Thinking about a New Job for New Year?

[Jim Wynne]

Discordian (or anybody else for that matter),

Have you ever asked either of the first two questions? What were the results? While most reputable interviewers would probably give a honest answer, I can just imagine the made-up answers and/or the proverbial "no comment" also given.

("The reason the last person left was because they were fed up with the incompetency here. We normally can't keep anybody in this position for more than six months. Sooooooo, when can you start??")

Sometimes it's a matter of reading between the lines, and other times, when the interviewer gives a noncommittal answer, you just have to move on to the next question. If an interviewer responds by saying, "I really can't discuss it due to confidentiality concerns," you have no way of knowing whether the response means anything or not. The question is still worth asking though, because once in a while you will get an honest answer. A candid reply is more likely in an upstream interview with a department head; an HR screener isn't likely to give up the information, and depending on the circumstances, might not even know the answer.

 

[BradM]

Re: Dealing with the dreaded query, "Why did/will you leave your last position?"

Dealing with the dreaded query, "Why did/will you leave your last position?"

I'm glad you mentioned this one. A mentor of mine pointed out that not only verbally should you be prepared, but also non-verbally. This was a good one to me, as I can tend to be transparent.

Work on making sure that you are not putting off a vibe that you are carrying a grudge, and that you have moved on.

This gets into the mock interviews and videotaping myself. It may not be for everybody, but it did help me out a lot.

 

[ScottK]

Discordian (or anybody else for that matter),

Have you ever asked either of the first two questions? What were the results? While most reputable interviewers would probably give a honest answer, I can just imagine the made-up answers and/or the proverbial "no comment" also given.

("The reason the last person left was because they were fed up with the incompetency here. We normally can't keep anybody in this position for more than six months. Sooooooo, when can you start??")

I always ask those two questions.
I've usually gotten pretty honest answers.
about 50% of the time I've been interviewing for a newly created position.
about 25% of the time the prior person moved on to other opportunities with no hard feelings either way
about 20% the prior person took a promotion within the company
the other 5% the real story came out later...

 

[Gert Sorensen]

Discordian (or anybody else for that matter),

Have you ever asked either of the first two questions? What were the results? While most reputable interviewers would probably give a honest answer, I can just imagine the made-up answers and/or the proverbial "no comment" also given.

("The reason the last person left was because they were fed up with the incompetency here. We normally can't keep anybody in this position for more than six months. Sooooooo, when can you start??")

I have tried the latter.... The result, hmmmm. I didn't get the job. If I feel inclined to ask one of the two questions above, it's because that I have alarm bells banging in my head, and I need to get confirmation of my instincts :mg:

 

[Wes Bucey]

I, for one, would love to hear the input on this one. There is so many differences due to culture when it comes to job interviews, and this thread is definitely an eye opener for me, when it comes to the American working culture. So many of the replies in this thread signals the awareness of political correctness and a wish to supply the interviewer with the answer "that will get you the job", but, as you can see I'm a dane, and given our culture I lack some replies that signal: "This is the person that I am, and I can fill the position satisfactorily"....

Not necessarily an answer that "will get you the job," but an answer that won't shut you out of the process prematurely. If you read carefully what I have written, I don't advocate the candidate using the interview as an occasion to vent about his previous employer. There are two primary reasons for not venting:

1. It may give the target employer pause about the mental stability of the candidate. (he really doesn't give a darn why you left unless it gives a clue you may not fit in to his organization)
2. In the passion of venting, a candidate may cross a legal line and disclose confidential or trade secret information or commit libel or slander. (who knows whether the interviewer is related by marriage to the idiot you are bad mouthing - think "six degrees of separation!")

I DO NOT say you should lie and say you are something you are not or believe something you don't just to get the job - most studies indicate candidates who do that do not last long if they do manage to get hired. I DO say you should make an informed decision about the amount of personal information and history you are willing to disclose.

Regardless of your religion, the job interview is not the place to begin proselytizing, yet I have dozens of anecdotes from fellow executives about folks who did exactly that. Similarly, keep your beliefs to yourself about politics, miscegenation, welfare, medical procedures, and all other topics which have nothing to do with the job being discussed. Do not allow yourself to be drawn into a discussion about them if the interviewer raises them.

If, however, you crave working where everyone shares the same religion and beliefs as you, then your options will be limited, but you can surely ignore my advice to eliminate such topics from your interview session!

 

[Wes Bucey]

It is definitely "fair game" to ask

1. Is the position open to replace someone or is it a new position?
2. If replacement, did the previous incumbent die, leave the company [or location], or get promoted (or does he know he is being replaced)?
3. If the guy was promoted, can I talk to him?
4. If the position is new, what circumstances led the company to decide it needs such a function?

An interviewer has three choices when you ask these questions:

1. Stonewall
2. Lie
3. Tell the truth

It is up to the candidate whether a lie or stonewall is acceptable. The truth, of course, depends on what the truth is! One of the reasons big organizations have interviewers independent of the job function under search is precisely so they can stonewall by saying "I don't know." They may be effective liars because they "tell the truth as they know it."

 

[Wes Bucey]

Questions I may ask when interviewing...

1. Why is this position avaialble?
2. (if it's not a new position) Why did the last person vacate the position?
3. What is the typical education level of the staff that will be reporting to me?
4. Please describe your training policies
5. Do you actively support training classes during working hours?

there's more but I have to go offer someone a job.

• I think (1) and (2) are important.
• (4) and (5) are important to know for lower level employees. Quality Managers and Six Sigma BB and MBB would be expected to have a big influence on these activities as a normal part of the job function.
• I can see the reasoning for number (3), but I can think of only a very narrow range of organizations where the answer would be significant in the operation.

 

[Wes Bucey]

Have we mentioned RESEARCH before the actual interview?
When you know what company and who you will be interviewing with, it is time to pull out ALL the stops in researching the company and, if possible, the interviewer.

Sometimes you are kept in the dark by a recruiter up to the point of actually scheduling an interview. Sometimes, you've just postponed it, not sure your cover letter and resume would get the interview. It doesn't matter, DO THE RESEARCH!

Don't hesitate to call the company and ask for most of the information. At the very least you should know the finances, the product line, principal competitors and principal customers as well as major suppliers. If you have a connection with any of them, don't hesitate to reach out for some "inside" information.

Think of this as a sales call and you have only one chance to close the sale (whether for the next interview or the job itself.) In sales, we tell the salesperson to "sell the benefit" not the product. In the interview, your job is to sell the interviewer on the benefit to him and his company in hiring you. Think of it this way, you could be the world's BEST [something], but if the company doesn't have a need for the [something], they don't need the world's best.

Your job in research is to discover the benefits the company will need and determine:

1. First, if you have the capability, capacity, and desire to provide those benefits
2. Second, how you can frame your capability, capacity, and desire to impress the interviewer that you are the best choice to meet all three criteria.

Obviously, if you lack any of the three criteria, you have some decisions to make. (We'll take this up in a later post.)

Does this make sense to you? If not, let us hear why.

 

[BradM]

Make sense to me!! Thanks for your time and effort on this one, Wes.

 

[ScottK]

• I think (1) and (2) are important.
• (4) and (5) are important to know for lower level employees. Quality Managers and Six Sigma BB and MBB would be expected to have a big influence on these activities as a normal part of the job function.
• I can see the reasoning for number (3), but I can think of only a very narrow range of organizations where the answer would be significant in the operation.

I'm approaching 4 and 5 not for myself, but from the stand point of will I be supported in offering training classes during working hours.
The first question I always get from production managers is "can you do the training after first shift is over?"