George Bradt, Forbes contributor, recently discussed in his article for Forbes that there really are only three true job interview questions, which should ideally be lead with motivation as the most important criteria for being chosen for the job.
The three true interview questions are:
- Can you do the job?
- Will you love the job?
- Can we tolerate working with you?
In reality, the interview isn’t really about the candidate – it’s a final influencer as to what the candidate can do for the company. This requires different answers to align with different organisations and this requires preparation work on the candidate’s part to be able to communicate:
- How the way you work aligns with how they work.
- How your strengths align with their needs.
- How what motivates you aligns with what matters to them.
Bradt gives his top tips for acing these final 3 interview questions:
- Think before opening your mouth.
- Answer the question asked.
- Bridge to answer the true underlying question.
Candidates ultimately need to be able to convey how they can help organisations to solve their problems. If this can’t be done, you won’t be hired. This is the ultimate route to becoming the ‘must-hire’ candidate in the job interview.
Bradt highlights a TEDx talk on how great leaders inspire action, Simon Sinek powerfully makes the case that “People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.” This is even more true nowadays as Millennials have become the largest cohort in the workforce and are poised to become the largest cohort of leaders. If not now, soon more Baby Boomers will be working for Millennials than Millennials will be working for Baby Boomers. And Millennials tend to be purpose-driven.
So, candidates will no longer be hired for WHAT they can do, but rather for WHY they do it. Your strengths need to be strongly conveyed to the interviewer and a plan in place for how you expect to solve their problems using your key skills and strengths. Jobs increasingly go to those who lead with this kind of motivation.
Bradt provides two sample answers as to why someone wants the CFO job at an organisation working to improve doctor/patient interactions:
- “I see how I can contribute to improving your financial operations and help you through the coming exit to private equity investors.”
- “Some of my family members’ healthcare was compromised by poor interactions with their doctors. I want to be part of helping you fix that.”
The second wins — every time, proving that leading with motivation really is the golden ticket to landing the job you want and deserve.
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