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Ask the Right Questions, Hire the Best People
Book

Ask the Right Questions, Hire the Best People

Ron Fry
Career Press, 2000
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Editorial Rating

6

Recommendation

This book is exactly what it says it is: A list of questions designed to make your interviews with prospective job candidates more effective in weeding out the pretenders and uncovering that dream hire. There’s not a lot of strategic content here, but this book is rich in tactical detail. For example, most of author Ron Fry’s theoretical advice amounts to two points: probe for specifics and keep the applicant talking. The repetition of this self-evident advice is the book’s biggest flaw. But in the end, such shortcomings are irrelevant, because the book’s real value is in its list of interview questions, with accompanying comments on what answers you should be looking for. It seems impossible that you could read this book and not stumble over one question that makes you smile and tuck it away to spring later on some unsuspecting interviewee. getAbstract recommends this book to human resource professionals or any manager charged with hiring. If nothing else, it will add an arrow or two to your quiver.

Summary

The Art of the Interview

Interviewing job applicants to find just the right candidate demands skill and preparation. You must be ready to ask the right questions, of the right candidates, in the right order. You must know what answers you want to hear and why you want to hear them. You must also be ready to analyze and evaluate the answers you get.

Certain red lights should always give you pause about a candidate. These include poor grooming or inappropriate dress, lateness, evasive or non-responsive answers, negativity, lack of eye contact, and other warning signs.

To attract good candidates, you must first have a working job description. If you are experiencing high turnover, the problem may be that the job is poorly defined or its components don’t work together. A well-conceived job must have a coherent set of responsibilities and a defining, consistent sense of purpose. Make sure that any "miscellaneous" responsibilities don’t include hidden tasks that a qualified candidate would resent.

You will have to write a clear, attractive classified ad for the job. Some tips:

  • Choose a distinctive, persuasive headline for the ad.

About the Author

Ron Fry is the writer or editor of more than 30 books. He wrote the bestseller, 101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions. He is also a frequent speaker on job-search and hiring topics.

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