Interview questions

Have you ever been sitting in an interview and wondering what in the world does this have to do with the position? I was recently talking to someone and he mentioned the interviewer began to talk more about herself rather than uncovering the skills of the candidate. She began to ask questions that had some relevance but after hearing the candidates response she answered the questions showcasing her knowledge of the issue.

As if this was not bad enough the interviewer went on to ask who is the Chairman of the Federal Reserve and what is his role? WHAT? How does this relate to leadership, sales ability, or product management? Sure the candidate was interviewing for a role in the financial sector but knowing who Big Ben is does not make you qualified for the position. Unless the position is to review economic and monetary policy. In this case the position is to lead sales people and build an organization that can deliver the whole bank.

After hearing these events take place I began to think about my interviewing practices. I have always interviewed people using behavior based questions to understand how people would react in situations they will face. Of course there is no truly right or wrong answer but more of the logic and process they take that matters. The interview is never about me it is about the candidate. However, if the candidate is smart they will make it about me and less about them. If you are interviewing and the interviewer begins to explain how impressive his resume is you might want to think about if you want to take the job. After all your career is your choice it is not his. If he is telling you how great he is now imagine what it will be like once you join the team.