The Lost Art of the Interview

Two men sitting across from each other shaking hands5 things you’re trying to find out.

By Steven E. Sacks
The NEW Fundamentals: Practical Guidance for Today’s Accounting Firms

“You’ve gotta understand – when you interview someone, it’s not an interrogation. It’s not the Nuremberg Trials.” – Joan Rivers

The process of interviewing candidates can be done more effectively if less reliance is placed on the resume. Much has been written on this, from psychologists to organization behavioral scientists and everyone in between. The prevailing view is there needs to be the “knowing of the unknown.”

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Filling a position, after all, is a two-way street of mystery: The candidate will have no idea of what the actual work environment will be like, and the organization will not know if the candidate matches up with his or her resume. If you are responsible for selecting candidates or at least screening them in the early phases, use your time wisely and ask relevant and insightful questions. It will be a mutually beneficial exercise.