From the Ask Tom mailbag –

Question:
I’ve conducted interviews where we’ve asked behavioral questions, like “Please share a specific example in your last position where you led a team in accomplishing a specific task. Share what steps you took and any processes you put in place to be successful. What were your challenges?” These questions did help us see how the candidate thinks and leads and whether s/he’s innovative. But in the end, some candidates are really great at interviewing and talking the talk, but when they get in the position they are not effective. So, are there other questions or exercises we should use in interviews to further test the veracity of the candidate and their experience?

Response:
The truth is always elusive.

Two things I ask about in the interview to get closer to the truth.

1. Details
2. Repeated patterns

Take the same example you cited, leading a team through a task assignment. Here are my questions.

• Tell me about a time when you lead a team to accomplish a project?
• What was the project?
• What was the purpose of the project?
• What was the time span of the project, from beginning to end?
• How many people on the project team?
• What was your specific role on the project team?
• Step me through the initial team meeting, how did you describe the project to your project team?
• How did you select each person on your project team?
• How did you make individual task assignments to your project team?
• How did you monitor progress through the project?
• To monitor progress, what documentation did you use? Paper based? Excel spreadsheet? Project software?
• When did you notice the project was behind schedule?
• What steps did you take to keep the project on schedule?
• How often did you meet with your project team?
• Step me through an interim project team meeting?
• Did you prepare an agenda for that meeting? Step me through your preparation for the agenda?
• How long did it take to complete the project?
• What changed about the project as it neared completion?
• What adjustments did you make, as the leader of the project, to accommodate those changes?

In the candidate responses, I am looking for details and patterns to get me to the truth. -Tom