Ask better questions on your interviews | Lean Leverage #004

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• Operations: It seems like every company is releasing an AI product these days. But which ones are useful for your team and which ones are just fluff?

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This Week’s Lean Leverage Tip:
What questions should I ask during a job interview?

TL;DR: I recommend three types of questions: Technical questions to assess baseline competency, scenario questions to assess culture fit, and motivation questions to ensure you’re giving the candidate what they want.

Today’s question is by far the most asked question I see from small business owners.

It’s not hard to see why– hiring can be an expensive and time-consuming process. This isn’t something to mess up on.

In broad terms, here’s the three types of questions I like to ask:

1. Technical Skills and Experience: These are used to assess the candidate's technical proficiency and experience relevant to the role. This could involve questions about specific skills, platforms, or industry knowledge the candidate would need to use in their role.

-"Can you provide a specific example of a project where you successfully applied [specific skill]? Be as specific as possible."

- "How do you stay up-to-date with new trends and developments in [industry or field]?"

- “Can you explain to me what you would do in this technical scenario?”

2. Cultural Fit: Your culture questions are designed to find people who have the same values as you and your team. But here’s the catch, culture doesn’t matter when things are easy; it matters when things get hard. For this reason, I like to base our culture questions around scenarios where team members have struggled in the past.

- “You are responsible for an important project due tomorrow morning before your shift starts. It’s almost the end of your current shift and you’ve realized you made a mistake that will make it impossible to finish if you end your shift on time. What would you do in this scenario?”

- "Can you describe a time when you had to adapt to a new team culture?"

- "How do you ensure effective communication when working with a remote or distributed team?"

3. Motivation and Commitment: Understanding the candidate's reasons for applying and their long-term career goals can provide insight into their motivation and potential for long-term success with the company. If you did your job right, you’ve already assessed their fit for your team. These questions are about making sure that you can offer the candidate what they’re looking for.

- "Let’s say we’re having another conversation a year from now after you’ve been hired for the role. What kinds of things would have to happen for you to say that it has been a successful year for you professionally"

- "Where do you see yourself in the next 3-5 years, and how does this role align with your long-term career goals?"

How can you apply this? 

• Write down your interview process. Systemize then optimize.

• Use all three types of questions to assess the technical, cultural, and motivational fit of your candidates

• Write down and record the results so you can improve with every interview.

• Give each candidate 1-5 score for each category of question or question asked

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