Page 37 - 301 Best Questions to Ask on Your Interview, Second Edition

THE RULES OF THE GAME

In tactical terms, that means framing your interview questions so
the answers you want or expect will be positive. Here’s an example of
an exchange between a candidate and an interviewer to demonstrate
the power of yes.

CANDIDATE: I have long been impressed by Acme Widgets. It’s been
the leader in pneumatic widgets for more than fifty years, right?

INTERVIEWER [PROUDLY]: Yes!

CANDIDATE: I noticed in the current annual report that the company
sets aside $50 million, or 2.5 percent of revenues, for research and
development. That’s more than all of your competitors, right?

INTERVIEWER: Yes. We lead the industry in allocation of R&D by
revenue.

CANDIDATE: As the market for widgets gets more commoditized,
we will have to differentiate the product, right? What specifically
is the company doing to preserve the market share it has gained
over the years?

As the interviewer answers the question, note the subtle messages the
candidate is sending. The candidate ends each question with “right?”
which invites the interviewer to answer with “yes.” Of course, the
candidate must be on sure ground. The candidate certainly wants to
avoid any possibility that the interviewer will answer, “No, that’s not
quite right.” Good research makes such questioning possible.

5. Use Inclusive Language

Look at the last dialogue again. Did you notice that the candidate sub-
tly shifted from you to we? Words such as we and our subtly give the
impression that the candidate is already a member of the team. The
more comfortable the interviewer is with the concept of the candidate
already being on the team, the better the candidate’s chances. It’s so
much easier extending a job offer to someone whom the interviewer
on some level already perceives as part of “us” instead of “them.”

The risk, of course, is to come off as presumptuous. So a delicate
touch with this technique is warranted. Generally, it works best later
in the interview and after the interviewer has demonstrated a sub-

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