Submitted by Philip Brewer on August 8, 2007 - 05:48.
It's certainly true that some people will lie to make themselves or their company look good, but I think even those answers will be revealing. To tell a good, consistent, and yet false story about something as complex as a workplace requires skills that most people don't have. Good questions can give you a lot of insight into what they're lying about, even if you can't get to the truth. And knowing what they're lying about is often enough for you to make a wise decision.
Good questions need to be both specific and open-ended. So, don't ask "What's your policy on scheduling vacation time?" but rather "How have you handled it in the past when two people both wanted to take vacation at the same time?"
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Trying to look good
Submitted by Philip Brewer on August 8, 2007 - 05:48.
It's certainly true that some people will lie to make themselves or their company look good, but I think even those answers will be revealing. To tell a good, consistent, and yet false story about something as complex as a workplace requires skills that most people don't have. Good questions can give you a lot of insight into what they're lying about, even if you can't get to the truth. And knowing what they're lying about is often enough for you to make a wise decision.
Good questions need to be both specific and open-ended. So, don't ask "What's your policy on scheduling vacation time?" but rather "How have you handled it in the past when two people both wanted to take vacation at the same time?"