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Screening Interview
Screening Interview
Culling the list
The screening interview is a short, phone-based interview designed to clear out B and C players from your roster of candidates. Be sure to if you are not sold immediately.
Ask candidate questions then tell them about us.
We don't want to taint their answers or have them repeat back what you told them about us. Example. "Hi, I am really looking forward to our time together. Here's what I'd like to do. I'd like to spend the first twenty minutes getting to know you. After that, I am happy to answer any questions you have so you can get to know us. Sound good?"
Questions
1. Why do you want to work here?
This questions aim to answer one questions, "Do your career interests match our company goals?"
As we know, work at HLA can be challenging, this will help us determine if the candidate truly wants to do the work not whether he/she can.
Answers
Good Answers
Ok Answers
Bad Answers (continue with interview even if you hear one of these)
1
"I come here with my family and we love it! I like the energy of the staff and feel right at home." A customer so knows what we serve. Likes the energy which should be friendly and outgoing. Feels at home bringing the flavors of Mexico to the tribe.
I am looking for a job and this position caught my eye when I was looking at jobs. Looks like a good place to work." No passion for company mission, yet was drawn to our position's post and likes the energy. Ask the candidate what caught your eye about the position?
"I heard yall paid well, how much you pay?"
2
"I want to grow and learn. This is the perfect place since I love and am passionate about Mexican desserts and snacks." Has hunger to learn and willingness to do the job.
“I like your treats.” Or any other answer that doesn’t specify why us
"I need a job"
3
"It seems easy"
4
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2
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2. What are your career goals?
The best candidates will share career goals that match your company's needs. Be sure they speak with passion and energy about their goals. They should be ecstatic, these are their goals.
Gallup researchers uncovered, Motivation - drive for achievement, to be the top innate trait that predicts performance across job types. A word of caution: Be sure that motivation is linked to the job at hand, otherwise that drive will fade in the day to day reality of the job.
Career anwers
Good
Ok Answers
Bad Answers
1
"I want to join a company that want to bring the flavors of Mexico to the US. I love taking on challenges and know hard work is at the core of success." It matches our company mission
"I saw on your website you bring Mexico and you won an award for best dessert, I want to be part of a winning team." They don't really know what they want so they are echoing our website.
“I want to make money to pay my bills” We want their goals to align with our company goals. Not making money.
2
"I love serving customers the flavors of Mexico and doing everything that comes with it" Matches our company needs
“I want to be a millionaire” We want their goals to align with our company goals. Not making money.
3
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2
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3. What are you really good at professionally?
This question should generate plenty of dialogue. You shouldn't have any problem getting people to list their strengths. Try to push the candidate to give you eight positives to build a complete picture of their aptitude. Ask for examples to help put their strengths into context. If they say they are decisive, press for an example of a time when this trait served them well, and remember, you are listening for strengths that match the job at hand. If you see major gaps between their strenghts and our scorecard, screen them out.
Good at answers
Good
Ok
Bad
1
Getting things done examples must reflect statement. Same applies to the ones below. While the initial answer may be on point, finding out why makes or brakes the answer.
Public Speaking ok because speaking is a good quality in itself but how often will you need PS to get the job done?
2
Solving problems
Excel while the job may require excel or any other software. You are asking what are you REALLY GOOD at doing?! We need people to add value to our organization and challenge existing team to be better.
3
Always getting better/ finding new, better ways for working
Emails
4
Suggesting new initiatives and carrying them out
5
Executing tasks
6
Customer service
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6
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4. What are you not good at or not interested in doing professionally?
Third question captures the other side of the balance sheet. You could ask for weaknesses outright, but too often that approach yields cookie cutter, self-serving answers like I am impatient for results or I work too hard. Instead, let the candidates answer as they will. If you hear cookie-cutter answers, simply say, that sounds like a strength to me. Ask what are you really not good at or not interested in doing? You want them to give you five to eight examples.
If the candidate does not give an answer either you are not re-phrasing the question enough or the candidate is so stubborn that he/she will not a single thing they did not enjoy doing.
If you are still not making any progress. Remind the candidate that if they advance to the next step in our process, we will be contacting their previous employers or coaches to help us identify their weaknesses. This should help them give examples.
5. Who were your last five bosses and how will they each rate your performance on a 1-10 scale when we talk to them?
Note the language: How will they rate you when we talk to them? Not if we talk to them. When. This will help candidates be more honest. Follow up by pressing for details. What makes them think their boss would rate them a 7? We are looking for 7 and up. Consider 7 as neutral and anything below as bad. We have found that people who give themselves a rating of 6 or lower are really saying 2. Be sure to check up with all 5 bosses not just one.
After the interview
Ask yourself Do this person's strengths match my scorecard? Are the weaknesses manageable? Am I thrilled about brining this person in for a series of interviews based on the data I have? You want to be excited about the possibility. You want to have the feeling that you have found the one. If you have any hesitation, or if you find yourself thinking you want to bring in the candidate in just to test them a little more, then screen them out.
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