Recruiters: 3 Questions to Ask Candidates

Thanks Jeff for the great insight!
Ev

3 Interview Questions That Reveal Everything
BY Jeff Haden

Employee fit is crucial.
Here's a simple way to know if a job candidate is right for your business.Interviewing job candidates is tough, especially because some candidates are a lot better at interviewing than they are at working.

To get the core info you need about the candidates you interview, here's a simple but incredibly effective interview technique I learned from John Younger, the CEO of Accolo, a cloud recruiting solutions provider. (If you think you've conducted a lot of interviews, think again: Younger has interviewed thousands of people.)

Here's how it works. Just start from the beginning of the candidate's work history and work your way through each subsequent job. Move quickly, and don't ask for detail. And don't ask follow-up questions, at least not yet.

Go through each job and ask the same three questions:

1. How did you find out about the job?

2. What did you like about the job before you started?

3. Why did you leave?

"What's amazing," Younger says, "is that after a few minutes, you will always have learned something about the candidate--whether positive or negative--that you would never have learned otherwise."

Here's why:

How did you find out about the job?

Job boards, general postings, online listings, job fairs--most people find their first few jobs that way, so that's certainly not a red flag.

But a candidate who continues to find each successive job from general postings probably hasn't figured out what he or she wants to do--and where he or she would like to do it.

He or she is just looking for a job; often, any job.

And that probably means he or she isn't particularly eager to work for you. He or she just wants a job. Yours will do--until something else comes along.

"Plus, by the time you get to Job Three, Four, or Five in your career, and you haven't been pulled into a job by someone you previously worked for, that's a red flag," Younger says. "That shows you didn't build relationships, develop trust, and show a level of competence that made someone go out of their way to bring you into their organization."

On the flip side, being pulled in is like a great reference--without the letter.

What did you like about the job before you started?

In time, interviewees should describe the reason they took a particular job for more specific reasons than "great opportunity," "chance to learn about the industry," or "next step in my career."

Great employees don't work hard because of lofty titles or huge salaries. They work hard because they appreciate their work environment and enjoy what they do. (Titles and salary are just icing on the fulfillment cake.)

That means they know the kind of environment they will thrive in, and they know the type of work that motivates and challenges them--and not only can they describe it, they actively seek it.

Why did you leave?

Sometimes people leave for a better opportunity. Sometimes they leave for more money.

Often, though, they leave because an employer is too demanding. Or the employee doesn't get along with his or her boss. Or the employee doesn't get along with co-workers.

When that is the case, don't be judgmental. Resist the temptation to ask for detail. Hang on to follow-ups. Stick to the rhythm of the three questions. That makes it natural for candidates to be more open and candid.

In the process, many candidates will describe issues with management or disagreements with other employees or with taking responsibility--issues they otherwise would not have shared.

Then follow up on patterns that concern you.

"It's a quick way to get to get to the heart of a candidate's sense of teamwork and responsibility," Younger says. "Some people never take ownership and always see problems as someone else's problem. And some candidates have consistently had problems with their bosses--which means they'll also have issues with you."

And a bonus question:

How many people have you hired, and where did you find them?

Say you're interviewing candidates for a leadership position. Want to know how their direct reports feel about them?

Don't look only for candidates who were brought into an organization by someone else; look for candidates who brought employees into their organization.

"Great employees go out of their way to work with great leaders," Younger says. "If you're tough but fair, and you treat people well, they will go out of their way to work with you. The fact that employees changed jobs just so they could work for you speaks volumes to your leadership and people skills."

5 Things 'Losers' Never Do

David Stuart writes for Forbes Magazine.
He wrote this column that caught my eye.
It is the way he wrote it that made me read it twice and realize the article was right.
You can read the full article here:
5-things-losers-never-do
Thanks David!
Ev

What don’t losers do that could lead them to the winners circle?

1. They don’t pause. The researchers discovered that award-winning workers slow down to ensure they’re asking the right questions about the work they do. They’re curious about who their audience is, and who is the recipient of their work. In fact, according to the study, 88% of award-winning projects begin with a person pausing to ask the question, “What difference could I make that others would love?”

2. They don’t go to where their work is received. It’s easy to sit behind our computer screens and assume we’re giving the recipients of our work, great solutions. But, award-winning workers actually go watch their work being received. The research revealed that people who go see their work being received are 17 times more likely to become passionate about their work.

3. They don’t talk to strangers. According to the study, award-winners reach outside of their inner circle and ask for opinions and connections of others. They want to know the good, the bad, and the people who may help them move forward with their idea. 72% of award-winning projects involve people talking to their outer circle.

4. They don’t tweak stuff. There’s an old saying states that there’s nothing new under the sun. And, people who win awards at work seem to take that statement to heart. Instead of trying to invent something new, they add or subtract something from an existing product or process that the recipients of their work will love. The research showed that projects are 3 times more likely to be considered “important” when someone has added or removed an element or two.

5. They don’t stick with it. Approaching any endeavor with the intent to create a difference that someone loves, award-winning workers follow their projects until the recipients of their work love their work. In fact, 90% of award-winning work projects include people and teams who follow the work all the way through implementation and beyond.

The term ‘losers’ might be a bit harsh, referring to those who don’t win. Still, it can be brutally frustrating to watch others reap the accolades when your effort might be just as admirable.

“Winning is a mindset,” said Dr. Jeff Spencer. “It’s something practiced.”

We agree. According to the research, it’s a practice of five simple skills.

Can't Focus on Your Pipeline Today? Karate Kid Punching lesson

The Karate Kid:
In the above clip, sorry to ruin it for you if you've never seen it, Mr. Miyagi is teaching Danielson to throw a karate punch.
He tells Danielson to focus all his power in one inch on his fist.

In sales you also need to "focus your power on one inch."
The metaphor I'm using is your pipeline.
I've had recruiters and other salespeople get so rushed in the random events of the work day that they lose focus and can't concentrate on where they are and what they are doing (sorry for the Star Wars reference rather than another Karate Kid quote).
They even say out loud "I don't know what I should be working on!"
It happens to every recruiter and salesperson at some point.
When that happens to us do the following:
1. Stop
Stop walking. Stop talking. Stop pacing. Stop whatever you are doing. Stop your mind.

2. Breathe
After you've stopped. Take 3-5 slow deep breaths to relax yourself.

3. Get out your pipeline
Physically look at your pipeline report in whatever format you have it in

4. To do list
Write a five item to-do list for that day (if you don't already have one) for just that pipeline

5. Select
Pick the easiest thing on that to-do-list and do it. Don't do anything except that task!

6. Cross it off
Finish the easiest task that you just started. Cross it off the list.
You just accomplished something!
7. Harder task
Select the next hardest task and accomplish it and cross it off the list.

8. Last
Leave the hardest task for last. By the time you get to it you have completed four of the five tasks on your list and you have momentum.

9. New list
Make a new five item list for the next day.

I'd like to try to figure out some easy acronym to remember for:
S-B-P-T-S-C-H-L-N
I can't do that now because I have to concentrate on my list and coming up with a snappy acronym for the above isn't on it.
Maybe add it to your list and let me know what you come up with.

Thanks!
Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

Sales Rule #2: Always Be Yourself

I sold Kirby vacuum cleaners in college.
Sometimes I wouldn't get home until 11pm 
as the last sales appointment was usually at 8pm.
My Dad would be waiting up for me and we would talk sales and the calls I went on that day.
The second rule of sales he drilled into me was this:
"In sales always be yourself," my Dad told me.

Sales is all about people and your trust and relationship with them.
No matter what sales training you have been given, written about, or believe in, a successful sale comes down to one thing...does the client "buy" who you are as a person.

A. If they like you and believe you they will buy right away.
B. If they like you but are skeptical about what you have to say they will take their time making a decision. If the decision is yes or no depends on how much doubt you left in their heads about what you were saying.
C. If they like you but don't believe in what you say, they won't buy from you but might give you another chance to pitch them on the same or different product.
D. If they don't like you but believe in what you say, and really need it, they will probably buy the product...just not from you if there is another source or salesperson they can deal with.
E. If they don't like you and don't believe what you say you won't get the sale no matter what. Move on to a different prospect.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't try to improve who you are by working on your sales skills, your professionalism, your product and industry knowledge, do all those things!
Just don't try and reinvent yourself as a person.
If you are a naturally energetic person, don't be afraid to be that as a salesperson 
(this doesn't give you permission to stand up and holler "Free bird!" at the speaker during sales training sessions!).
If you are bubbly, be bubbly.
If you are quiet, don't be afraid to be quiet (find clients who love to talk about themselves and they'll probably love having you as their rep because you LISTEN to them).

If you are always yourself, and not someone a book or trainer says you have to be:
1. your sales techniques will be more natural, 
2. you won't come off as a fake, 
3. what you say or do won't feel forced or awkward, 
Follow this rule and you'll spend more time in category A and less time 
in categories B, C, D, and E.

To Find out what is Ev's #1 rule of sales click here:
Ev's #1 Sales Rule for Everyone

Thanks for reading!
Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

I Don't Know

Two different sales managers I've had in my career have told me that if a client asks a question I don't know the answer to just:
1. "tell the client an answer that sounds like it makes sense and move on."
2. "tell the client a very vanilla answer that doesn't really answer the the question"
3. "make something up"

I hated all of the above and just go with the advice my dad told me:
"When a client asks a question you don't know the answer to, say you don't know the answer to that question and you will get back to them by a certain time with what you found out."

That advice has in my opinion saved more deals for me over the years than I can count.
I've been in meetings with other sales people who have told the client one of the three answers above and when I've heard them I always think how corny that sounds. How false and insincere.
If it sounds that way to me, how does it sound to the client?

By telling the client I don't know the answer but I will find out and call them back at a certain time it does three things to strengthen my relationship with that client:
1. It gives me a reason to call them back
2. by calling them back at the appointed time it gives me credibility with the client that I will follow up as I say I will
3. I get instant credibility in the meeting because I am being honest

Danny Cahill of Hobson Associates has a good video example of what I'm talking about.
Thanks Danny. I'm glad to see you took my dad's advice too!

Thanks!
Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

Danny Cahill "I Don't Know" video