Sweet spot:
noun (informal)
an optimum point of combination of factors or qualities.
For interviewers, the entire goal of sitting down with a candidate is to determine, “Does this person have the ideal combination of factors or qualities to do this job well?” In interviewing any candidate for any position, my primary piece of advice is to ask the questions to which you want to know the answers. If something stands out on their resume as either intriguing or concerning, ask. If you have absolutes that a candidate must possess, ask. Some recruiters struggle with the basic interview questions that have been around since the beginning of time, but if you know what to listen for, they merit use and provide answers to qualifications a professional should possess. You will never hear me ask anyone what their spirit animal is or which three items a candidate would bring should he end up on a deserted island. Frankly, recruiting is time consuming enough without adding a “Unicorn versus Anteater” rubric, and, more importantly, those are not the questions I want answered.
Below is a list of traditional soft-skill interview questions and the value they add to a candidate assessment:
What is your leadership style?
There is so much published on this topic that people who are truly interested in cultivating this skill have likely devoted time to reading about it, especially ahead of being interviewed. If leadership is an important part of the role for which you are hiring, it’s good to know if your candidate has invested some research, practice, or at the very least, some original thought to their approach. More importantly, they should be able to clearly articulate said style and provide examples of it in action.
Are you a hands-on manager or do you tend to delegate more?
Some think we might as well ask, “Are you a micromanager?” But the value in this question really comes into play when either project management, people management, or both are high priorities for the role. Ideally, the perfect answer is somewhere in the collaborative range, but for a project management heavy role, the ability to find that balance is key, as is your confidence in the candidate to do so.
What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses, and how do you overcome?
Although it’s one of the more cliché interview questions, it really provides great insight if you know where to look. People generally know what they’re good at and enjoy sharing those attributes in detail, but this question also gives you an idea of where their passions lie, because passions typically go hand-in-hand with a person’s strengths. If a candidate’s demeanor changes from practiced and professionally polite to eyes-lit-up, rapid speech enthusiasm when asked about their strengths, it’s a pretty reliable indicator of an area in which they’re deeply invested.
While most candidates are prepared to turn their “weakness” into a strength in the interview setting, the most honest and self-aware candidates actually share something they struggle with and how they work to overcome it. This allows the interviewer to learn about some fundamental personality traits, to determine whether a potential weakness is a particularly bad fit for the firm or department’s pain points, or to realize the person is simply human like the rest of us. Better yet, it sheds light on how they problem-solve the issues that are often most difficult for humans to resolve — our own.
What motivates you? What frustrates you?
No matter who you hire, it is crucial to understand what motivates your employees. Much like their attorney counterparts, they have unique personalities and what works for some doesn’t work for all. The most proven way to maximize an employee’s contribution is to know and utilize what reinforces good performance! It is similarly valuable to know what pushes a person’s buttons, and often, the frustration question exposes any potential red flags in the temperament department.
Other questions I use that provide valuable – and sometimes entertaining – information are:
How do you develop good working relationships with your leadership team and colleagues?
How do you resolve conflicts? Can you give an example?
What is your approach to dealing with a difficult partner/business leader? Client?
I’ve always applied a very conversational style to my interviewing, as it relaxes the candidates and encourages candor. I know some recruiting professionals who are robotic during interviews or who get lost in the “trick question” approach, but our job isn’t to trick anyone; it is to accurately assess candidates for our clients so they can do THEIR jobs. I also consider my client firm’s specific needs and the best overall fit when determining the questions I’ll use. For example, are they struggling with specific issues that need attention? High turnover? Fragile culture? Challenging geography? For example, in placing a COO for a firm in upstate New York, I wasn’t digging candidates out of the Florida or California talent pools, as comfort in the location was at the front end of the discussion. Much the same, if there exist key factors that will significantly affect the level of “fit-ness” of a candidate, my advice – ask!