Ace Every Interview: 3 ways to Make Your Process Ungameable

By: John DiJulius | 4,743 Reads | 41 Shares

Featured in: Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine: Issue 3, 2019

%3Cp%3ERarely+does+a+company+go+through+rapid+growth+without+having+their+customer+experience+suffer+significantly.+Imagine+your+company+growing%2C+expanding%2C+and+needing+more+employees--a+lot+more%2C+maybe+hundreds+more.+How+picky+can+you+be+when+you+need+400+new+employees+within+the+next+few+months%3F+Demand+for+your+product+and+services+is+exploding.+Locations+must+be+opened.+The+pressure+is+on+to+get+people+hired+and+trained.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp%3EThis+is+where+most+companies+start+compromising+on+whom+they+hire.+Even+worse%2C+they+may+start+fast-tracking+new+employees+through+training.+That%27s+a+mistake.+What+has+always+made+you+unique+are+the+people+you+hired%2C+how+well+they+were+trained%2C+and+the+great+customer+experience+your+company+delivered.+If+you+give+in+to+compromises%2C+you+will+have+high+turnover%2C+low+morale%2C+and+your+customer+experience+will+be+so+inconsistent+it+will+become+a+liability+instead+of+your+strongest+competitive+advantage.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp%3EGrowth+is+great+when+done+right.+But+don%27t+succumb+to+the+growth+trap.+You+can%27t+compromise+your+hiring%2C+training%2C+and+the+customer+experience+your+company+delivers.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp%3EGetting+hired+at+your+company+should+be+extremely+hard.+It+is+only+fair+to+your+existing+employees+that+you+stay+extremely+selective+on+whom+you+let+in.+People+need%3Fto+earn+the+right+to+be+a+part+of+your+culture+and+legacy.+Your+goal+should+be+that+every+long-term+employee+considers+their+decision+to+join+this+company+one+of+the+best+decisions+of+their+life.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp%3EThe+biggest+problem+with+the+typical+interview+process+is+that+most+intelligent+candidates+can+game+it.+Everyone+knows+they+are+going+to+get+asked%2C+%22Tell+me+two+negatives+about+yourself.%22+A+well-prepared+candidate+will+respond%2C+%22I+am+a+perfectionist+and+workaholic.%22%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp%3EThe+companies+that+hire+the+best+employees+have+the+best+screening+processes+that+are+%22ungameable.%22+The+following+are+three+best+practices+for+the+interview%2Fscreening+process.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Ch2%3E1.+Put+them+in+distress%3C%2Fh2%3E%0D%0A%3Cp%3EA+great+way+to+test+out+someone%27s+character+is+to+observe+how+they+react+when+things+don%27t+go+according+to+plan.+Walt+Bettinger%2C+CEO+of+Charles+Schwab%2C+takes+every+candidate+out+for+a+breakfast+interview.+The+potential+employee+is+not+aware+that+Bettinger+has+asked+the+restaurant+to+purposefully+mess+up+the+candidate%27s+order.+As+Bettinger+sees+it%2C+character+is+everything%2C+and+the+%22wrong+order%22+test+is+meant+to+gauge+how+a+potential+hire+deals+with+adversity.+%22It%27s+just+another+way+to+look+inside+their+heart+rather+than+their+head%2C%22+says+Bettinger.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Ch2%3E2.+The+engagement+indicator%3C%2Fh2%3E%0D%0A%3Cp%3EIf+you+are+looking+for+people+who+have+the+potential+to+be+customer-centric+service+providers%2C+evaluating+their+%225+E%27s%22+might+be+your+most+powerful+tool.+Many+of+our+consulting+clients+have+incorporated+the+5+E%27s+into+their+interview+process%2C+literally+counting+the+times+a+candidate+demonstrates+each+one.+For+example%2C+they+record+the+number+of+times+during+the+interview+that%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli+style%3D%22list-style%3A+none%3B+list-style-image%3A+none%3B+background-image%3A+none%3B%22%3EEye+contact+was+made%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli+style%3D%22list-style%3A+none%3B+list-style-image%3A+none%3B+background-image%3A+none%3B%22%3EEar-to-ear+smiles+took+place%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli+style%3D%22list-style%3A+none%3B+list-style-image%3A+none%3B+background-image%3A+none%3B%22%3EEnthusiasm+was+displayed%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli+style%3D%22list-style%3A+none%3B+list-style-image%3A+none%3B+background-image%3A+none%3B%22%3EEngagement+with+the+interviewer+occurred+naturally%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli+style%3D%22list-style%3A+none%3B+list-style-image%3A+none%3B+background-image%3A+none%3B%22%3EEducated+answers+were+given+to+interview+questions%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0D%0A%3Cp%3EWhile+I+believe+most+employee+candidates+have+the+potential+to+provide+excellent+customer+service%2C+not+all+do.+The+5+E%27s+can+help+you+identify+candidates+who+are+able+to+achieve+a+high+service+aptitude+with+rigorous+training.+During+the+interview+process%2C+if+candidates+are+not+smiling%2C+making+eye+contact%2C+and+showing+enthusiasm--then+pass.+No+amount+of+customer-service+training+will+change+them.+As+for+the+engagement+indicator%2C+the+key+to+that+is+having+an+interviewer+who+constantly+displays+all+5+E%27s.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Ch2%3E3.+Group+interviews%3C%2Fh2%3E%0D%0A%3Cp%3EIn+our+businesses%2C+John+Robert%27s+Spa+and+The+DiJulius+Group%2C+we+have+found+group+interviews+are+extremely+productive+and+telling.+First-round+interviews+are+always+with+a+group+of+candidates.+This+reduces+the+time+from+six+hours+with+each+candidate+to+one+hour.+This+initial+interview+focuses+on+what+the+company+is+about%2C+what+the+position+is+about%2C+and+what+it+takes+to+be+successful+at+both.+We+then+ask+the+candidates+questions+that+each+has+to+take+turns+answering.+The+potential+hire+thinks+they+are+being+judged+on+who+has+the+best+answer.+What+we+are+really+observing+is+what+the+other+candidates+are+doing+when+it+is+not+their+turn+to+answer.+Are+they+disengaged%2C+fidgety%3F+Or+are+they+listening%2C+nodding%2C+and+smiling+while+the+other+person+is+answering+the+question%3F+That+is+the+one+we+want.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp+style%3D%22border-top%3A+1px+solid+%23DDDDDD%3B+padding-top%3A+5px%3B%22%3E%26nbsp%3B%3Cem%3EJohn+R.+DiJulius+III%2C+author+of+%3Cstrong%3EThe+Customer+Service+Revolution%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E+is+president+of+The+DiJulius+Group%2C+a+customer+service+consulting+firm+that+works+with+companies+including+Starbucks%2C+Chick-fil-A%2C+Ritz-Carlton%2C+Nestle%2C+PwC%2C+Lexus%2C+and+many+more.+Contact+him+at+216-839-1430+or+info%40thedijuliusgroup.com.%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E

Published: August 9th, 2019