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MHA
Service Corporation Professional Search Services, Stephen O’Connor,
Senior Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . .October
2007 |
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Improve
Job Interviews with a Makeover
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Asking questions designed to reveal the actual work experiences of job candidates often helps employers make better hiring decisions than soliciting reactions to hypothetical scenarios. But the trend toward behavioral interviewing doesn’t mean you have to eliminate your favorite hypotheticals. Give just about any “What would you do if...” question a behavioral makeover by changing the forward-peering setup to a “What did you do when...” look back. Thus, “What steps would you take to handle an unreasonable-but-important customer?” magically gauges actual past behavior when you ask the candidate to “Tell me about a time when you effectively handled such a customer.” If the applicant draws a blank, follow up with a request to “Give me the closest example you can think of.” If there’s no analogous experience to a question relating to a core competency, it’s probably time to move on to the next interview. Adapted from HR Reporter |
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If you’re hiring a new employee, find out whether he or she will like your management style by probing attitudes toward former supervisors. Here are questions that will produce results:
Adapted from Getting Commitment at Work, by Michael C. Thomas and Tempe S. Thomas (Commitment Press) |
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by Stephen O'Connor Interviewing potential employees is hardly a science, but what we ask and how we ask it can often elicit the information we need about a prospective employee. Conversely, irrelevant questions can often backfire on us.
In his book Answers to Stupid Interview Questions, Barry Shamis outlines some possible petulant reactions to interview questions that are not job related. Question: If you could be any kind of animal, what kind of animal would you be? Answer: Well, since you already have maggot locked up, I guess I’ll go with Tsetse fly. Question: Why should I hire you? Answer: Because they say that you should always hire people who are better than you. If we want to get good information, we need to ask good questions, such as ones that are job-related, open-ended and ask for examples of past accomplishments. Questions should also be customized to the organization, the candidate and the position. However, there are also some basic questions that give a good sense of the candidate’s personality and attitude. The Motivational Manager lists eight questions that should be included in every interview.
Remember that a seemingly benign question can command a sarcastic response from the irascible candidate. Question: What’s the most creative thing you have ever done? Answer: Concoct that resume on your desk. This article originally appeared in Michigan Health & Hospitals magazine and is being used with permission. |
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People with vast work histories should be able to easily discuss how they’ve taken the initiative on key projects. But since college seniors don’t usually have workplace triumphs to showcase their skills, you’ll have to dig a little to ascertain whether they’re truly self-motivated. Try these interview questions:
Adapted from JobCircle.com |
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Hiring by committee can be a disaster of delay and confusion. But you can dramatically improve the process by taking a few simple steps, suggests Minnesota-based career consultant Amy Lindgren.
Adapted from the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Minnesota |
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Steve
O'Connor, SPHR, |
Professional Search Services
When you need a healthcare management recruiter, call Steve O’Connor at the Michigan Health and Hospital Association in Lansing, MI at (517) 663-5755. He’s the search consultant who produces this monthly newsletter and has hundreds of management candidates currently registered with his service. Most are open to relocation. You are also invited to browse his web site for more information on Professional Search Services at www.mhaservicecorp.com. Available positions may include: CEO/CFO/COO/VP • Facilities Management • Finance • Food Service • Fund Development • Health Information Management • Home Health Care • Human Resources • Information Systems • Managed Care • Management Engineering • Marketing/Public Relations • Materials Management • Nursing Administration • Physician Practice Administrators • Planning• Rehabilitation Management • Social Work • Training and Development • Utilization Review For more information contact: Stephen
O’Connor, SPHR, Senior Director Corporate Office:
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Professional
Search Services
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Management
Recruiting for the Health Care Community |
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Stephen
O’Connor, SPHR, Senior Director
Full Service Background Screening Sales Department |
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