Answer with a Question

This continues our series on answering interview questions
In previous posts we established that you answer almost all interview questions in one of four ways:

1. Hit home runs to highlight what you can for for the company
2. Use your dessert tray to answer “Tell me about yourself” and other questions
3. Answer with a question to gather information before providing an inadequate answer
4. Reframe their thinking about your weaknesses

Today, we address the interview questions that require more information before answering. Sometimes interviewers ask questions to see how well you think on your feet (or usually in the chair). Other questions require you more information before you answer. Finally, some interviewers ask what I call bizarre questions just to see you react.
I will illustrate all of this type of question using just three examples.
“What do you expect as a starting salary?”
You lack information to answer this question. You don’t know how much they typically pay for their positions. You also don’t know enough about the position to recognize what would be the expected return on investment.
You may answer with one or two questions.

• “What do you usually pay someone with my experience?”
• “What do you usually pay for this position?”
• “Before we discuss salary, We need to discuss the financial responsibilities associated with the position. What budget would I control and what savings or profits would you expect me to generate?”

“Do you have any questions for me?”
Obviously, you have to answer this questions because it invites questions. You must resist the urge to ask questions about insurance, benefits, or issues related to your personal gratification. Instead, focus your questions on discovering more about their expectations of the  job.
You may answer with one or two questions.

• “I understand you want someone who can (list 2-3 skills or traits). Can you tell me anything else you seek in the person you fire for this position?
• Follow-up with home run statements that relate to what they want.
• “What else can I do to prove how well I will meet your requirements?”

“How many quarters would you have to stack to equal the Empire State Building?”
This question represents what I call “Bizarre  Questions”.   Microsoft originated the question to see how people think on their feet. The answer to the question must show your innovation and ingenuity.
You may answer with one or two questions.

• “American or Canadian quarters?”
• “After I count how many quarters would stack to six inches and double the number, I would divide it into the height of the Empire State Building. Can you tell me how tall the building is?”
• “Do you want them stacked horizontally or vertically?”

Once you recognize that you need additional information to answer a question, you can select the right question to ask. Resist the temptation to assume you know all the information you need.
Tune in on Friday when I explore how to reframe their thinking about your weaknesses

Present Your Dessert Tray

Please share experiences you had in interviews?
We discussed in a previous post how you answer all interview questions with one of four types of answers. Our last post describe how to hit home runs to answer one type of question.
Today, we will discuss how your dessert tray can answer the dreaded question “Tell me about yourself” or “Tell me why you chose to enter this occupation?”
How You Build Your Dessert Tray
Fine restaurants use dessert trays to entice well-fed diners to indulge in rich desserts. The server brings the tray to the table. The tray exhibits the desserts in their finest.  You entice potential employers to hire you by presenting your attributes in the best possible light.
Using the visual image of a dessert tray helps you remember what to say. Picture the tray holding the following information:

1. Your family or hobbies
   
2. Associations, clubs, teams or boards that occupy your time and attention
   
3. Your training or education
   
4. The 5+ best jobs you ever held
   
5. 5 words or phrases that best describe you
   
6. 5 accomplishments that mean the most to you

How to Use Your Dessert Tray to Answer Questions
Just as restaurants do not expect diners to eat everything on the dessert tray, you should not expect interviewers to digest everything on your dessert tray. You give them samples. In other words, you select the elements on your tray that will appeal most to that interviewer. Selecting portions allows you use your tray to answer multiple questions.
Allow me to demonstrate:

• Q: Tell me about yourself?
  • A: (the numbers refer to the parts of the dessert tray listed above
    
  • “I’ve been blessed with great health because I run 4 miles 5 times a week (1). I’ve always loved reading (1) history and business books. Reading helped me earn my MBA from the Holton School (3). People describe me as service and results oriented (5). For example, when I volunteered on both the United Way advisory board (2) we increased donations by $310,000 (6). The best job I ever had was solving a production problem at Boundaries Inc. (4). We redesigned the production flow and increased productivity by 45% generating an additional $630,000 per year.”

Notice that I only use 2 of the 5 words and 2 of the 5 accomplishments. I only referred to one of my best jobs and one training experience. Finally, I mentioned 2 hobbies and one association. Using the whole tray would lose their attention. You can use different parts of your dessert tray to answer similar questions. Always select the offerings from your dessert tray that will most entice your interviewer.
Now you know how to answer 2 of the 4 types of questions asked in interviews.
Join me on Wednesday to learn how answer questions with questions

Hit Home Runs in Interviews

Improve our discussion, share your interview experiences
As we discussed in our last post one of the four ways to answer interview questions employs hitting home runs. A home run statement consists of 4 parts similar to a baseball diamond:
1st Base: You describe where you did what you will highlight
2nd Base: You briefly (don’t dance on 2nd base) outline what you did that benefitted the company
3rd Base: You explain the benefits your action created for the company. Ensure that you include numbers, dollars, percentages to highlight specific return on investment to the company.
Home Plate: You apply that success to the company interviewing you with a question or statement.
How to Hit Home Runs
Home run statement answer questions that explore what you can do, have done, and can contribute to their bottom line. Examples of questions that ask for a home run include:

• Q: “If we called your last employer what would they say about you?”
• A: I believe John’s Markets would tell that I was one of their most accurate cashiers. My cash drawer was never over or under one penny for 18 months. I find most stores appreciate my accuracy.”
• Q: “Tell me about your experience at ACME Properties?”
• A: “I loved my experience as CFO at ACME Properties. I discovered an error in our property tax assessment. I worked with the tax commission for 8 months before they lowered our property taxes by $500,000 per year. Would you like me to find similar savings for your company?”
• Q: “Describe a time that you made a sacrifice that benefited the company"
• “At Cobb Industries, we were putting together a very time sensitive promotion. The approving authorities would only be available for 2 days before they left for three weeks to tour our international operations. They made major changes to our first proposal. I worked all through the night and had all their changes incorporated in a new presentation by 9am the next morning. They approved the project which saved us $150,000 in potential lost production. I would sacrifice similarly to help you achieve your goals.”
• Q: “What are your greatest strengths?”
• A: “I’m very results oriented. For example, I took over one operation and saw they had the right people on the wrong seats in the bus. I rearranged the staff and increased productivity by 87% in four months and 230% in two years. Are those the kind of increases you would like in your company?”

You desire two reactions to your home run statements: (1) WOW and (2) How did you do that? Do not try to hit a home run with every question. That annoys people. Cut some to triples and others to doubles.
Now that you understand how to hit home runs, you know one of the four ways to answer interview questions.
Our next post will explain how your dessert tray answers the dreaded “Tell me about yourself”
Please share your good and bad interview experiences