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By Martin Yate
3. Past-Performance Questions
This technique has been developed into a whole style of interviewing (discussed later). Past-performance, or behavioral, questions are based on the premise that past actions can predict future behavior, that any given individual can be expected to do at least as well or as badly on the new job as he or she did on the last. They are open-ended by nature, yet focus on requesting specific examples of past behavior. They are usually prefaced with, "Tell me about a time
when..." "Share with me an experience when..." "Give me an example of..." Ask past-performance questions early in the interview, so that an interviewee will realize early on that he or she is expected to give detailed examples about the past and will be less tempted to try
pulling the wool over your eyes as the interview progresses.
4. Negative-Balance Questions
When interviewing, you can be tempted all too often to believe that a candidate strong in one area is equally impressive in all areas. This is not always the case. When an eerie light appears around the applicant's head, and hymns from a choir of heavenly angels replace the
background noise of your office's typewriters, it is time to get a grip on yourself and look for the applicant's feet of clay. Whenever you find yourself becoming unduly impressed, try, "That's very impressive. Was there ever an occasion when things didn't work out quite so well?" or the simple, "Now can you give me an example of something in this area you are not so proud of?"
5. Negative Confirmation
When you have sought and found negative balance, you may feel content that you are maintaining your objectivity and move on, or that the answer you receive may be disturbing enough to warrant negative confirmation. Let's say the interviewee told you about a time she found it necessary to go around or behind her supervisor to achieve a goal. As a manager, you will be given considerable pause: If such behavior is common with this individual, you would be unwise to invite her into your team. Consequently, you will seek negative confirmation with,
"You know, that 's very interesting. Let's talk about another time when you had to..." Successive examples will help you confirm negative traits and perhaps save you from a poor hire. On the other hand, you might find that particular negative situation to be an aberration, a one-time thing, and nothing to worry about.
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