Wasted Interview Questions: The Hypothetical 90-Day Action Plan

There is an abundance of advice for executive job seekers these days that is driven in part by the large numbers of people in the hunt for new positions.  The value of this advice is in the eye of the beholder.  As one of those "beholders," and a veteran executive recruiter, I have some insights and opinions as to what works and does not work for me in interview situations.  One technique being touted lately involves urging candidates to come to the interview with a "90-day plan" that would be implemented if they were to be hired. Proponents of this approach acknowledge that a candidate has to stretch a bit due to a lack of information. Yet, somehow, this is deemed appropriate. I place this question in the same vein as the ubiquitous "Tell me about yourself."

There is another school of thought in the art of interviewing that goes by such names as behavior-based interviewing, targeted selection, etc.  This school of thought is based on the premise that one's past behavior and actions are the best indicators of future behaviors and actions.  One cardinal rule in this approach is that the interviewer is never to ask a candidate what he or she would do in a given situation.  Those types of answers can be rehearsed in such a way as to give the "school solution" to the question.

There are several ways to ask a behavior based question.  The scenario goes something like this:  "Tell me about a time when you were faced with ___circumstances requiring you to act.  What was the situation?  What did you do to solve the problem?  What was the outcome?  (And my favorite and most enlightening addition...) What did you learn from the experience?   It is easy to see that the trendy prospective, ill-informed 90-day action plan question can be turned instead to a request to hear about a past example of what a candidate did in the first 90 days with a previous employer.(and follow the above flow of  follow-on questions). Interviewers will learn much more about the viability of the candidates being interviewed if they take this historical approach.

I learned early in my career as an executive recruiter that a powerful tool to give to my client is a questionnaire that the candidate completes on-line that addresses several required competencies and experiences.  Most questions are asked from this historical perspective.  My clients' testimonials attest to the value of this questionnaire. Whether asked these questions in person, via a questionnaire, or both, there is much value to be gained from this historical, experiential approach.

If you are unfortunate to be asked  this "What would you do in the first 90 days?" question in a future interview, turn the question around and instead share what you have done in the past to ensure that you made the most out of your first three months in a previous job.  Use the flow outlined above and also share what you learned from the experience.

That said, there are ways you can give thought to your first 90 days that are prospective versus retrospective.  In my new book, Before Onboarding:  How to Integrate New Leaders for Quick and Sustained Results, I provide a framework for action in the first 90 days.  There are other books that are more self-directed.  Two that come to mind are The First 90 Days, by Michael Watkins, and The New Leader's 100-Day Action Plan, by Bradt, Check and Pedraza.  None of these three books suggests the appropriateness of a hypothetical action plan.  Be prepared to tell what you have done versus what you would do.  Smart employers will appreciate self-reflective responses and be able to project your past into a future that could involve them.  Executive recruiters will too.

Global Reach for Leading Edge Memo's

Since launching Leading Edge Memo's in January, 2011, readers from all over the world have accessed this blog.  I encourage my readers to send me comments or specific questions you would like for me to address on this blog.  I will take your career-oriented questions and convert them to blog entries (anonymous) so that others can benefit from both your questions and my responses.

As of January 20, 2012, Leading Edge Memos' readers have come from these countries:

Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bangladesh
Belgium
Brazil
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Canada
Chile
China
Costa Rica
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Egypt
Estonia
Ethiopia
France
Gambia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Kenya
Latvia
Lesotho
Malaysia
Maldives
Monaco
Moldova
Netherlands
New Zealand
Panama
Philippines
Romania
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Venezuela
Vietnam

Thank you for your growing support and I look forward to hearing from you in the future.

Recent Stats on the Best Job Search Strategy

As I give presentations to groups of executives in the midst if career transitions, many believe that their best path to a new job is through gaining the good graces of a recruiter.  Even those who are actively participating in outplacement programs often believe that their first strategy should be via executive search firms. I routinely counsel them away from this often preferred path through discussions of how recruiters work and what the statistics show.

A recent study by Right Management, perhaps the largest outplacement firm in business, supports the advice I give.  During 2010 they kept track of the almost 60,000 of their clients who found new jobs.  Once again the studies clearly show that getting that next job will more often occur through networking.  The exact statistics were as follows:

Networking:                  41%
Internet Job Boards:      25%
Search Firms:                11%
Direct Approach:            8%
Online Network:             4%
Advertisements:              2%
Other:                           10%

According to Carly McVey, Right Management's VP of Career Management, "...technology plays a role. But online social networking may not always be separate from traditional networking since one often leads to the other  A job seeker uses the Internet to track down former associates or acquaintances and then reaches out to them in person." She went on to say that "...successful candidates use a mix of approaches..."  The direct approach (i.e., cold calling) still plays a role in a successful job search strategy, and on-line job boards are also gaining ground.

While executive recruiters should be a part of your job search strategy, the numbers continue to support that networking, in its various forms, and reaching out directly to potential employers carries the day (49% combined).  As the folks at Right Management say, "People still land most jobs person to person."

Before Onboarding: How to Integrate New Leaders for Quick and Sustained Results

My new book, Before Onboarding: How to Integrate New Leaders to Quick and Sustained Results, was recently published.  It is available on Amazon (with a growing body of reviews) and can now be ordered directly from the publisher via this link:  https://www.createspace.com/3578473.  Contact me at mburroughs@dhrinternational.com if you are interested in an organizational discount code for bulk purchases from the publisher (e.g., companies, graduate schools, governmental agencies, healthcare organizations, etc.).

The book provides a detailed template for how organizations can ensure new leaders at all levels arrive fully prepared to achieve early wins; avoid costly, preventable mistakes; and sustain their early successes over the long term.  The process is as applicable to outside hires as it is to internal promotions.

Attrition rates for new senior leaders are high.  Studies range from 30 to 50%.  Many are gone within two years.  What occurs in the first 90 days often determines the ultimate success or failure of new leaders. The emphasis in organizations is on selection and hiring new leaders, but little is done to ensure their new investment is successful either in the short or long term.  That is most often left to hope and chance.  There are solutions to this problem.  This book is one of them and is a proven practice. "Before Onboarding" helps organizations ensure the right things are accomplished in the right order during those first three months, and also compresses the time it takes for new leaders to return value to their organizations. New leaders arrive with a "Blueprint for Success" in hand that was developed through a series of interviews with key stakeholders by a process consultant.  It begins when an offer is accepted and culminates 90 days after the start date with a series of follow-up conversations involving the hiring manager, the new leader and the consultant.

It's a short book--120 pages, and is a succinct, informative read.  See the reviews at Amazon.com.