

How Risky Is That New Hire? The One Interview Question That Matters - halfshark
https://medium.com/@asharfin/how-risky-is-that-new-hire-1a63db323787

======
ScottWhigham
The problem I have with this question - other than I don't think it's a very
good question to "immediately disqualify" someone on based on their answer -
is that "the right answer" is formulaic. There is one answer that always works
100% of the time:

Let's say you asked a senior candidate that question and they said, "Well, I'm
an ambitious person with lofty career goals. I really want to get into project
management. My biggest risk here is that I join, you don't recognize my
contributions and promote me, and I end up leaving to join another group who
does."

That's all that has to be said. The "right" answer here is to reflect this
back and show that the risk is mine (speaking as the candidate) - "I'm taking
the risk here because you are the unknown."

~~~
halfshark
Agreed with other comment. I've had people do this and I've said "that's your
biggest risk in coming here. What's our risk?"

I'm not trying to ask a gotcha question. I'm trying to have an open
conversation and start problem-solving together.

------
sharemywin
I follow it up until the upfront and candid and then not telling people they
screwed up the answer. Why not say horseshit to their face? Just because
someone has been coached on stupid HR questions doesn't mean you don't give
them a chance to work through it and give you a real answer. If your going to
play games and interview outside the box then let them know the rules of the
game. In my opinion.

~~~
halfshark
To be clear, I actually do call horseshit to their face. I have said to
several candidates "no, but REALLY what would the risk be," and explain why I
ask this question, exactly as I do in my post.

Some people just won't adjust their answers, no matter what.

And now I'm making a blog post about it, so if you're interviewing with me,
you can just google me and know that I'm going to ask you this.

~~~
sharemywin
fair enough if you can't prep for an interview(check your blog) and/or adjust
to a potential bosses style(when they explain it to you) probably not a good
fit.

------
NedStarkkk
A good company will consider about growing with its employees. So maybe
managers also need to think about what if the candidate says"what will be my
biggest risk in work for you, and what steps will you take to mitigate it?"

~~~
halfshark
Some people do ask that question. I love when that happens. And I answer as I
did in the section "what to do if you don't know what to do." I explain, for
example, that I can't see a clear path for advancement for them, and ask them
to brainstorm with me. Or I tell them that I'm not sure what we can teach
them. And then I let them decide.

This isn't supposed to be a trap. It's supposed to be an honest conversation
between two adults about how a working relationship is going to work. I have
as much responsibility to the applicant as they have to me.

~~~
NedStarkkk
I think an honest conversation like you said is good and a working
relationship will be helpful. PS: Maybe what you can "teach" your employees is
not so important, but some other things do, like opportunities，other brilliant
colleagues that you can offer. They can figure out how to be better themselves
:)

~~~
halfshark
The self-improving employee is my favorite kind! I do like to be as useful as
I can be, though. The highest leverage thing I can do as a manager is help to
make the people who work for me more effective.

