Comments on: Google Guy: Ace the behavioral interview http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/google-guy-ace-the-behavioural-interview/ Advice at the intersection of work and life Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:14:08 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Brett Atencio http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/google-guy-ace-the-behavioural-interview/comment-page-1/#comment-210881 Brett Atencio Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:25:54 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/google-guy-ace-the-behavioural-interview/#comment-210881 I just came back from a nurse job fair in Burbank where there was a speaker on what employers are looking for in nursing candidates. Now I know why in the last 3 job interviews I was asked the most inane/moronic questions I have ever herd in an interview. They were using behavioral interview fad style questions. I could not believe my ears when this CNO speaker of an magnet hospital system was in essence telling me that you must present a good performance of "super nurse" and do what makes the interviewer feel comfortable enough to hire you. This is the most sadist/laziest way to try and figure out who is a good candidate for a job that I have ever heard of. Past performance absolutely does not predict future performance as people do not stay stagnant and always do the same thing, as the situation is always different with uncountable variables producing a unique outcome. The entire premise that this method of interviewing uses is completely flawed. The only way to determine a good match is to ask someone who has first hand knowledge of how the candidate is at work. You can not determine if someone is a good fit using this interview process due to the conflict of interest of both parties, as they are both trying to look good to the other. The most successful interviews I have had have always been based on determination of how others perceive me at work, either through asking me to honestly tell them or the interviewer actually doing there job and spending the time to ask someone who knows how I am at work. I just came back from a nurse job fair in Burbank where there was a speaker on what employers are looking for in nursing candidates. Now I know why in the last 3 job interviews I was asked the most inane/moronic questions I have ever herd in an interview. They were using behavioral interview fad style questions. I could not believe my ears when this CNO speaker of an magnet hospital system was in essence telling me that you must present a good performance of "super nurse" and do what makes the interviewer feel comfortable enough to hire you. This is the most sadist/laziest way to try and figure out who is a good candidate for a job that I have ever heard of. Past performance absolutely does not predict future performance as people do not stay stagnant and always do the same thing, as the situation is always different with uncountable variables producing a unique outcome. The entire premise that this method of interviewing uses is completely flawed. The only way to determine a good match is to ask someone who has first hand knowledge of how the candidate is at work. You can not determine if someone is a good fit using this interview process due to the conflict of interest of both parties, as they are both trying to look good to the other. The most successful interviews I have had have always been based on determination of how others perceive me at work, either through asking me to honestly tell them or the interviewer actually doing there job and spending the time to ask someone who knows how I am at work.

]]> By: Senia.com Positive Psychology Coaching » A Job Assessment Questionnaire http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/google-guy-ace-the-behavioural-interview/comment-page-1/#comment-180041 Senia.com Positive Psychology Coaching » A Job Assessment Questionnaire Wed, 28 Jan 2009 10:01:30 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/google-guy-ace-the-behavioural-interview/#comment-180041 [...] thing you can do to prepare for the interview? Practice your results stories (especially using the SARI [...] [...] thing you can do to prepare for the interview? Practice your results stories (especially using the SARI [...]

]]> By: Senia.com Positive Psychology Coaching » Job-Seeking Resources http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/google-guy-ace-the-behavioural-interview/comment-page-1/#comment-180034 Senia.com Positive Psychology Coaching » Job-Seeking Resources Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:39:33 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/google-guy-ace-the-behavioural-interview/#comment-180034 [...] specific (situation-action-results SARI) examples like [...] [...] specific (situation-action-results SARI) examples like [...]

]]> By: Advice from the top: Marry a stay-at-home spouse or buy the equivalent. » Brazen Careerist by Penelope Trunk http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/google-guy-ace-the-behavioural-interview/comment-page-1/#comment-143254 Advice from the top: Marry a stay-at-home spouse or buy the equivalent. » Brazen Careerist by Penelope Trunk Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:10:49 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/google-guy-ace-the-behavioural-interview/#comment-143254 [...] Jason was writing guest posts on my blog I was talking with him all the time. He asked about the time stamps on my emails, [...] [...] Jason was writing guest posts on my blog I was talking with him all the time. He asked about the time stamps on my emails, [...]

]]> By: Andrew C. Czyszczon http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/google-guy-ace-the-behavioural-interview/comment-page-1/#comment-108845 Andrew C. Czyszczon Thu, 27 Sep 2007 10:49:34 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/google-guy-ace-the-behavioural-interview/#comment-108845 Hi, thank you guys for being pioneers and helping lead the way to freedom and much much more than your imagination imagines it can imagine. Hi, thank you guys for being pioneers and helping lead the way to freedom and much much more than your imagination imagines it can imagine.

]]> By: Milton Waddams http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/google-guy-ace-the-behavioural-interview/comment-page-1/#comment-106824 Milton Waddams Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:42:06 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/google-guy-ace-the-behavioural-interview/#comment-106824 After all, how do you think Bill Lumbergh got his job? Some HR genius was really impressed with Lumbergh's 'SARI' Every Bill Lumbergh waking around every office with a coffee cup is a product of "Behavioral Interviewing." Did your technique predict THAT future behavior? After all, how do you think Bill Lumbergh got his job?

Some HR genius was really impressed with Lumbergh's 'SARI'

Every Bill Lumbergh waking around every office with a coffee cup is a product of "Behavioral Interviewing."

Did your technique predict THAT future behavior?

]]> By: Milton Waddams http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/google-guy-ace-the-behavioural-interview/comment-page-1/#comment-106821 Milton Waddams Sun, 26 Aug 2007 21:33:36 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/google-guy-ace-the-behavioural-interview/#comment-106821 It might help to remember what you're really trying to do: impress 'the Bobs' from "Office Space," with your "SARI" or "PAR" about how you identified the problem with people not putting cover letters on the TPS Reports, took action, (got everyone another copy of the TPS Reports cover letter memo), and now have an interesting story to tell about it. yeahhhhhhhh, that'd be grrrreat... It might help to remember what you're really trying to do:

impress 'the Bobs' from "Office Space,"

with your "SARI" or "PAR" about how you identified the problem with people not putting cover letters on the TPS Reports, took action, (got everyone another copy of the TPS Reports cover letter memo), and now have an interesting story to tell about it.

yeahhhhhhhh, that'd be grrrreat…

]]> By: Senia.com Positive Psychology Coaching » Business Game #005: Pretend You’re on TV - on Both Sides of the Microphone http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/google-guy-ace-the-behavioural-interview/comment-page-1/#comment-99355 Senia.com Positive Psychology Coaching » Business Game #005: Pretend You’re on TV - on Both Sides of the Microphone Tue, 03 Jul 2007 04:15:51 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/google-guy-ace-the-behavioural-interview/#comment-99355 [...] HOW TO PLAY: 1) Prepare 6-8 questions that the interviewer might ask you (”Tell me about yourself,” “What is your greatest professional accomplishment?” …) 2) Prepare stories for each answer. 3) Prepare specific examples or SARI (situation-action-result-interesting thing) answers. 4) Run these by trusted advisors and friends. [...] [...] HOW TO PLAY: 1) Prepare 6-8 questions that the interviewer might ask you ("Tell me about yourself," "What is your greatest professional accomplishment?" …) 2) Prepare stories for each answer. 3) Prepare specific examples or SARI (situation-action-result-interesting thing) answers. 4) Run these by trusted advisors and friends. [...]

]]> By: Alice into the Rabbit Hole - Bring Your Interviewer In | More than a living http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/google-guy-ace-the-behavioural-interview/comment-page-1/#comment-61454 Alice into the Rabbit Hole - Bring Your Interviewer In | More than a living Tue, 24 Apr 2007 12:38:56 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/google-guy-ace-the-behavioural-interview/#comment-61454 [...] From “Google Guy: Ace the behavioral interview” at Brazen Careerist, Jason Warner steps through an example of SARI, which is Situation: Explain the situation in a way that gives the interviewer context. Less detail is better, but give enough detail to paint the picture. [...] [...] From "Google Guy: Ace the behavioral interview" at Brazen Careerist, Jason Warner steps through an example of SARI, which is Situation: Explain the situation in a way that gives the interviewer context. Less detail is better, but give enough detail to paint the picture. [...]

]]> By: Greg Paskill http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/google-guy-ace-the-behavioural-interview/comment-page-1/#comment-50778 Greg Paskill Sat, 31 Mar 2007 21:26:31 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/13/google-guy-ace-the-behavioural-interview/#comment-50778 It's troubling to see how behavioral interview questions have caught on so big in hiring today. It's very demoralizing for those who want to contribute to modern products and challenges to be greeted by questions that focus on the very things one wants to escape when pursuing a job change, as passive or active candidate. Furthermore, many elements of behavioral interviews can be falsified, fabricated, slanted, highlighted, or embellished, just like with resumes. The one thing that is very hard to fake, though, is actual job competence. Reality is not every employer has actually studied what it takes to do today's jobs. So they ask behavioral interview questions building on the homework of past employers. This too incidentally, is why some candidates don't bother researching companies before applying. Far away from the overly choreographed world of interviews, some state, "I'm sick and tired of researching companies that I think I'd be interested in joining, only to have to sit through behavioral interview after behavioral interview. When do we get to talk about some real work?" I, for one, do not waste time asking behavioral interview questions. As a manager, interview time is extremely valuable to me and even moreso to my guests, the candidates. What you did for someone else 5 years ago will never matter as much as what you can do for me now. It's troubling to see how behavioral interview questions have caught on so big in hiring today. It's very demoralizing for those who want to contribute to modern products and challenges to be greeted by questions that focus on the very things one wants to escape when pursuing a job change, as passive or active candidate.

Furthermore, many elements of behavioral interviews can be falsified, fabricated, slanted, highlighted, or embellished, just like with resumes. The one thing that is very hard to fake, though, is actual job competence.

Reality is not every employer has actually studied what it takes to do today's jobs. So they ask behavioral interview questions building on the homework of past employers.

This too incidentally, is why some candidates don't bother researching companies before applying. Far away from the overly choreographed world of interviews, some state, "I'm sick and tired of researching companies that I think I'd be interested in joining, only to have to sit through behavioral interview after behavioral interview. When do we get to talk about some real work?"

I, for one, do not waste time asking behavioral interview questions. As a manager, interview time is extremely valuable to me and even moreso to my guests, the candidates. What you did for someone else 5 years ago will never matter as much as what you can do for me now.

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