Page 20 - BusinessWest July 21, 2021

Ellen Freyman, Esq., Partner, Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C.
The question: “What would make you satisfied in this job?”
This question lets the applicant know that we care whether our employees are happy working for us, and at the same time, it helps us determine if this applicant will be
a good fit. It is also another way of
finding out the applicant’s strengths
without asking directly, and discloses
what part of the job they may not care
to do. The answer to this question can
reveal why the applicant hasn’t stayed
in previous jobs and potentially lead
us to rethink some of the things we
are doing in our office. The question
helps us determine if the applicant
understands the position they have
applied for and if they have the right skill set. Getting an honest answer to this question helps both the applicant and us know whether hiring this person will be satisfying to both of us.
Carla Cosenzi, President, TommyCar Auto Group
The question: “How do you delegate responsibilities to team members?”
I ask this question to potential hir-
ing candidates because most manag-
ers fail at delegation. As a good leader,
it is their responsibility to be clear
about what they are delegating and
their expectations. In our company, it
is our manager’s responsibility to offer
their team the tools they need to suc-
ceed by encouraging and supporting
the decision-making environment.
The effective delegation and empow-
erment of their employees is essential
for their success as a manager. By ask-
ing this question, I am able to learn if
a potential candidate is able to release
control and effectively delegate, empower, and hold accountable their future team members.
Pia Kumar, Chief Strategy Officer, Universal Plastics
The question: “Why did you leave your last job?” Or, if they are still employed, “Why are you looking to leave this job?”
As an employer, I value continuity and longevity in job history. However, the résumé is just a piece of paper. The interview is the opportunity
to either rise above what the piece
of paper says or minimize it. How someone discusses a job change tells me whether they are a team player, whether they are growth-mindset- oriented, and what kinds of cultures, people, and attributes they either enjoy or don’t. In short, it is the ‘heart’ (as opposed to the ‘head’) part of the interview, which answers the most important question of all for me — do I want this person on my team?
It is never easy to leave a job,
whether you do it on your own terms or have been asked to do so. So, how you answer this question brings up your response to a difficult situation, which may even involve conflict or confrontation. As an employer, I want to know how you handle difficult situations. At Universal Plastics, we believe in giving people chances, lots of them, but it has to start from a place of candor and commitment to our culture and the values we espouse, and this question aims to ascertain exactly that.
Michael Matty, President, St. Germain Investments
The question: “What did your parents do?”
I like to ask this because we are all a
product of our background, and it is a great
opportunity to gain some insight into the
person. If, for example, the parents ran their
own business, the candidate probably has a
good understanding of the needs of a small
business and what it takes to make it work.
It is also a good opportunity to ask why
the candidate doesn’t want to work there.
Conversely, the mom may have been stay-
at-home, and dad worked in a factory job
in a blue-collar role. The candidate may be
first-generation college and first-generation
in a professional role — sometimes a bit
less polished in presentation, but likely with
good reason. And if they are smart, energet-
ic, and willing to learn, I’d potentially think
they were a good hire. Overall, it’s a good, open-ended question that can lead to some good conversation.
Jane Albert, Senior Vice President
and Chief Consumer Officer, Baystate Health
The question: “What impact has the pandemic had on you?
This is a newer question I ask because
it opens the door to conversation about
a current topic of significance with many
pathways to get to know the candidate. Ask-
ing a broad, open-ended question provides
the candidate with a choice to respond with
an orientation toward their personal life or
their work experiences. like to provide that
option to make it most comfortable for the
candidate during the interview. This ques-
tion enables conversation about how they
handled changes and challenges related
to the pandemic and offers glimpses into
how they may handle and adjust to changes
within our healthcare environment and
their potential new work responsibilities. It
also opens the door to learning about the
candidate’s priorities, relationships, engagements, and abilities to adapt to change, along with how they handled this in their daily life as well as throughout their work experiences.
Kate Campiti, Associate Publisher and Sales Manager, BusinessWest
The question: “Have you had experience in the service industry?”
When I interview for sales, I look for —
and ask about — experience in the service
industry. If the candidate has it, I ask how
they’ve handled a tough customer or table
and how they turned it around or were able
to shake it off to continue successfully serv-
ing the rest of the shift. If candidates can
wait tables or bartend successfully, it shows
they have what it takes to think on their
feet, appeal to customers, and provide high-
level service to earn tips. It also shows they
are driven by both money and customer
service, which bodes well for a sales posi-
tion with BusinessWest. For other positions,
I typically ask what motivates them, what
they do to unwind, if they have tactics for
stress relief inside and outside the office,
and what they think their best assets and weaknesses are and what they think their current or previous employers would say.
20 JULY 21, 2021
EMPLOYMENT
BusinessWest