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AI Resume resume keywords Applicant Tracking System Sep 12, 2024 12:00:00 AM Topgrading Team %
Blog Summary Video
[embed]https://www.canva.com/design/DAGQbf8VIJ0/Zp4-9KPzPGBoXcsH3Bf5nw/watch?utm_content=DAGQbf8VIJ0&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor[/embed] No matter how many job interviews you’ve conducted, unless you’ve been trained in Topgrading hiring methods, this “most revealing” question will surprise - no, shock - you. It’s not a hypothetical question and not a trick question. It’s a question that surprises interviewees, and they welcome it, get into answering it, and oftentimes remark that their answer gave them new self-insights. Though it’s a question in a job interview, it’s NOT about any job they held. Whaaat? Background Topgrading interviews are thought by adherents to be the most thorough because of the in-depth questions about every job. But the founder of Topgrading (that would be me) is a Ph.D. psychologist, aware that every one of us is influenced, molded, even hard-wired psychologically very early in life … in ways that show up in current wants, needs, and behaviors every day at work. So Topgraders start every job interview with this question. Here it is: The Most Revealing Question Chris, thank you for allotting the time for this interview. You know that it’s an in-depth interview covering your education years and then, chronologically, all your jobs. We’ll spend the most time on your recent jobs and then discuss the position you’re being considered for and your career goals. But let’s start with the first 18 or 20 years of your life. Who were the most influential people and how did they contribute to WHO YOU ARE TODAY IN TERMS OF YOUR PERSONALITY, VALUES, AND CAREER INTERESTS? (That wording makes it job-relevant). Influencers could have been positive or negative and could be parents, teachers, coaches, peers, or anyone. This question reveals the candidate’s character, self-awareness, and how they treat people. It reveals what people expect from the world (optimist or pessimist?), their motivations, and how they get work done. In my 6,500 reports on candidates for executive jobs, after Conclusions (hire or not) and Strengths and Weaker Points (long lists) sections, there is an Interpretive Career History section. This section always begins with two paragraphs about the early influencers … and how some deep needs and behavioral tendencies are evident today and every day. The Truth Motivator To be sure that responses to this and all questions are answered honestly, candidates are told that a final step in the hiring process is for them (not you) to arrange calls with bosses you have heard them describe. You ask them to arrange the calls. An Executive Example For executive job candidates, only 5% of the time I suggest to clients that they have the candidate arrange a call with an early influencer. Of course you want to talk with recent bosses, but here’s an example of how discussions with dearly influencers can be important: Curt Clawson threw the first 3-pointer in basketball history when he was a member of a Big Ten Basketball Championship team at Purdue. Referring to his coach, Curt said, “Coach (Gene) Keady won six Big Ten Championships, and at Purdue I was one of the mostly B Players, but Coach was such a great leader that he turned B Players into A Players and we won.” “So,” Curt said, “In business I could hire B Players and as a leader I’d hope to develop them into A Players.” Curt was hired and within a year told me, “I’m now a Topgrader, hiring A Players, because competitor teams might have A Players plus a great leader, so if I had B Players I’d be at a disadvantage. Topgrading is the way to win.” Curt went on to be a very successful CEO. Our Topgrading Professionals find that approximately 15-minutes out of a 4-hour top level Topgrading interview is spent discussing the candidate's influences. For entry-level jobs, such as grocery cashier or stocker, the interview looks like this:- Initial rapport building (5-minutes).
- Influencers question/answers (8-minutes).
- Questions about the two most recent jobs (15-minutes).
- Questions about the job they are applying for (5-minutes).
Dr. Brad Smart is Founder and CEO of Topgrading, Inc. Topgrading is dedicated to helping companies of all sizes maximize the hiring of high performers. Topgrading assesses candidates for senior positions (where the costs of mis-hires are high) and trains all managers to create teams of almost all high performers. Brad has seven published books on hiring; the most recent three (the first, second, and third editions of Topgrading) were all best sellers. Brad, and President Chris Mursau’s new book, Foolproof Hiring (Forbes Books), is available for purchase by clicking here. After just six weeks, Foolproof Hiring, achieved Amazon Best Seller status.
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