Getting the Right People

It all starts with determining just what is “the Right People”.

• Do we really know and understand what are the necessary skill sets for a particular job?
• Do we recognize and accept the individuals “fit” for a specific job?

Access to a reservoir of these “Right People” is a must.

• Do you have a Personnel net-work that you regularly tap into?
• Do you solicit prospective candidates even when you do not have an opening?

Interviewing is a very specific skill.

• Do you interview even when you do not have an opening to make sure you keep your skills sharp?

• An effective interview will hinge upon the quality of the “set up” probes and the “tenacity” of the follow up probes.
• Curiosity will always be the “watch word” of an effective interview.
• Often times the same topic needs to be explored in different words and at different times. Ask the same question in several different ways.
• Best and Worst questions work well as “Topic Pickers” and as set up probes.
• Always ask for two or three examples of any thought process that the candidate purports to believe in.
• Case Studies are an effective way to delve in to the way a candidate naturally thinks. Have a stable of standard Case Studies ready for use. The same case study presented by a different interviewer can get a different response from the Candidate

1. Why did you pick your college Major? Minor? Any regrets?
2. Before they got into the Home building business and had free time how did they use it? Outside activities? Vacations, Travel? Hobbies?
3. Ask about the highlights of their last Review. Ask the “Best Worst” combination.
4. Most Difficult thing that they have had to do in their Carrier, Last Job, Current Company.
5. High light in High School, College, Grad School?
6. If they could erase one thing from their Resume what would it be.
7. What are they famous for in their current company? Company before that?
8. If I sat next to your ex boss on a two hour flight what would he say about you?
9. What do your friends say about you? What do your enemies say about you?
10. What is going to happen on a day that you cannot wait to get to work?
11. What is going to happen on a day that you dread going in to work?
12. What would you like to take off of your job description?
13. What was the hardest thing for you to learn in the Project Manager Job? In the Division President Job?
14. What subject should you have invested more time in while in school?
15. Tell me about the last argument you had with a coworker?
16. What was the biggest surprise when taking over in your last job?
17. What would you love to add to your Job description?
18. What were you not prepared for in your last job?
19. Best Day of your last job? Worst day of your last job
20. What scares you most about any new job? Push on this for sure.
21. Tell me about the best Manager you have ever worked for. Worst? Ask for specific examples of actions and not attitudes.
22. What does the first day, second day, first Week, first Month look like for a new hire or new promotion working for YOU? Specifics.
23. If you could have a “do over” in your last job what would it be? In other jobs?
24. “ Tomb stone” Exercise.
25. Give me specific examples of accountability in your job and the job of your people. Day to day.
26. Explain your Management / Leadership philosophy in 3 sentences and then ask for specific examples.
27. What does a typical Monday look like for you. Typical Friday? Last day of the month? Last week of the month, Quarter, Year?
28. What is the most important thing that you have learned in the past year in your job? Career?
29. Who was the most impactful individual in your career? Why?
30. Tell me about the books you read? Management? Fiction? Non-Fiction?
31. If you could give your “direct reports” one specific skill what would it be? Not outcome but Skill.
32. Biggest frustration with your job? Direct reports? Boss? Upper Management? Rank and file?
33. Tell me about your “best” hire. About your “worst” hire.
34. What is the biggest challenge that a Project Manager faces? Specifics and details.
35. Walk me though a Sales Meeting Agenda? Project Meeting agenda? Division Meeting agenda?
36. How do you utilize your Support personnel?
37. Ask them to explain their Selling Philosophy.
38. Describe the relationship between Division President or Project Manager Peers?
39. Discuss the relationship between Field and Support personnel. Challenges and way to cope with the difficulties?
40. In your experience, “Why do Project managers or Division Presidents fail?” What gets in the way of their success
41. Describe the role of the Project Manager Walk. Last time the Project Manager visits the home before closing. (not everyone will use the same terminology) Discuss Walking Payroll. Discuss Time Scheduling and Home scheduling techniques.
42. What went wrong in your current job?
43. I have asked a lot of questions, “What questions do you have for me?” Have they done their home work on you and the company? Are they “good” questions? Good questions are NOT about pay, time off and compensation.
44. It is important that our questions cause the candidate to stop and think. It is vital to get past the “canned” answers. Persistence with your follow up questions will make the day. All of the “light command” types of probes are a necessary tool for an effective interview; especially in the management arena.