To help us better understand if a candidate is a fit for a specific position, we use a technique we call “Scenario Interviewing”. This technique simplifies the “information clutter” created during the interviewing process and allows us to focus on how well a candidate matches up with our client’s position.
Let’s start with the assumption that you have several candidates with the experience you are looking for. Now let’s learn more about them!
Scenario Interviewing is proposing realistic scenarios to candidates and listening to their response, it can be very revealing. Scenario Interviewing uncovers a candidates’ ability to think on their feet – but far beyond this it can reveal overall judgment – grasp of business principles, resolve, problem solving abilities, skills and leadership style.
Scenario Interviewing is all about helping you visualize if you would want this person on your team. You get to see how they think, process information and structure their thoughts. Often it reveals their temperament and ability to deal with ambiguity.
Here are 3 examples:
Scenario A: You are hiring a Sales Manager for a subprime automotive finance company who will lead a group of Field Sales Reps who call on and sell to F&I Managers at dealerships.
Propose Scenario: Six months after you are hired, senior management makes very unpopular changes to our program – such as not buying nearly as deep. Your dealers are upset and your own sales staff is frustrated and very unhappy with the changes.
What would you do?
What would you tell your sales team?
What should your sales team communicate to their F&I contacts?
Look for the quality and thoughtfulness of the answer. Does it show intelligence, depth, perhaps the ability to stick with a difficult challenge? Do you sense candidate would think about quitting if faced with this challenge?
Scenario Interviewing is all about helping you visualize if you would want this person on your team.
Here is another example.
Scenario B: You are hiring a person to lead your Collections Department.
Propose Scenario: Our 1 day late payment is up from 10% to 12% in the past 2 quarters.
If you become our Head of Collections, tell us how you would go about finding the root cause of the problem and then fixing it?
What metrics would you use?
What information would you need to solve this?
We recommend to clients that they ask, everyone who will be part of the interviewing process, what “real life scenarios” should be proposed to perspective candidates. And I always tell clients, study the facts but listen to your gut!
Here is another example.
Scenario C: You are hiring a Sales Manager for a dealership (can be New Car or BHPH)
Propose Scenario: Sales begin to fall and continue to for 3 consecutive months. Data shows other local dealers are not having this problem. Apparently just we are.
What would you do?
What information would you need to make smart decisions?
Who would you ask?
Could you put forth a strategy to reverse this negative trend?
Use this technique as one tool for evaluating candidates. The more realistic the scenario the more you will learn how well a potential candidate will fit into your organization. When you ask the same question to several potential candidates, “Scenario Interviewing” will usually help you rank the candidates. You will form that “gut feeling” if you want this candidates to join your team.
Continued success