ATLANTA - You can read all the "how to interview" books and articles you want, but my favorite three questions are ones I made up more than 20 years ago, that I've never seen written anywhere, and I've never been coached to use.
And if, by chance, they ARE written somewhere, I promise you, I've not seen them. (Though truthfully, it would shock me if no one else has ever thought of them.)
They stem from my ever-growing frustration over the pitiful lack of "new learning" that's going on in this world.
Seems the vast majority of two-legged, upright Homo sapiens are quite content with whatever level of knowledge they acquired from their last class in college or high school -- and haven't attended a workshop or seminar, cracked a self-help book, or even peeled the shrink-wrap off an educational CD -- since their final school bell rang way back when.
And it pisses me off.
I have no empirical data on what percent of people willingly and routinely self-engage in new learning tools after leaving school -- although the data likely exists somewhere -- but I'm certain it's a discouragingly small number.
Has to be. The visible evidence surrounds us daily.
Just look at the staggeringly high number of people who have lousy people skills. No leadership ability. Weak managerial skills. No business acumen. Little common sense. An inability to negotiate effectively. No drive, determination or tenacity. Little self esteem or confidence. Don't communicate well. Can't manage their own money.
And are taking no action to acquire the skills or obtain the knowledge on these topics that could turn their life around and improve their job status.
When lo and behold, it's all immediately available to them -- from a vast range of sources. In multiple learning media formats. Compiled by experts with hands-on experience. At very reasonable costs.
In short, it's plentiful in supply, easy to get, cheap to buy.
Yet they don't seek it out. Won't buy it. Or choose not to use it.
Instead, countless numbers of low-achieving drones spend inordinate amounts of time thumbing video games, watching mindless TV, drinking at bars ... well, you get my point.
From all this visible data, you have to reach the same conclusion I have -- that the majority of world inhabitants have some knowledge gained through formal school education -- but once school gets out, mindlessly transition into "life idiots" with no additional learning. With each passing day, they gain in age, but remain static in brainpower and initiative.
Treading water.
And sooner or later -- whether at age 18 or 23 or 41 or 56 or older -- DING DONG! -- they show up in a business suit at your company's door looking for a job.
Some of them interview like a champ, mask their ignorance well, and get the job.
Then suddenly, their lifelong lack of self-initiative for new learning becomes your new performance problem. Congratulations.
So...
I got fed up. Sick to death of it. And did something about it.
In the late 1980s, I overhauled my entire interview style, format, and questions. To flush out who is -- and who isn't -- a self-starter and lifelong learner.
It's too long to tell all of it here, but I do want to share three killer interview questions that can help you avoid this epidemic problem.
LESSONS & ACTIONS FOR YOU:
As company president -- and the final authority and chief steward for making sure we invited only high-flying eagles into our nest -- I started asking job candidates this question:
"Tell me the names of your five favorite self-improvement authors."
Yeah, you guessed it. I wanted to know if a candidate freely engaged -- on her own nickel -- in her own time -- in ongoing, repetitive self education.
Frankly, I didn't give a horse's hind end if the authors they named wrote books on stamp collecting, paper training puppies, or building model trains in your basement -- as long as they could name five.
I just wanted tangible proof they were constant seekers of new learning. I figured five was enough. That if they could name five, they probably knew a lot more.
Sure, I admit, I was most impressed if -- and was hoping -- their choices revolved around learning that was applicable in the workplace. But I would accept it if not, because the HABITUAL BEHAVIOR was there.
The result of asking this question was downright frightening. Mind-boggling actually.
Even today, I shudder remembering the early days of asking -- and seeing blank stares, glazed eyes, and speechless mouths.
Stutter. Stammer. I stumped 'em.
After enough rejections, I realized most people had never before put the two words "self" and "improvement" together in the same sentence -- let alone next to each other.
To be fair, I did get several who rattled off names like Napoleon Hill, Dennis Waitley, Les Brown, Zig Ziglar, Stephen Covey, Jim Rohn, Brian Tracy, Earl Nightingale, Ken Blanchard, Deepak Chopra, Roger Dawson, Paul Meyer, and more.
Not many, but some. These were the people I was looking for. The cream.
But then, I realized the flaw in my own question: Even of those who do read, few actually apply.
I needed to go deeper.
So I expanded my favorite ONE question ... to THREE questions. In addition, I changed the first question -- expanding it beyond just authors.
So, here are my favorite three interview questions -- in the sequence they are asked:
(1) "Tell me the names of five people in your life from whom you learned the most valuable life lessons."
Allow them to answer, then ask...
(2) "Tell me one life lesson you learned from each one -- five in total."
Allow them to answer, then ask...
(3) "Please give me one recent example -- five in total -- demonstrating your use or application of each of the five lessons."
Then sit back, shut up, and watch 'em squirm.
And now I'll reveal a secret: Their answer to THAT question -- the last one -- is the only answer that matters. Ignore the first two.
Why?
Because the first answer shows only that they listened.
The second demonstrates only that they remembered.
But the third ... it shows they applied.
And that pattern of behavior -- applying what's learned -- is worth gold to you as a leader.
By the way, as you may have surmised, if you get no answer to Q1, nix the next two. They become pointless. Likewise, if you get no answer to Q2, nix the last one. Again, pointless.
Would you be surprised to learn that I actually terminated interviews if they had no answer? It's true.
Think about it. Why would I want someone whose work would directly or indirectly impact our valuable clients ... who has to be told to learn? I didn't. I wanted people for whom taking the initiative to learn was already an integral part of their everyday behavior -- even outside the workplace -- at their own expense -- with no nudging, prodding, begging or forcing. It was already who they were.
Isn't that what you want too? A pre-established pattern of self-learning?
Well then...
Stop settling for mediocre. Why not give the three questions a shot? Just be prepared for disappointment in a high percentage of candidates.
Remember, eagles don't flock. You find them one at a time.
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Rick Houcek is a regular contributor to ManagementRecruiter.com. Rick facilitates off-site strategic planning retreats, helping CEOs and Leadership Teams create high-impact plans that overcome the crippling effects of lousy execution and get successfully implemented. His Power Planning strategic process drives action through his Escape-Proof Accountability system. It's ideal for small and mid-size businesses. To bring this potent weapon to your team, contact Rick by phone, fax or email. Visit his web site at Soar with Eagles.com. Ask about his 100% No-Risk Guarantee.
