#TERRIBLETUESDAY and the Girlfriend Experience

You know, when it comes to terrible interview questions, the bar just keeps getting lower. As I talk to people and they tell me their stories of awful interview questions, I stand there with my mouth agape. There is really no end in sight to how poorly hiring managers attempt to communicate with people in the interviews.

I went to listen to a speaker talk about “The Customer Is Not Always Right,” which I completely agree with by the way (check out Jonathan at http://bizoverbeer.com/.) But I digress… As I was chatting up someone before the event, this little gem was dropped in my lap, and a full discussion followed.

The woman in question went to an interview with a family owned company, a typical husband/wife team you would see in a family owned business. But, when they sat down to interview the candidate, the wife started the interview with a big smile on her face and said something along the lines of “We’re going to do something different. I just want you to talk to me like we are girlfriends.”

A little digging, and I learned that the intent was to see if the candidate could relate, and be personable with, a senior population. Okay…

I don’t know about you, but I don’t talk to my Great Aunt Edna like I am with my buddies on Girl’s Night Out... And I certainly wouldn’t talk to a random elder as if I was sitting around a pool in Vegas with my girlfriends downing a wine spritzer. I know the conversations I have with my besties, and they would make the average person blush!

But the intent was clear. Relatability. Okay, so how do you go about finding out if a person can relate with the population you are serving?

“Hi, one of the issues we have here is that our clients are part of the senior population. What challenges do you think they face?”
“How do you help people, with similar challenges, through these types of situations?”
“What challenges have you overcome when learning a new way to communicate?”
“In your last position how often did you deal with people who were agitated?”
“What tools do you use to diffuse a situation in which a person is frustrated by technology?”
“What does it feel like to you to help people who are different than you?”

Okay, the last question is a leading question… BUT, it serves a purpose. It puts the candidate in the driver’s seat, and they experience the emotion; and if it’s pleasant, they will continue to want to be in the position that you are talking about. 

Relatability is not having a random conversation. It’s using a specific set of tools, some learned, some inherent, but they are tools none the less. 

My challenge for you: focus the conversation on tools, and the ability to use those innate tools to make the person on the receiving end comfortable. Don’t trick the candidate into thinking that a lack of boundaries is okay.