Page 19 - BusinessWest July 21, 2021

Sara Rose Stack, Marketing & Recruiting Manager,
Meyers Brothers Kalicka
The question: “Tell me something that you would do differently than your current boss at your current job.”
I ask this
question to learn
more about can-
didate’s aware-
ness of people
around them,
their creative
problem-solving
skills, their desire
to improve and
grow, and their
level of tact.
A candidate’s
answer to this
question will
reveal a lot about his/her ability to solve problems, but what I am most interested in is how they com- municate their proposed solution. The question itself has a somewhat negative connotation because it
is asking for the candidate to share something that their boss could do better or differently. My experi- ence has shown that, if someone will bash a supervi- sor or competitor to you, then they will repeat the behavior to others. Further, anyone that can share suggestions for improvement in a positive way is a great addition to the team. Tact and diplomacy are powerful tools for making improvements, contribut- ing ideas, and working in a team.
Sandra Doran, President, Bay Path University
The question: A two-parter: “How will this posi- tion help you grow your career?” “Tell me about an experience
or work project
where you had to work across departments to accomplish the goal(s).”
In the first
part of the ques-
tion, I am look-
ing for authen-
ticity of the
candidate and
the ability to be
introspective
and share their
current strengths as well as their vulnerabilities. As their experience grows, their value as contributors to Bay Path will also increase. The second question pro- vides insights to their capacity to be a team player and team leader within our organization. Today, 40% of Bay Path students are students of color, and we are striving to increase the diversity of our employ- ees. As a result, as the candidate explains the proj- ect, I am looking for how they respect and handle other opinions and perspectives, value diversity of thought, and exhibit multi-cultural competencies. Above all, the candidate must be both mission- and student-centered.
Brenda Olesuk, President, Graduate Pest Solutions Inc.
The question: “What do you consider to be your professional
and personal
strengths, and,
conversely, what areas do you struggle with or are not inter- ested in doing professionally?”
This is a
mainstay ques-
tion in all of my
interviews since
it encourages the
applicant to be
introspective and
reflective about themselves — and this tells me a lot about them. Learning what they consider to be their professional strengths and how they’ve applied those strengths often creates context for what they can and will bring to the table in the position they are apply- ing for. Perhaps more important to me is the level
of candor with which they communicate areas of struggle or lack of interest and how they have man- aged this in their career. This question often leads to an additional discussion that unveils the applicant’s openness to coaching and development, which is
a trait that is important to me as a leader, manager, and employer.
starts
WITH AN IDEA.
AND SOMEONE ELSE
who believed in it.
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JULY 21, 2021 19
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