team_sell_interview.md

Team Sell Interview

The fine art of airing The Company’s dirty laundry, while also making it clear why we stay.

The scorecard for this interview will likely be a single text box, and a hire yes/no. This focuses on them and their questions.

Signals: All of the other interviews focus on whether the candidate fits The Company, but this interview should focus on whether The Company fits the candidate. We need them, they don’t necessarily need us. Let’s make sure we fit their goals.

These questions are here as examples if there is a lull in the conversation. They are meant to flesh out the similarities and differences between The Company and what the candidate is looking for in their next role. If we match, talk it up! If we don’t, make sure the candidate knows what situation they would be walking into. Be honest! Tell them about where we are, not just where we want to be.

This is the place where the candidate can truly feel the truth behind “transparency” and “caring for our people.” Though some of these questions may sound unprofessional, that is the point. It Disarms their defensiveness, gets them to relax, and helps them recognize this conversation is real, honest, and gritty. You are the friend that gives them the truth.

If a candidate still chooses The Company knowing what adventures and pitfalls await them, they are signing up to help. They are far more likely to stay with us longer. They are more invested in the growth of The Company, the technology, and their team.

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Questions to figure out what they do and don’t want in their next role:

• What inspires you to be at your best?
• What frustrates you, and reduces your productivity?
• What support do you need from your leadership team, your boss most specifically?
• How do you give feedback to your leadership team? Managing up is celebrated here.
• What sort of politics gets under your skin and makes you take your ball and go home?
• What is the role of a PM on your team? QA? Design? Devops?
• What processes/support/camaraderie do you want from your team?
• Explain the role of a very accountable stakeholder, how they fall into the ecosystem at The Company, and how they influence project decisions. Is this something they will be okay with?
• What are you looking to avoid in your next role?
• What are you looking to accomplish in your next role?
• Is there a particular process you hate with every fiber of your being that you’d like to never have to deal with again?

Things you should share with the candidate:

• What would make me quit?
• My pet peeves about The Company.
  • What experiences do they have that were different?
  • Bounce ideas around on how you two could work together to solve them
  • Get them invested in seeing out the solutions before they even finish the hiring process.
• What makes up for the down sides? Why do I stay?

Closing Questions:

• What are your concerns about joining The Company?
  • What situations sound like they aren’t a good fit, and why?
  • If they nail the issue spot on, then admit it. Better to cut a candidate loose now, than to hire them, onboard them, and lose them shortly after.
  • If they got the wrong impression, correct it.
• What would make you decide to join us anyway?
  • What makes up for those deficits?
  • What do you like about The Company?

Great questions that would work for the end of any interview in the process:

• Do you have any feedback about this interview or the hiring process? How could we have made the experience better?
• If you could go back and change an answer to a question, what would you like to say instead?
• What question do you wish we had asked?
• What is the most interesting/best interview question you've ever heard?
• What is the scariest interview question?
• If we could learn just one thing about you, what would you like it to be?