On Sunday night, judges evaluated 50 young women to determine who best represented the country and deserved the title “Miss America 2015.” Interviewing job candidates is not unlike judging pageant contestants —you have to eliminate a lot of worthy individuals to arrive at the one lucky winner—but the protocols should not be the same.
“The pageant format may be the best way to find a beauty queen who can give smart sounding sound bites, but it’s not the best way to hire,” said Inc. columnist Suzanne Lucas (@realevilhrlady).
Here are a few mistakes some employers make when deciding who to add to their team:
Looking for skinny, young and beautiful. It’s a sad fact that people rate fat candidates less competent than slender candidates and that pretty people make more money. But just because someone has killer cheekbones or prominent hip bones doesn’t mean they’re going to roll up their shirtsleeves and help you make the biggest profit possible. “Stop looking at how people look and consider what they can do for your business,” Lucas says.
Not asking what you really want to know. Vague, creative questions ("If you could be any kind of a tree, which would you be?”) will only yield puzzled looks or malarkey. If you want telling details about a candidate’s leadership skills or work ethic, give them targeted questions and ask for anecdotes.
Hiring from the same source. For the third straight year, The Empire State took home the Miss America crown. “Good job New York!” Lucas says. “With only 6 percent of the US population, you’ve managed to produce the most beautiful and talented woman, 3 years running!” If you’re always hiring people with the same alma mater or who are friends of friends, you may be overlooking candidates with major potential. “Consider the possibility that you always find the best from this place because you only look at people who are from there,” Lucas says.
Expecting world peace in under 30 seconds. Poor Miss Virginia. The judges asked her how the US should respond to ISIS. “First of all, there is no way that question can be thoroughly answered in the time allotted,” Lucas says. “Second, she lacks the proper information to answer that question (unless she’s a top military person with security clearance and an expert on the Middle East), and third, experts disagree strongly on this question.” If you want articulate answers on how to solve major issues, you need to give the candidate the question in advance and you must understand that, because he or she doesn’t already work for you, he or she will lack full information about your internal problem.
Making it a one-way process. “The contestants in the Miss America Pageant don’t get to turn the tables and ask anything of the judges,” Lucas says. “They just get to answer questions, smile and look pretty.” Job interviews should not be one-sided; you’re looking for a conversation, as though on a date. “Remember, not only are you trying to determine if this person would be a good fit for your company, but the candidate is trying to determine if he or she wants to work there.”
Join the conversation! Tell us: What do you ask to find the best employees?
“The pageant format may be the best way to find a beauty queen who can give smart sounding sound bites, but it’s not the best way to hire,” said Inc. columnist Suzanne Lucas (@realevilhrlady).
Here are a few mistakes some employers make when deciding who to add to their team:
Looking for skinny, young and beautiful. It’s a sad fact that people rate fat candidates less competent than slender candidates and that pretty people make more money. But just because someone has killer cheekbones or prominent hip bones doesn’t mean they’re going to roll up their shirtsleeves and help you make the biggest profit possible. “Stop looking at how people look and consider what they can do for your business,” Lucas says.
Not asking what you really want to know. Vague, creative questions ("If you could be any kind of a tree, which would you be?”) will only yield puzzled looks or malarkey. If you want telling details about a candidate’s leadership skills or work ethic, give them targeted questions and ask for anecdotes.
Hiring from the same source. For the third straight year, The Empire State took home the Miss America crown. “Good job New York!” Lucas says. “With only 6 percent of the US population, you’ve managed to produce the most beautiful and talented woman, 3 years running!” If you’re always hiring people with the same alma mater or who are friends of friends, you may be overlooking candidates with major potential. “Consider the possibility that you always find the best from this place because you only look at people who are from there,” Lucas says.
Expecting world peace in under 30 seconds. Poor Miss Virginia. The judges asked her how the US should respond to ISIS. “First of all, there is no way that question can be thoroughly answered in the time allotted,” Lucas says. “Second, she lacks the proper information to answer that question (unless she’s a top military person with security clearance and an expert on the Middle East), and third, experts disagree strongly on this question.” If you want articulate answers on how to solve major issues, you need to give the candidate the question in advance and you must understand that, because he or she doesn’t already work for you, he or she will lack full information about your internal problem.
Making it a one-way process. “The contestants in the Miss America Pageant don’t get to turn the tables and ask anything of the judges,” Lucas says. “They just get to answer questions, smile and look pretty.” Job interviews should not be one-sided; you’re looking for a conversation, as though on a date. “Remember, not only are you trying to determine if this person would be a good fit for your company, but the candidate is trying to determine if he or she wants to work there.”
Join the conversation! Tell us: What do you ask to find the best employees?
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