Interviewing and Hiring

Breaking bad news about a promotion

April 8, 2015
Two valued employees apply for a promotion. Both show promise, but one employee simply outshines the other. How do you break the news to the employee you aren’t promoting without demoralizing him or her?

Reject candidates with style

March 18, 2015
Be careful how you treat job candidates you didn’t hire. Social media makes it possible for disgruntled candidates to condemn your organization quickly and publicly. Fur­­ther­­­­more, what’s wrong with a little respect?

Interview questions by the dozen

January 28, 2015
When preparing to interview job candidates, it’s important for supervisors to plan out their lines of questioning. Decide which skills are most important for that position, then focus your questions on assessing those skills. Here are some sample questions to work from.

11 great interview questions

January 28, 2015
One of the best ways to tell if applicants have the skills to perform specific tasks is to directly ask how they’ve used those skills in the past. These sample questions can help hiring managers spot 11 important “soft” skills.

Gauge candidates’ originality

December 1, 2014
Peter Thiel, PayPal cofounder, is always on the lookout for employees who are willing to speak up and share their opinions. To gauge that quality in job candidates and business owners seeking capital for their businesses, he says during interviews: “Tell me something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.”

Interview tip

November 1, 2014
If you plan to beef up your staff this busy holiday season, make sure you ask the right questions. Your standard interview questions about long-term goals and career ambitions don’t apply.

Signs of a bad job candidate

October 1, 2014
Watch for warning signs during a candidate’s interview. They should alert you to tread cautiously.

How to ask sensitive questions

October 1, 2014
When you’re interviewing a job candidate, you may have to ask some potentially sensitive questions. But you won’t have to worry about being accused of discrimination as long as you phrase your questions correctly.

Stronger interviews

October 1, 2014
When you are planning to interview someone, draft a script for how you want the conversation to go. Include your questions and plenty of notes. Then study the script well and toss it.

Attract better candidates

September 1, 2014
To find the right candidate for your open position, consider this unorthodox method: Advertise a lower salary than what is industry standard and what you plan to actually pay the person. Why?