The Bottom Line To Peak Performance Vol 7, Issue 36, Feb 10

Challenge Your Thinking

The Bottom Line To Peak Performance Vol 7, Issue 36, Feb 10

Not All Jobs Are Alike

Why Behavioral Interviewing Must Be Job Related

One of the most important aspects of behavioral interviewing is keeping the questions job related. However, "job related" doesn't mean that the question relates to just ANY job. For the behavioral interviewing technique to be effective, the questions must relate to specific areas required by the job for superior performance.

Not all jobs are alike. In a customer service position, communicating with others and customer orientation may be the most crucial areas to success. Meanwhile, an executive level position may require competitiveness and a sense of urgency. A thorough job benchmark and an unbiased assessment of the job will quickly reveal the key performance objectives that are required for superior performance.

By connecting the questions you ask to those specific performance objectives, you can get to the root of an applicant's behavior in areas that directly affect success on the job.

Confusion

Norm guided me through a process of reorganizing my department in a way that engaged and energized the whole team. In many ways, I attribute much of my success as a manager to the lesssons that I learned from him. I learned through the insight he shared and coaching that he was truly interested in my success. His honest, tell it like it is approach, combined with his ability to impart his considerable knowledge using clear messages, was helpful in revealing my current (and hidden) strengths, and also come to grips with areas that need improvement.

A. Waples,
Consulting Manager