Everyone BS's

How to avoid BS when hiring a leader

Insight from Melissa Nightingale

I've interviewed dozens of executives at this point in my career.

I’ve found that it’s often a fine line between a great interviewer and a candidate's true ability.

Experienced executives might excel in an interview yet falter in the actual role. Whereas others might struggle in interviews but excel in their positions.

So how do you find the One?

While there's no definitive right or wrong way to conduct interviews, I've found a method by Melissa Nightingale that works for me.

I like to think of the interview process as navigating through three circles - starting from the outermost layer and moving inward.

It’s like three circles of intensity.

The outer circle encompasses the lighter aspects of the conversation. It's about getting to know the candidate on a basic level. Try asking about their background, their career history, and professional highs and lows.

The key here is that you get to see this person at their baseline level of comfort.

But, it's crucial not to dwell too long on these light topics.

When progressing to the middle circle, the focus shifts. This is the stage to challenge the candidate's understanding and perspectives. 

You can now probe their industry knowledge, their awareness of trends, and how they interpret these trends within the industry.

If they don’t know anything about your industry, then you might as well end the interview here. If they use a bunch of buzzwords, try to cut this off quickly.

Between two leaders, being able to have a normal conversation is critical.

Now it's time to ratchet up the heat.

The innermost circle delves into the specifics of your business and the candidate's role. This is where you really test their problem-solving abilities on your company's challenges.

Discuss the role, ask how they would address certain issues, and explore their project strategies.

This segment is pivotal for gauging how well they grasp the nuances of your business and their potential to contribute.

I like to do 2 things during this phase.

Ask to run through a scenario that you experienced (and failed at).

This will tell you how this person problem-solves, deals with issues, and you get to learn a new way to handle a road bump you might face again

I always push back on any given answer at this level so I can understand how they handle pressure. It doesn't matter if you agree with the answer.

Using the 3 circles has saved me countless weeks of headaches. Try out this framework and let me know what you think.