Ask More: The Power of Questions to Open Doors, Uncover Solutions, and Spark Change pdfdrive com

How have you applied that approach?
How have you worked within a group to solve problems?
If a candidate shows too much ego or doesn’t sound like a team player, Jim
told me, “We pass.” He listens intently for pronouns. He wants to hear “we,” not
“I.” It is an indicator, he’s discovered over the years, of an approach as well as
an attitude. “You can’t do things yourself,” he explained to me. “You can’t do
anything sustainable yourself.”

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Jim raised an important point in his pronoun patrol. The distinction between
“I” and “we” is real. Individual initiative and accomplishment are important.
They represent a track record and help answer the what-will-you-do-for-us
question. But “we” sends a powerful signal, too, showing awareness of the team
and a willingness to share the glory. It conveys inclusiveness, concern, and
respect for the group and a generosity of spirit that can inspire others. Who
wouldn’t want a person like that on the team?
Interview the Interviewer
When I interview job applicants, I learn a lot about them from the questions they
ask of me. Some of the most important questions in a job interview come from
that other side of the table. Curiosity and compatibility are mutual. These
questions reveal whether a candidate has done his homework, how deep down he
has drilled, and what his priorities and interests are. If a candidate starts with
questions about pay, benefits, or vacation, he conveys a lack of interest in the job
itself. Shelly Storbeck, the executive headhunter, told me that the most effective
candidate questions reflect a sophisticated curiosity and passion for the job.
What are your traditions and what is sacred?
What will be the hardest things to change?
Cindy Holland, head of content acquisition at Netflix, helped revolutionize
the way the world consumes media. She’s responsible for shows that millions of
people around the world binge-watch—shows like Orange Is the New Black,
House of Cards, and Narcos. Holland was profiled in the New York Times
Corner Office column for her accomplishments and management style. Always
looking for independent, creative thinkers—the kind of people who will help
Netflix find the next big hit—Holland sometimes starts by turning the tables in
the opening scene, starting with:
What questions do you have for me?
Holland told the Times she wants to know that job candidates have done their
homework, have passion, and are curious. “I want to know what they’re
interested in and where they come from and what they’re seeking to do.” She
listens closely and judges quickly: “Some people respond well to that first

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question and some people are so thrown that they say they don’t have any
questions. It doesn’t disqualify them automatically, but it definitely tells me
something about them.”
Jean Case believes that candidates demonstrate confidence and courage in
the questions they ask. She told me about one candidate who pushed so hard and
asked so many insistent questions about the Case Foundation that it made her
uncomfortable. “She was challenging me,” said Case. “There was one part of me
that hated it and another part of me that said, ‘Oh, she is so right for this
organization.’”
Do you know when you have impact?
How are you sure?
What’s the discipline you use to know the value of what you’ve done?
The candidate insistently asked about one of the toughest issues a foundation
faces. Those questions led to a long conversation about metrics, accountability,
and impact. The candidate got the job.
Jean counsels business students to “be fearless” in their job interviews and
ask if they’ll have creative running room.
What freedom do I have to step outside the defined role?
How much do you want to hear from me when I am not asked?
What impact do you want to have in the world?
Where does that stand as a priority in your business plan?
I once sent a student to speak to an accomplished friend who was running an
exciting startup and looking for promising young talent. The student had done
well in class and I thought the two of them might hit it off. About a week after
they met, I reached out to my friend to see how things went.
“To be completely honest, it was bad,” he said. “The student was nice, but
she had no idea who she was talking to or what we were trying to do here.” She
seemed unaware of my friend’s contributions to the field. She never asked how
he was applying his experiences or where he wanted to take the business. She
did not get the job.
Good job candidates ask serious questions that reflect deep preparation, a
grasp of the organization, and a genuine desire for the job. Candidates should
study up on the business and its competitive environment. Know about the top

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people as well as your prospective boss and the interviewer. Ask about the
specifics of the job, organizational goals, past experience, and current prospects.
Demonstrate informed curiosity about the challenges, opportunities, and culture
of the place. What you ask, and how you ask it, projects your knowledge,
interest, and engagement. Write down ten smart questions and be prepared to ask
them. Make some of the questions open-ended and some very specific. Role-
play the likely answers and have some follow-on questions.
You took a hit from the competition last year. How are you dealing
with that?
I know there’s been a big shift to online. How has that changed the
culture of the place?
Where do you see the biggest challenges and opportunities in the next
five years?
Bright Ideas
Job interviews have evolved. In the 1920s, Thomas Edison found himself
inundated with job applicants. Being the inventive guy he was, Edison created a
test with 141 questions to help him choose the best candidates. They went from
the simple to the scientific:
What countries bound France?
How fast does sound travel per foot per second?
Name three principal acids.
Ninety percent of the job applicants failed. The questionnaire prompted an
uproar. “Edison Questions Stir Up a Storm,” read a headline in the New York
Times on May 11, 1921. “Victims of Test Say Only a Walking Encyclopedia
Could Answer Questionnaire.” Still, there’s little doubt that the test winnowed
down the number of candidates.
The job interview has progressed since Edison’s day. Now companies use
sophisticated “predictive analytics” to measure responses against likely
outcomes to forecast retention, learning capacity, leadership potential, and the
ability to innovate and make effective decisions. Some companies require
candidates to record Skype statements. But determining compatibility—finding
Jim Davis’s team chemistry—still depends on human interaction, and that’s

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driven by the questions that get asked.
Want some practice? You might try the questions at the online dating site
eHarmony. Seriously. These questions represent a sort of job interview for
romance. More than 100 questions seek insight and reflection on basic traits and
hidden quirks.
What adjectives describe you?
How do you rate your emotions?
Do you feel better when you’re around other people?
I’m not recommending hiring by way of online dating. But these
compatibility questions, which ask who you are, where you’re headed, and how
you describe yourself, are designed to prompt the lovelorn to articulate what
they’re all about. They’re great practice for a job interview!
Here’s one everyone should answer:
Do you ask questions when you are in search of information?

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