The Five Best Interview Questions Ever (we think so anyway)

Our firm specializes in an intensive and advanced interviewing and hiring methodology for interviewing for Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and we are often asked we are often asked if we could only ask five interview questions, what would they be? We like to do a solid assessment of technical skills and experience first, then focus one or two interviews just on their EQ (to understand why EQ is so vital to making the right selection and to the ultimate success of the person within the organization, take a minute to read our previous article here). There are several areas to choose from, including Self-Awareness, Self-Control, Empathy, Flexibility and Optimism. No one question will reveal all these competencies, but often one question will reveal the presence or absence of several of these skills. And one more reminder: we always recommend that organizations use the behavior-based technique when phrasing questions.  Simply….instead of hypothetical “What if” or “How would you handle” questions….ask for concrete past realities…“Tell me about a time when…” or “How have you handled in the past when….”
Okay, here we go:

1. “Describe a time when you were unfairly criticized and tell me what the details were.”

This question is designed to uncover two things: the candidate’s Self-Awareness and their definition of criticism. Be sure to get a specific example from them. The word “unfairly” is important to include as you will be assessing how justified the feedback they received was against their actions. Would a reasonable person think it was fair or unfair criticism? You also want to understand how sensitive they are to receiving negative performance information. Does the example they share represent criticism or feedback? What does your company culture provide most often – criticism or feedback?

1. “Think of a time when you had to work with a headstrong co-worker and tell me how you handled it.”

Many candidates are concerned about sharing a weakness or failure. Interpersonal communication and proper conflict management skills are vital for team members and interviewers must do an effective job of validating skill level in these areas. The power of this question is that it asks about someone else, giving the candidate permission to share struggles due to other personalities. It also gives you a chance to glimpse their empathy/understanding of others…do they offer an indication of trying to understand better or help the person or just a superficial judgment based on self-centered reactions? I love to ask this question after a candidate tells me they have “great people skills.”

1. “Share with me the last time you went above and beyond the call of duty.   Tell me about the details and why you did it.”

This question is designed to understand what the candidate defines as extra effort. Is the example they share something you consider to be of substantial heroics or actions you would expect on a routine basis?  Knowing how recently it occurred will also reveal their level of engagement in the recent or distant past. Lastly, it will be critical to know what motivates this employee to work at peak performance. The hiring manager must ensure that the motivation drivers are present in the current workplace in order to match with the candidate, and not only that but it also reveals what will retain them in your company & whether they would be a fit for your leadership style (a biggy). See our Performance Pointer – “Motivation Matching” for more on this.

1. “When was the last time you had to act when there was no policy or formal procedure to do so?  Tell me what you did.”

We always recommend that small companies ask this question, most of who have little in the way of formalized policy and procedure manuals. This question helps you assess the candidate’s comfort in “thinking on their feet” when they have come from a large organization or will be working in an environment with little direction or daily support.  Their response may indicate how much they will seek out and need direction from others versus working independently. In highly regulated or high risk environments, the “right” answer may be a candidate who avoids working outside formal standards of conduct.

1. “We have all had times when we unintentionally insulted or offended someone at work. Tell me about a time when this happened to you.”

This is a great roll-up question because is reveals several EQ skills. Do they have the Self-Awareness to know when their behavior has a negative impact on someone else? Do they have the Empathy to see things from someone else’s point of view? Do they have the Social Skill to work through conflict and maintain effective relationships? This question requires interviewer confidence and the tenacity to tough it out through uncomfortable silence or a candidate who tries to sidestep answering, but the benefit in doing so shows what you are made of and proves to the candidate who is really in control.

This intensive interviewing approach is very different from most other interview classes you may have been to. Many of our participants have said that they always thought they knew how to interview but realize that they could be so much more effective and excited for the first time.

Asking the right questions and a strategic approach can make hiring fun and no longer a nuisance to be avoided. We tend to enjoy what we’re good at. Hiring is a skill that must be learned, so get out there & get what you need to do your very best and enjoy it along the way. If you are interested in more, we have a formal training workshop available on Strategic Interviewing for Emotional Intelligence, a website on Interviewing for Emotional Intelligence and a new webinar series as well.

Accountability – Creating a Culture

Good leaders create a culture of accountability by both modeling and enforcing it. However in our fast-paced work environment, we sometimes opt for fixing problems ourselves over teaching accountability.

Consider the following scenario:
You require a weekly report of accomplishments and project status updates from employees so that you can roll up the report of your organization. One of your solid-performing employees “forgets” to send you his report almost every week. You’ve had numerous discussions with him about the importance of sending in the report, but any improvement is only temporary. So you just write up what you know about his projects for him.

Although the process of holding the employee accountable for something – even as simple as a weekly report – is time-consuming and potentially painful, you are doing both yourself and your employee a disservice. The issue begins with a weekly report, but the more you teach your employee (and other employes who are watching) that you will just pick up their slack, the more of your employee’s work you will begin to take on.

Take the time to give corrective feedback and then provide consistent rewards or discipline. Over time you will create a culture of accountability that fosters trust between you and your employees, as well as you and your customers.

Accountability – Raising the Bar

With government bailouts and money monitoring complaints, enforcing accountability is prominent in the news. People don’t like to feel as though some are being held to a different standard than others. While expecting more from some employees than you do from others is understandable, be sure you clearly communicate your expectations to everyone and give them the opportunity to provide feedback. The last thing you want to do is make your top performers feel like they are being held to unreasonable standards while lower performers skate by with sub-par performance. And you certainly don’t want to be criticized for playing favorites.

Consider these observations from the Center for Management and Organization Effectiveness:

• When people do not feel that they are held accountable for their behavior, they often lower their performance to the lowest possible level acceptable to the leader.
• Leader behavior regarding the establishment of accountability does a lot to determine a person’s highest level of performance.
• When people do not believe that their behavior will result in a consequence, they are free to choose any behavior that feels good at the moment.

With these points in mind, we see that the leader sets the bar for performance through his or her willingness to hold employees accountable.

Additionally, make sure you hold yourself to the same criteria as well. If employees view you as hypocritical, your trust and credibility as their leader will quickly deteriorate. When you ask employees to do something new or change a behavior, you should be willing to do the same. Model what you expect from your employees and they will more readily follow. Use this time as an opportunity to really let your leadership skills shine.

Accountability and Open Communication

One day a prominent leader in the organization stopped showing up at work. Everyone knew a transition was taking place, but nothing had been communicated about the timing of the change. Rumors began to spread about the circumstances surrounding the departure. Frustration and confusion intermixed to create an elevated sense of uneasiness. Finally, in a tiny corner of an inter-organization communication, upper management named someone as the interim leader.

Especially in times of uncertainty, open communication is critical. What the organization above failed to realize is that in the absence of information, employees will fabricate the missing data . . . and they almost always assume things to be more negative than they are. Confidentiality is important, but transparency goes a long way in building trust. Tell your employees exactly what you know and don’t know, rather than waiting until you have all the answers to share. You can even tell them you know some information that you aren’t at liberty to share yet, but reassure them that as soon as you are able, you will. Remember, lack of response is a response as well.

Using Emotional Intelligence to Difuse Conflict

Emotional Intelligence plays a huge part in preventing and managing conflict situations. In particular, it decreases conflict because people who have high EQ use their Sensitivity to tune into their environment and the emotions and needs of others.  They use their Sensibility to make good, balanced decisions about how to behave in conflict situations.  They are willing to take Accountability for their part in the conflict and own the responsibility for solving it.  They think Creatively about ways to overcome the issue, and they use their Versatility to change and adapt to their surroundings in order to produce the best results possible.  These 5 traits are Conflict Crushers and are all a product of Emotional Intelligence.

Development Plans and Coaching

A hallmark of a great coach is the ability to ask good questions. The development planning process is a gold mine of endless coaching questions.

Preparing the development plan
Ask questions to help the employee discover his or her strengths and development areas. Listed below are some questions to get you started.

Strengths

• What aspects of your job energize you?
• Regarding what topics or tasks do people frequently come to you for help or information?
• For what tasks or skills do others compliment you or thank you?

Development areas

• What aspects of your job are the most daunting or difficult?
• Regarding what topics or tasks do you frequently have to solicit help?
• For what tasks or skills have you received negative feedback?

When employees draw the conclusions about strengths and development areas themselves, they become more engaged in the action plans.

Brainstorm opportunities to utilize strengths and address development areas together, but encourage the employee to take the lead while you take notes. If necessary, offer one idea to get started, but then sit back and let him or her be the main source of ideas. Be careful not to immediately elevate or reject ideas. Sift through the complete list after you finish brainstorming.

Following up on the plan
Provide feedback on the development plan both formally, during scheduled follow-up meetings, and informally, as you have observations. The need for negative feedback is usually obvious, but we often overlook opportunities to provide positive feedback. Be sure to provide a balance of both. See our posts on FAST Feedback and Coaching: Feedback for additional help.

Remember to reward progress and significant milestones. Be sure to ask what motivates the employee so that the rewards are meaningful.

Ask the employee for feedback on how the plan is going, and revise the plan as necessary.

View the development plan as a living document that will continually be refined throughout your coaching journey.

Using FAST Feedback

Does the thought of giving feedback make you nervous? Not sure how to approach it or what to say? Try using Bruce Tulgan’s FAST Feedback Model.

Frequent. Give feedback as you have it, and do so often. Smaller doses more frequently is more effective than an overload every so often. Remember that feedback can be positive or negative, so you should have ample opportunities to provide it.

Accurate. Be sure to double check your facts before you provide feedback based upon them. Don’t base your feedback on here-say and second-hand information.

Specific. Providing vague or general feedback is not helpful to the employee because it does not help them understand how to improve. Give examples to help you clearly communicate your message. This goes for positive feedback as well!

Timely. Don’t gather feedback and wait until the next employee review. However, be sure to choose an appropriate time to provide your feedback. For example, should you give the feedback publicly or privately? Can it be given in passing, or do you need to schedule time?

For more thoughts on giving feedback, check out this article at FAST Company or pick up Bruce Tulgan’s book Fast Feedback.

EQ and Development Planning

Studies show that Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is twice as important as IQ for jobs at all levels. The good news is the EQ competencies can be learned! The development planning process provides a great opportunity to not only include functional skills (time management, project planning, delegation) but also the critical EQ skills as well and to discuss your employees’ strengths and development areas in light of them.

So how can you integrate EQ into your development planning process?
1. For each employee, choose a couple competencies in which the employee exhibits strength.

Following is a list of some EQ competencies to consider:

• Exhibits self-awareness
• Uses intuition to solve problems
• Demonstrates self-control
• Effectively communicates with others
• Practices active listening
• Is flexible and open minded
• Demonstrates good problem solving
• Often uses humor to build rapport
• Shows empathy
• Remains optimistic, even in the face of difficulty

What are some recent examples of this behavior? Why do you feel the competency is a strength?

2. Determine at least one way in which the employee can use that strength in a new way or situation. Do you have an upcoming project that requires that strength? Can the employee mentor another person who needs to develop in that area? Can you delegate or add a new responsibility that plays to that strength?

3. Now consider an area in which the employee needs to develop. What are some recent examples where practicing the competency would have better served the employee, been more productive or resulted in a better outcome? What are the specific reasons you feel the competency needs to be developed?

4. Determine at least one way in which the employee can work on developing that particular competency. Again, consider upcoming projects and responsibilities that will allow the employee to practice the competency. Mentoring and training can also be viable options.

5. Armed with your thoughts and examples, schedule time to review your thoughts with the employee. You might ask the employee to conduct a self-assessment prior to your meeting, and then compare notes. Consider offering a couple options for addressing their strengths and development areas and letting them decide what sounds most appealing.

6. Lastly, don’t forget to set a time to follow up on progress, and periodically provide feedback – both positive and negative.

Feeling the Heat

Fear and anxiety are powerful emotions that affect employees, even when they bring those emotions into the workplace from external situations. How do you coach employees through those difficulties? Jennifer Shirkani offers advice on using two emotional intelligence competencies to ease employees through uneasy times.

Anxiety in a tumultuous time

We live in a tumultuous time. Companies were projecting revenue, profit, and headcount forecasts with caution even before the events of the last 30 days. Now most of us are left reeling at the unknown consequences of the financial market calamity and the cascade of subsequent events that will occur. The outcome of the government bailout package will impact every single US citizen regardless of age, occupation, income, or industry. Even those of us unconnected to the failing companies are unwillingly involved and will receive the consequences of a significant failure in leadership and accountability. On top of that, we face a softening economy while bringing home less income with an ever increasing cost of living.

We all feel fear and anxiety as we hold our breath awaiting the facts of our economic situation to reveal themselves. The pandemonium in the financial market tempts even those with the highest stress tolerance level to walk away, buy a hut, and make a living by fishing in Portugal.

Solutions for change management
Rather than running away, we must hunker down, focus on the factors within our control, and help others ride out this storm.

Consider Stress Tolerance and Flexibility, two Emotional Intelligence competencies, as you coach people through an uneasy time.

Focus on Stress Tolerance

Help employees increase awareness of their stress triggers. All of us have tell-tale signs that our blood pressure is rising and our anxiety is increasing.  Helping your employees identify their unique physical symptoms will allow them to proactively removing themselves from difficult situations before losing control.

Provide group relaxation activities. Seize this perfect opportunity to send out a reminder about health benefits, including gym memberships, smoking cessation programs. Bring some healthy resources on-site: massage therapists at lunch, a walk club after work, or a company sports team. Even bringing in live music can change the mood and lighten up a stressful work environment. Or how about a Guitar Hero or Rock Band competition to blow off some steam?

Discuss whether factors are within or outside of their control. We all have a direct influence on our attitude, job performance, and pursuit of personal goals. We cannot control factors like mergers and acquisitions, cybergossip, and layoffs. Coach people to focus on what they can influence and to set aside what is outside their control. Separating these factors can help minimize worry about things that may or may not happen and channel anxious energy into activities that advance them toward a goal or a healthier mindset.

Encourage Flexibility

Coach employees to respond rather than react to unexpected events. Encourage them to take time to process the situation before making decisions. We often react negatively to situations we don’t understand or reject ideas out-of-hand when they are tied to something we do not want to happen. Give employees time to “sleep on it” and digest bad news.

Conduct group brainstorming to harvest ideas for handling dynamic, changing demands. Who are the unflappable folks who never seem to let anything get under their skin? Identify those team members who demonstrate a high level of flexibility. Leverage the strengths of your resources, and try either a group consultation or partnering members together for some mentoring.

Apply past experiences and current skills are to new challenges. Remind employees of a previous change which initially seemed daunting and scary but resulted in some unexpected, but positive outcomes.

Use change as an opportunity to learn and develop. What are the old processes or cultural norms that need a face lift? When things are moving at high velocity, some tasks are relegated to the “To-Do” file in hopes of getting around to them “one day.” One day is here. Open the file, and see what positive learning can happen right now.

Additional thoughts to consider

As the coach, frame new information to include the answer to “How does this impact you?” Also, the sooner you can give people information the better. Partial information can be more reassuring to others than being left in the dark until you can provide the complete picture. Help each other, and offer emotional support to those who need it. If you have real concerns about someone’s ability to weather the stormy seas, please refer the employee to professional help.

Times are challenging, but they will pass, leaving our companies stronger for going through them. Just like the difference between the lowest point in a deep lake to the peak of a neighboring tall mountain, the terrain can change quickly. But the view from the mountain top sure is sweet.

Talent Management: What’s the Point (Part II)

Talent Management takes a proactive approach to creating the ultimate employee experience. In this second part of a two-part series on Talent Management, Jennifer Shirkani explores tactical strategies for implementing a talent management mindset in your organization.

Moving Beyond Concept to Tactical Strategy
Day-to-day demands and distractions often prevent us from keeping our employee’s needs and their skill development top-of-mind. Hopefully by now we all know that human capital is THE critical factor in surviving today’s hyper-competitive landscape.

However, knowing this and doing something about it are two different things. When asked to explain how performance is being measured, standardized, and proactively cultivated, many leaders offer a vague patchwork of answers describing “under construction” programs and ongoing brainstorming meetings.

An effective talent management program – one that produces measurable performance improvement – should address all workplace systems: recruitment and selection, on-boarding, performance management, skill development, compensation/rewards, and retention.

If tackling all of these areas seems daunting, focus on these key strategies to jump start your talent “revolution.”

Jump starting your talent management activities
1. Clearly identify selection criteria by carving out the must-haves and nice-to-haves for each job opening. Are you really taking steps to build your talent bank account by attracting and selecting a diverse array of ability and experience? Or are you just going through the motions to fill the opening and hoping for the best?

The job “analysis” process in most organizations consists of tweaking an outdated job description and placing the same ads in the same places. As a result, you sift through the same template resumes and conduct a handful of interviews with the same again questions.

Properly aligning someone’s talents and interests to the specific responsibilities and culture of the job will create a much higher probability of star performance and emotional engagement. . . which means employees will stay longer, be more productive, and recruit other top talent.

For more techniques and helpful insights on hiring, read the July 2008 Performance Pointer: Smart Hiring.

2. Revisit your on-boarding program with an “employee as customer” mindset. Is your orientation program basically a review of paperwork and benefits? Do people leave excited and energized about their employment choice? What do you think they tell their families about your company when they get home from work on their first day?

Take a close look at your current program and ask yourself, “Would I want to spend a day like this?” Your on-boarding program is the employee’s first impression, setting the road map for those who will have the greatest impact on your customers. You have only one shot at it. Delight them, and they will delight your customers.

3. Implement mandatory leadership training for all management that will teach them how to shift to a talent management mindset. Utilize performance assessments, classroom training, and experiential exercises to help move them from being supervisors to “asset” managers. Be sure to follow up with post-training learning metrics and reinforcement, and provide one-on-one coaching as needed.

Some final thoughts
Employing these strategies will mark the end of just talking about improving the bench strength of your team and move you out on the field to analyze the performance nuances between a base hit swing and a home run wallop. At the end of the day, your employees are not only the means to achieving your next big company “It”. They are It.