Comments on: Ideas vs. Execution: An Interviewing Wedge Issue http://careerhorizons.wordpress.com/2009/06/22/ideas-vs-execution-an-interviewing-wedge-issue/ Insights, Inspiration & Advice for Pacific Northwest Job Hunters Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:54:02 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Matt Youngquist, Career Horizons http://careerhorizons.wordpress.com/2009/06/22/ideas-vs-execution-an-interviewing-wedge-issue/#comment-153 Matt Youngquist, Career Horizons Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:47:20 +0000 http://careerhorizons.wordpress.com/?p=1823#comment-153 Great comment -- thanks for sharing your thoughts -- although in this case, I don't think the Ideas vs. Execution question I've recommended truly polarizes the employer in terms of how they feel about the CANDIDATE, which would indeed be a risky move. Instead, it's a fairly soft question that will get them to reveal their "polarity" in terms of the type of individual they're ideally seeking to hire, and a perceptive candidate can then use this information to position themselves more successfully as the right person for the job. So I understand your concern, but I think the word polarize has a different context in this situation (at least I intended it to) than in other cases. This being said, and in light of the other point you raised, I certainly do think candidates should continue to be HIGHLY inquisitive during interviews, even in this economy, since smart questions demonstrate a level of curiosity, enthusiasm, and intelligence that the typical employer values greatly. I'd obviously stop short, though, of asking aggressive, ambush-style questions such as "Why did your company's stock price fall last month?" or "Do you think I'm the right person for this job?" These types of challenging questions are almost never received positively and will usually cause a backlash that doesn't do the candidate any favors... Great comment — thanks for sharing your thoughts — although in this case, I don’t think the Ideas vs. Execution question I’ve recommended truly polarizes the employer in terms of how they feel about the CANDIDATE, which would indeed be a risky move. Instead, it’s a fairly soft question that will get them to reveal their “polarity” in terms of the type of individual they’re ideally seeking to hire, and a perceptive candidate can then use this information to position themselves more successfully as the right person for the job. So I understand your concern, but I think the word polarize has a different context in this situation (at least I intended it to) than in other cases. This being said, and in light of the other point you raised, I certainly do think candidates should continue to be HIGHLY inquisitive during interviews, even in this economy, since smart questions demonstrate a level of curiosity, enthusiasm, and intelligence that the typical employer values greatly. I’d obviously stop short, though, of asking aggressive, ambush-style questions such as “Why did your company’s stock price fall last month?” or “Do you think I’m the right person for this job?” These types of challenging questions are almost never received positively and will usually cause a backlash that doesn’t do the candidate any favors…

]]> By: Richard McLeland-Wieser http://careerhorizons.wordpress.com/2009/06/22/ideas-vs-execution-an-interviewing-wedge-issue/#comment-152 Richard McLeland-Wieser Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:15:29 +0000 http://careerhorizons.wordpress.com/?p=1823#comment-152 It seems that in the past conventional wisdom was the candidate not jeopardize the job offer by asking a question that may polarize the interviewee. It has taken me years to learn that I should ask plenty of questions during the vetting process. After all, we are interviewing the employer as much as they are interviewing us. Yet in today's "slack employment" atmosphere should we re-evaluate how inquisitive we are during the interview? After all, it is difficult enough just to get an interview. It seems that in the past conventional wisdom was the candidate not jeopardize the job offer by asking a question that may polarize the interviewee. It has taken me years to learn that I should ask plenty of questions during the vetting process. After all, we are interviewing the employer as much as they are interviewing us.

Yet in today’s “slack employment” atmosphere should we re-evaluate how inquisitive we are during the interview? After all, it is difficult enough just to get an interview.

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