What does a top executive recruiter think about asking questions?
I wanted to learn more about questions.
Specifically, how they are used in interviews.
Many of my clients want to both ask good questions, and answer them well. But, they also want to know how to listen for good answers when others are speaking. So, I’m curious about questions and how they work. Why we use them the ways we do.
As a place to start, I reached out to one of Canada’s top executive recruiters, Suzanne Clark, for some insight. She’s a Partner at Four Corners Group. She spends a lot of time designing questions. Here’s an excerpt from our conversation.
JB: Suzanne, you deal in questions. In a way, you're a professional question-asker. What is your favourite question to ask in an interview question and why?
SC: Questions are the flashlights that allow us to illuminate the corners of an unknown space. It’s quite impossible to ask candidates to share the full scope of their career experiences and honed skills, all within a 60 minute conversation, so interviewers have to choose their questions (and where to shine the beam of light) deliberately.
Many questions I pose in an interview will be somewhat tailored to what’s needed for the role, but important elements of a candidate’s experience can go entirely missed if questions are too narrowly focused.
For that reason, a favourite question I like to use towards the end of interviews is:
“What have I not asked you about that I should have, or what else would you want me to know about you or your experience as it relates to this role?”
JB: It sounds like a generous one. But, I imagine some people just say, “nope, we’ve covered it all pretty well” which is a wasted opportunity, it seems. So, how can leadership candidates be better prepared to answer it?
SC: For candidates to be prepared to answer this well, I suggest this:
Read the job posting carefully—mark it up, even—and try to visualize and contextualize the needs of the organization and the position.
Next, consider what experiences or skills you have that prepare you to address these needs (and think of specific examples that could help illustrate your experiences and bring them to life).
Have a “highlight reel” of your relevant experience at the ready that is specifically tailored to the opportunity.
This question is your moment to connect the dots for an interviewer. It’s your chance to paint the picture of how what you’ve done in the past applies to the needs of this organization and prepares you to succeed in what you’d be facing in this new role.
