Anyone who has spent time interviewing potential employees over a number of years has likely encountered the Promoter.
They are the kind of person that always presents very well, they are easy to get to know, likeable, communicate readily and leave a good first impression.
Promoters love:
Promoters struggle with:
Typical traits of an interview with a promoter:
Don’t get me wrong, we are not saying that Promoters aren’t great employees. They have many fantastic traits….. in the right role!
The trick to interviewing a Promoter personality is cutting through what they want to tell you and focusing on what you really need to know to make a decision.
Prepare structured behavioural questions
A carefully planned behavioural or competency based interview delivered by an appropriately trained interviewer, followed up by a reference to confirm the details, is the only way to truly make an informed decision.
Do:
Don’t:
Delve into the negative to reach a positive
Promotor’s naturally focus on the positive, and it is useful to pose some of the behavioural based questions specifically towards a negative situation for example; “Tell me about a time you failed to deliver XYZ…”. This is often where a Promoter will stop and can be somewhat lost for words. Commonly, they don’t want recognise failure to achieve strong outcome as something that was in their control. In some situations this ‘blind spot’ can cause problems with accountability, particularly when employed in management positions.
Whilst it can be uncomfortable for inexperienced interviewers to persist in these circumstances, once the Promoter starts talking about a negative experience, it is usually where you will see them at their most open and frank. That’s when it can get very revealing.
Don’t be afraid to keep asking tough questions, Promoters can make great employees, but first you must cut through the spin to truly understand if they are a great fit.
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