There are several differing types of interviewing techniques, and one, in particular, is an old favorite: the Hypothetical situation. Being a recruiter myself, I have had the opportunity to conduct thousands of interviews. There are varying schools of thought on what is “the best” interviewing style, but one thing is certain. If you want to watch someone squirm, there is no better way to do than ask them a Hypothetical.
Aside from the morbid pleasure of putting someone on the spot, there is a solid reasoning as to why these types of questions are posed to begin with. The leading reason for a question of this nature is to get a feel for how the candidate thinks about and reacts to the unexpected. Throwing a prospect a curve ball can give you incredible insight into their thought process, their analytical skills, and their performance under pressure.
As for the candidate, there are some simple things to keep in mind when asked a hypothetical question while interviewing: First, and most important; Think before you speak. The worst thing you can do is immediately open your mouth and say something like: “Well, I –umm”. The purpose of the question again, is to try to trip you up, so THINK. Take a moment and gather your thoughts before you address the question.
Secondly, once you have collected your thoughts, one of the best things you can do is ask questions. What, when, why, where are usually a good start anytime, but these are also qualifying questions that will show your interviewer that you are calm and cool, even when you are caught off guard. Lastly, explain your process thoroughly. Discuss in detail how you would go about addressing this situation, and take care to express your eagerness to resolve it quickly and efficiently.
Did You Know? More Important than Money
A recent survey of American workers ranked salary number 5 on the top ten reasons why employees stay with their employers. Among the top reasons were Appreciation, recognition, and feeling of being involved in the company’s mission. The ironic part of that study is this: When CEO’s were given the top five reasons and told to rank them how they envisioned their employees ranking them, they listed those five in reverse order; placing salary as the number 1 motivator.
With these new revelations, it is obvious that many “leaders” are completely out of touch with their employees, and have no idea what motivates or inspires them to be more productive. It is no longer acceptable for a President/CEO to stay locked away in their office,or lead the company from afar.
There is no excuse for these high ranking executives to be so out of touch with their employees, and it would seem that there would be an easy fix to something so simple… And there is. Get to know the people you work with and you’ll know how to best motivate them.
Hot Spots: A Pill for EVERYTHING…
Anyone who spends any time at all watching television has seen the commercials. Take this to stop your headache, take this to control your Irritable Bowel Syndrome; swallow this for fast relief from heartburn, stomach Ache, Diarrhea, watering eyes, itchy ears…. whatever! It is becoming increasingly obvious that America is looking to solve problems with quick fixes. Not to say that quick fixes aren’t a good thing, but there are some underlying issues that must be addressed when there is a “quick fix” for everything. We spend so much time and energy trying to develop chemical solutions for natural problems that the window tends to get so dirty that we can’t even see where we’re going most of the time. Take antacids for example. There are literally millions of people who go everywhere with a roll of them in their pocket or purse. They are so dependent on them that they can’t sit down to a meal without having them handy. Is that to say that without these pills those people would starve? NO! What it means is that they chose to eat foods that make those pills necessary. Now, antacids are fine, but they do have their side effects; much like these drugs you see advertised on TV. It seems to me that in most cases (like with Ambien) you are trading one set of problems for another. You take this to help you sleep, but if you do, you may find yourself sleep walking to the fridge for an Ambien food free for all. And if you do, you just might eat something your body doesn’t like, and you’ll have to take another antacid before you head to the doctor’s office to get your prescription of WHATEVER to cure your Irritable Bowel Syndrome!
