Richard Sellers — September 28, 2017 — September 28, 2017
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Before suggesting some of the right interview questions, let’s start by discussing some of the wrong questions that lead to less successful hires.
In a blog this summer, Shelly Palmer wrote: “if you ask the wrong questions, you’re going to get the wrong answers.” Likewise, when recruiting marketing executives, a hiring manager who asks candidates the wrong questions is nearly guaranteed to make a bad hire.
Most of the wrong questions in executive interviews are designed to hire a candidate who is desirable as defined by generic expectations.
These questions typically are part of behavioral executive interviews that are designed to extract details about progress and programs based on the assumption that previous related success highly correlates with future success, and it sometimes does.
Managing Marketing Executive Interviews
Most executives are likely to be hired based on answers to questions in executive interviews probing four primary areas.
- Work(ed) for the right companies.
- A simple yes/no check off more than a question
- Has good career progression.
- Fairly obvious from a résumé.
- Have at least a couple of impressive wins, probably in the same category.
- Also in the résumé, but often hidden in a litany of bullets.
- Is likable.
- Rather like speed dating (I’m guessing here) with the winners able to make a quick connection, even if superficial.
Here is the single worst question that will deliver the standard hire.
- How do you fit our specs?
- Hiring managers typically look for the safe hire, which they can justify based on history and a checklist to prove the relative qualities of candidates. Think of this approach as job protection in the executive interview process for the interviewer.
Here are some of the right questions for an executive interview to deliver a better hire with more potential.
- What will you do for us? Make the candidates be specific about:
- Where they will initially focus their efforts, and
- What specifically they will accomplish.
- Why will we care that you will do this?
- Make them demonstrate that they understand what’s critical for your company…which can make a significant difference to your top and bottom lines.
- How are you better than our specs?
- Find someone who brings an unexpected value to your company.
Although written from the applicant’s point of view, a blog I wrote last year includes some questions which hiring managers should have answered in the executive interview process.I rewrote these questions today, I would emphasize questions:
§ #5: “What is the company doing today that you can improve?”
§ #6: “Why are you superior to other candidates and how can you prove this?”
Both questions look to the future rather than the past.
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