My wife was at an interview last week for a medical position that is similar to her most current role. She walked into the lobby to find 4 other candidates there. They were all called in to a conference room by the HR person. They were then asked questions individually and asked to answer in front of the other candidates! The 5 of them were then asked to role play certain situations while the rest observed. Finally, they were given a tour of the clinic and then had to provide their own tour to a staff person. The point, I guess, was to see how they handled prospective patient visits.… Read More
Continue ReadingHiring Like A Detective
Yes, the title is a bit quirky, but it is true. A significant portion of successful hiring involves being a good detective. I have always taken that approach when helping our customers find the right salesperson for their position. To be a good detective, you need to be a bit skeptical. Sales candidates blow sunshine. Few have ever missed quota, most state their primary weakness is being a workaholic and all have earned everything they have accomplished. Right. In reality, most have missed their sales quota at some point, many have real weaknesses discussing money and handling rejection and most have benefited from somewhere be it marketing, territory, company market… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Interviews Are Uncomfortable
I about fell out of my chair reading this SellingPower.com article – Interviews Get Comfortable. A quick excerpt to set the tone: “It’s your job as an interviewer to make the candidate feel comfortable and it starts from the moment you see that person,” says Barbara Pachter, a speaker, trainer, coach, and author of numerous business books, including The Power of Positive Confrontation (Marlowe & Co., 2006). Pachter does acknowledge that there are times when interviewers put candidates in awkward positions to view reactions, but for the most part they should work to put candidates at ease. Her suggestions for putting candidates at ease include: Be a gracious host.… Read More
Continue ReadingLiars For Candidates
Remember the old joke, you can tell when they are lying because their lips are moving? Selling Power provides this article which opens with this statement: Did you know that 50 percent of candidates lie on their resumes? (This includes people who omit things, stretch the truth, and those who outright lie.) That seems optimistic to me. This lying problem is rampant in hiring as we have seen first-hand. I think candidates believe they can state things that are difficult to verify with the legal restrictions in this country. How can you verify that they turned around a territory? How do you know they were the lead person on a… Read More
Continue ReadingQuality Of Questions
I had a sales candidate ask an excellent, subtle question yesterday – “What other positions is this company currently hiring?” Again, the subtlety of this question provides a view into a company’s needs, growth and possible turnover. It is an excellent question to ask in any interview. The second part of this equation is for the hiring manager to appreciate the question. What I mean is this – listen carefully to the questions being asked by the candidate. We often watch hiring managers trip over themselves to answer a good question without appreciating the question itself. Some times the hiring manager cannot even recall the questions asked in the interview. … Read More
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