To Be A Great Interviewer, Keep This Mantra in Mind

I just wrapped up an interview coaching session with a technical leader at a high-growth SaaS company.

This leader had a (very common) tendency — every time he asked the candidate about her weaknesses or her prior mistakes, he would ask a follow-up question about how she had improved in that area or how she fixed the mistake.

I recommend removing this follow-up from your repertoire entirely. Here’s why:

• Most people ask “how did you fix it” follow-ups because they are uncomfortable asking candidates for negative information, and this gives the candidate an “out.” There is no need to be uncomfortable — we all have weaknesses, and we’ve all made mistakes.
• Unfortunately, when you keep asking for the “fix,” you are essentially telling the candidate that mistakes and weaknesses are bad.
• If the candidate did not fix the mistake or weakness, they will feel exposed or (more likely) they will make up a story about fixing it.
• Even if the candidate did fix the mistake or weakness, the “fix” story is rarely insightful (having heard hundreds of such stories).
  

As I was explaining these points to my coaching client, I came up with a simple phrase that, in my opinion, captures the essence of the ideal interviewing mindset:

“Everything is interesting, and nothing is a problem.”

When you are interviewing a candidate, everything they say is fascinating. And nothing they say is bad or problematic, even the negative stuff. That is how you get great information and deliver a great candidate experience.

There’s something else this mindset/mantra does for you. It helps you stop judging candidates in real time. And this non-judgment is critically important. When you judge a candidate in real time:

• They know it. They can feel it. And it doesn’t feel good.
• You will begin to seek confirmation of your judgment, biasing what you ask thereafter.
• Ultimately, you will end up hiring more people like yourself.
  

So . . . before your next interview, speak these words: “Everything is interesting, and nothing is a problem.” 

Say it again. And again. 

This will help you get into that magical, curious place where candidates share all kinds of great information with you — and enjoy doing so.

This post was originally published on LinkedIn.

Jordan Burton has 17 years of experience as an executive assessor and interviewing trainer, working with top VC/PE investors and high-growth startups to help them hire the best of the best. He has trained thousands of founders, leaders, and investors on hiring and interviewing skills. He leads Talgo’s business development initiatives, managing relationships with Sequoia Capital, TH Lee, Palantir, Scale AI, and over 50 venture-backed startups.