couple negotiations between our customers and their top sales candidate selection.  The companies are smaller and these positions are fairly important within the department so they are not “slotted” pay ranges that are more common in larger companies.  Both negotiations have similar topics (salary and commission plans are always prevalent in sales negotiations) but different approaches by the candidates.

Call it serendipity, but I came across a timely SalesHQ article titled How To Structure A Negotiation.  The author, Jonathan Farrington, provides 3 important steps for any negotiation whether it be for a potential hire or a potential customer:

The recommended structure for negotiations is:

1. Establish the issues being negotiated

2. Gather information

3. Build a solution

Here are a couple of excellent points from the article (my editing):

Stage 1. Establish The Issues

Many negotiators make the mistake of negotiating too quickly whereas skilled negotiators spend 20% more of their time asking questions and looking for alternatives.

Seasoned negotiators will often bring up an issue at the end of the negotiation, when you are vulnerable and likely to agree to a one sided (Lose-Win) concession, in order to conclude the deal. You can legislate for this ploy by asking the other side for their . “shopping list” before beginning the negotiation and refuse to accept any last minute additions to the list.

Stage 2. Gather Information

You need to decide, before the negotiation, how much you are willing to share information and what your own information requirements are. This will set the climate for the negotiation and will determine the amount of trust that exists between both parties. Skilled negotiators are able to ask a range of open, closed and follow up questions and are able to listen effectively. They also wait until they have all their information requirements, before making concessions.

Stage 3. Build A Solution

Typically, there will then be a process of bargaining, concessions will be traded and movement take place, until, hopefully, agreement is reached. Concessions should not be given away for free and you should be wary about conceding on issues for which you are not prepared.

One of our sales candidates added a new issue after receiving the offer.  This is a good move on his part, but it comes with some risk.  The negotiation will proceed at a measured level while we will see how he responds to the counter.  I am not as measured in these instances – I prefer to call the bluff which has left me in a pickle more times than not.  That is why I find Mr. Farrington’s suggestions valuable.

Comments(0)