Win-Win Hiring: 6 Questions Employers Should Ask and Candidates Should Prepare
In the landscape of hiring, we all play a role, either as an employer or a candidate. Understanding how to make the hiring process more effective in matching the right candidate with the right employers is important for everyone.
In a recent interview by British venture capitalist Harry Stebbings on his podcast "The Twenty Minute VC", Matteo Franceschetti, co-founder and CEO of sleep technology company Eight Sleep, offered five questions he asks job candidates. These are terrific questions to ask when you are hiring and to prepare in advance when you are job candidate. I have added my own sixth question to the list.
Franceschetti's method is an interview less than 30 minutes focused on asking the candidate these five questions about each of their most recent jobs:
How did you find the job and what did they hire you to do?
What was your biggest achievement?
What was your lowest point?
Who was your manager and what are they going to say about you in our reference check?
Why did you leave the job?
After exhausting these questions for each recent job I suggest the follow up question:
What is something our company should be doing differently and how can you help us do that?
As a job candidate, preparing these questions in advance makes you ready to discuss your job history in detail and feeling more confident you will provide a clearer picture of your capabilities. The sixth question requires you to demonstrate your understanding of the prospective employer and your problem-solving skills, traits highly valued by employers.
Franceschetti's criteria for evaluating answers to his five questions:
For how they found the job and what they were hired for, he is looking to see if previous managers recommended them. A recommendation is a good sign while having many jobs without recommendations could be a red flag.
For their biggest achievement, he wants to hear about specific contributions and data, not vague answers. Vague answers about accomplishments can be a red flag.
For their lowest point, he is listening for complaints about previous managers rather than taking responsibility. Complaining about managers is a red flag. Talented employees are self aware and take responsibility for mistakes a shortcomings.
For who their manager was, he wants to see if they will give an honest assessment of their manager's perspective or if the candidate hints the manager won't be forthcoming. Being evasive about a manager is a red flag.
For why they left previous jobs, he is looking for signs they were pushed out rather than leaving voluntarily. Unclear or inconsistent reasons for leaving could be red flags.
When I am hiring I ask the sixth question about what should our company doing differently, to identify problems solvers, self starters who will assess a situation, develop a solution, and then show initiative.
Effective hiring should not be a candidate selling themselves to an employer. The best hiring processes align the candidate’s skills, personality, and experiences with the needs and culture of the organization, a process of discovery for both candidate and employer.
Thanks to economist, author, and blogger Tyler Cowan, a professor at George Mason University, for recommending the Franceschetti interview. Cowen’s blog, Marginal Revolution, is a treasure trove of insights and is highly recommended.
For those who are hiring, consider Cowen's 2022 book "Talent: How to Identify Energizers, Creatives, and Winners Around the World," co-authored with entrepreneur and investor Daniel Gross. In the book they argue that traditional hiring practices overemphasize experience at the expense of raw talent, overlooking individuals with the creativity and drive to excel. They offer counterintuitive strategies for talent search, such as focusing on candidates who cater to niche audiences or those who engage in intensive self-improvement. They also stress the importance of matching personality traits to job requirements and the value of recognizing talent in non-obvious candidates, including late-career women and individuals with disabilities. Finding the right match is an art critical to the success of both the organization and the individual.
Peace through understanding.