When we ask more than 100 questions in an interview, are we creating undue pressure that comes off as “grilling?”
The answer is no. In our workshops, interviewers are not used to the pace of questions and so it seems like fast paced, break-neck speed. To the candidate, however, they are simply responding to things they have experienced in the past. Candidates report the experience as enjoyable. They get to talk about themselves and things they have done. It’s everyone’s favorite subject. -TF
Tom,
We have spent a great deal of time in the last two months “grilling” candidates with a long list of questions during our hiring process. The good news is that we have seen a shift in the quality of the interview process when focusing the candidate on past experiences. It seems better for both the interviewer and the interviewee. We have seen candidates come alive when talking about their conributions and past experiences. It eliminates the fluff and lets us identify the depth of a candidate’s experience. Creating questions directly from the job description has also helped us hone in on the requisite knowledge, skill and attributes for the position. We as interviewers feel more confident about the purpose of the interview. Unfortunately (or fortunately), it has prolonged our search because this process takes longer. I often say that there is a cost and payoff with everything we do….and the payoff of spending much more quality time up front will probably exceed the cost of time in the long run. We’ll keep you posted!