“You don’t like the interview question?” asked Christopher, shifting in his chair. He had created a list of questions in preparation for a candidate interview later in the afternoon. At the top of the list, “Where do you see yourself in five years?”

“Chris, every question you ask has to have a purpose in the interview,” I replied. “What specific piece of data are you trying to collect with that question?”

“I think it is important to find out where they are headed in life.”

“Chris, tell me again, what’s the job position?”

“Project Manager.”

“How long are your typical projects?”

“Four to six weeks.”

“Chris, tell me how someone’s fictitious image of a five-year-future snapshot will predict success as a Project Manager, working on projects that last four to six weeks?” The silence hung heavy. “Let’s change two things about your approach to questions. Instead of the future, ask about the past. Instead of a hypothetical, ask about a fact.” The quality of the responses to those questions will increase dramatically. -TF