Interview Questions For Potential Providers As Part Of The Hiring: Fill & Download for Free

I once had a simple task offering a job to someone for a position as HR Manager. All I had was the number and the terms. It was supposed to be a quick phone call and a response.After I made the offer, there was a pause, and the candidate replied. “Can you tell me how you arrived at that number?”“I’m sorry, no. I’m just the messenger.”“Before I answer, I’d like to talk to the people who put this offer together. Sorry, but I just have some questions.”After the call, I arranged an in-person meeting for the candidate. The company, I knew, was really interested in bringing them on because, otherwise, it would have been just another call by the acting HR Manager and a final offer.The candidate came into the office, dressed as sharp as during the interview. They conducted themselves with the same poise and grace as before as they listened to the pitch. They considered that information and opened a binder to share copies of various documents.“My problem with the offer is that, according to these records, the salary you offer me is well below the median salary for this work here in town according to the Department of Labor Statistics. This company is not a poor, underfunded entity. Your own reporting shows you are flush with cash and sales have been rising consistently for five years. That’s fantastic. The salary of similar jobs in this market is much higher according to glassdoor and other sources. I’m just curious why you think you can sustain control and growth when you consider the work of this position to be less valuable than your closest local competitors?”The candidate marked their salary offer in red ink on a printout of the USDoLS salary map for our region within the state. It was horribly, insultingly low compared to the median that an average person would think it was an insult or signal to withdraw their bid. The hiring manager crashed on take-off saying the number was the number without further explanation.The candidate nodded, politely. “I see. Is there room to negotiate?”The hiring manager shook his head and folded his arms. This made me cringe because it signalled the candidate wasn’t wanted despite being the best candidate for the job. We were witnessesing potentially actionable conduct for non-selection.The candidate placed their papers back into the binder as a sign the discussion was over. They added, looking in my direction, “So, I shouldn’t assume that my status as a middle-aged lesbian of color has nothing to do with such a low-ball offer. You’ve already gone on record that I am the best candidate and so, I am of a mind that a legal response to this would be to learn what my predecessors earned in this position. I would have thought someone might look at my qualifications to understand that I have ten years of equal employment opportunity experience, which is part of what makes me the best candidate for this job and now you want to put on paper that I’m only worth half the average salary for someone new to this industry. That’s not a company I want to work for. That’s one I live to destroy.”I walked her out and the silence was freezing.The hiring manager acted like he had been told someone put a time bomb in his chest and he didn’t know how the timer was set. Yes, he was forced to hire her but authorized to set the salary. He didn’t like, according to another deposition, “the old uppity dyke” which hit ALL the things you don’t say (better, don’t believe, but we’re talking minimum functioning adult.).She didn’t want the job but boy was she paid well in the end.ADDENDUM —I woke up to an interesting and lengthy discussion in the comments. Thank you for your feedback and keeping it polite and respectful.One of the challenges in trying to tell a story about Human Resources is that the subject is already dry, so I didn’t write it here the way I would write a witness report or incident summary. Therefore, trying to read it as a technical document will not provide an analytical account of the issue. The point of it was how the candidate handled her situation and I can understand how some readers will interpret the actions as they see them.It is interesting to me how people react when someone decides to stand up for themselves. Depending on their POV, it is either an act of bravery or an act of selfishness. I want to point out a few things that might not have been expressed as clearly as I’d like.The issue of the offer was what lit this fire. Remember that the candidate reflected the offer back onto the Hiring Manager showing just how insulting the offer was when compared to the local industry average. Remember also that the candidate was willing to discuss salary and provided evidence to support her belief she should be paid market value for her skill and experience. I see absolutely nothing unprofessional about this. It was only the non-verbal, stubborn response from the Hiring Manager, who didn’t even offer a polite apology but set a hostile tone in the meeting that triggered the candidate to realize the insult was likely a cowardly way to get her to withdraw her bid so someone else could be selected.Ironically, part of the candidate’s job would have been to identify this kind of activity and prevent it in the workplace. It takes a special kind of stupid to actively attempt to push out a top candidate when that candidate is a Mega-Zord of protected classes AND has a decade of experience identifying, investigating, and punishing that behavior. I saw that train a-comin’ as soon as the HM folded his arms and made his “take it or leave it” face. The candidate came ready to talk. The HM, who was the only one on the hiring panel to vote against the candidate, came with nothing but a desire to get the meeting over with.Now, I’ll ask you to put yourself in the candidate’s shoes. Let’s say you have a decade of experience in a body of work and the pay range offered is $50,000 to $100,000 based on experience. You get the job, but you’re offered $50,001. But, you say, I have a decade of experience more than the minimum requirement. Certainly the minimum requirement is worth the $50K? You look at other businesses and find that people like you are making $70–125K. Aren’t you at least curious? And when you ask, you get folded arms and a sour look. The people who want to hire you now appear to be hostile. Great references, good recommendations, a great interview…now an insult. Why is that?Now, there are facts not in evidence in the story. The next highest-ranked bidder? Half the experience but a white male. Ouch. Not a good look. The Hiring Manager’s reasons for dissent in the interview panel’s choice? “She was too aggressive and seemed angry”: an observation NOT shared by the other panelists. Well, at least he didn’t use the phrase “uppity bitch” so he wasn’t so ‘on the nose’ about his prejudices.As one reader noted, there was no way - unless she was out to the greater professional HR community - that the panel would have known of her sexual orientation. My guess was that she simply wanted to point out just how dumb the HM was to be taking on an EEO professional AND someone who happened to be an older black woman AND LGBTQ+. It was a final attempt, in my eyes, to get the HM to realize that his days were numbered and he might just want to reconsider the number. I doubt she would have taken any number at that point if the HM wasn’t dealt with before her start date.

Chemical engineers often need to work with both unit operations and unit processes. Can you tell me, in your own words, the difference between them?This question deals with the differences between two basic aspects of chemical engineering. Most chemical engineers with any training or knowledge of the subject should be able to give you some idea of this contrast in their own words. The answer deals with mass, concentration, energy and reactions. You can use this question to test the potential hire's introductory knowledge on the subject. What to look for in an answer:Specific knowledge of how the principles workAbility to explain the processes clearly and conciselyConcrete examples of the itemsExample: "Unit operation involves changes that occur such as evaporation or distillation. Unit process involves chemical reactions such as oxidization or reduction of a compound."As a chemical engineer, you have some knowledge of the basic components of raw materials. Can you tell me about the material requirement planning process?Chemical engineers often work with raw materials in various ways. They use chemical reactions to separate, combine or alter these materials and how they behave. Your candidate should be able to use material requirement planning to determine how much of a basic material is needed for production. The individual should also be comfortable using special computerized tools to help them gauge these amounts accurately and reduce waste. What to look for in an answer:Understanding of material requirement planningProcess used to ensure accurate planning for necessary materialsStrategies to correct errors that may happenExample: "Material requirement planning allows me to take a look at the amount of a finished product the company wants and provide raw materials to meet that goal."Some of your responsibilities as a chemical engineer may relate to efficiencies. In your own words, can you explain the philosophy of "just in time?"Companies want their chemical engineers to do their jobs while looking for ways to be more efficient and reduce unnecessary waste. Many chemical engineers use a particular philosophy as a way to gauge their own efficiencies and take steps to improve things when necessary. A good candidate should be able to describe this lean manufacturing process. What to look for in an answer:Precise understanding of the "just in time" philosophySpecific examples of applying it to lean manufacturingWillingness to make changesExample: "'Just in time' philosophy is all about managing both time and resources to increase the bottom line. I apply several lean manufacturing techniques regularly."Different industries use different types of equipment, but there are some basics you know from your training. Can you describe some common chemical engineering equipment?Even a basic chemical engineer should have some knowledge of the most ubiquitous types of equipment used in their field. This question can help you test the general knowledge of your potential hire and see if they're ready for any entry-level positions. Specific types of equipment can vary across specializations, but many of them share some basic things in common. What to look for in an answer:Knowledge of chemical engineering equipmentUnderstanding of how and when to use each pieceFamiliarity with the latest industry trendsExample: "I use various separators in my job to keep individual chemicals from reacting to one another and absorbers to analyze different chemical gases."We'd like to know a bit about your interpersonal skills. Can you tell me how you deal with professional conflicts in the lab to ensure a swift resolution?Although many chemical engineers will work in a lab setting, they may still have colleagues with whom they must interact. Companies might make them crucial parts of a team as well. It's important that your new chemical engineer is able to work in these environments with ease. Look for responses that tell you about the applicant's personality and how they might fit in with the company. What to look for in an answer:Willingness to share ideas with othersInterest in fostering congenial professional relationshipsAbility to adapt and think critically about problems

One day, I was interviewing a candidate for my previous startup. This guy came highly recommended by one of our best-performing sales reps. I like to think that my judgment of people is pretty good, especially when it comes to assessing their sales mojo. When I interviewed this guy, I was sure he’d be a great salesperson! He was charismatic, sold himself well and just seemed to have “it”.And then we put him in front of a phone. Meltdown. He dialed the first number and when he started talking, it was as if he’d become a different person. He had a massive meltdown, started sweating, stuttering. It was horrible.He kept trying for a while, but he just disintegrated minute by minute in front of our eyes. At the end of it, he looked at me and said, “All right, this is not for me.” He was great at presenting himself but when it came to performing, he fell short.These are some of the things I look for in a new salesperson: Are they coachable? Are they willing to listen and learn, willing to try new methods? Are they receptive to advice and can they handle critical feedback? (Here’s the rest of the traits you should look for.)You can try to answer those questions with the typical interview questions but there’s a better way—give them practical tests. You’ll better understand a sales candidate’s potential if you focus on what they do, not what they say.1. Ask them to sell you somethingFind out if they’re more than just talk by asking them to sell you something. What should they pitch you?The previous product they were selling. See how they act selling something they’re experienced in and have extensive knowledge about.Your product. They might not have a full understanding of your product, but you want to see how they navigate the conversation when they don’t know everything about what they’re selling.2. Write a cold email to a potential prospectEven if cold emails are not a part of your sales process, it’s a great exercise for potential sales hires. Explain who your ideal customer is, explain your product, then tell your candidate they’ve got 30 minutes to do the following:Research a company that fits the ideal customer profileFind a person within that company to contactWrite an email to that personProvide an analysis of why they chose that company, that person and why the wrote the email the way they didSend the email to you as if you were the prospectThis is a great exercise to uncover a few things: Do they understand who your customer is? Do they understand your market? Are they strategic in the way they communicate? Are they able to analyze themselves?Even if you don’t do cold emails, your salespeople will have to communicate with your prospects and customers in a written format. If they’re really good at it, it will be a huge plus.P.S. These are just 2 of the tests I give sales candidates. If you want to know what the third, and final, test I give to find great sales candidates, I wrote about it here.