INTERVIEWING
BY : ANDY BUYTING , CARLE VENTURES
Interview For Success
Asking The Right Questions
Maybe your organization is expanding or perhaps you find yourself suddenly short staffed . Regardless , here you are as the hiring manager , responsible for hiring new employees . And unlike your last hire , this time they better be good !
If this dilemma sounds too familiar , you ’ re not alone . Hiring right is one of the most significant success factors in any organization ; however , it continues to be one of the most difficult competencies to master on a consistent basis inside most companies .
Countless studies have been done regarding the success rate of “ good hires ” versus “ bad hires .” In one study conducted by hiring experts Brad Smart and Geoff Smart , the average success rate of companies hiring or promoting an employee into a new position is less than 25 percent . So how is the average operator expected to beat those odds ?
One way is by using a systemized hiring process .
In the early 1990s , Jack Welch , then- CEO of General Electric ( and later named “ Manager of the Century ” in 1999 by Fortune Magazine ), realized that a key determinant of General Electric ’ s success was going to be its ability to attract , hire , and develop top talent . To infuse the changes needed , he retained the services of human resource expert Brad Smart . Brad worked closely with General Electric ( GE ) for five years developing and instiling an employee recruiting and management process that was pivotal in transforming GE into one of the most successful talent magnets and leadership development organizations in the world .
Following his five years with GE , Brad collaborated with his son Geoff and the two of them co-authored the book Topgrading — How to Hire , Coach and Keep A Players . This book instantly became the bible of hiring and developing top performers inside of companies across North America and the world .
Topgrading is defined as “[ t ] he practice of creating the highest quality workforce by ensuring that talent acquisition and talent management processes focus on identifying , hiring , promoting , and retaining high performers , A Players , in the organization at every salary level .”
Within the pages of Topgrading , the authors go into great detail about their interview technique that is unlike many interview processes commonly used and taught by so-called “ hiring experts .” Instead of using behaviouraltype questioning , Topgrading takes you through a Chronological In- Depth Structured Interview ( C . I . D . S . Interview ) process .
With a C . I . D . S . Interview , the hiring manager takes the candidate through
26