Interviews don’t have to be painful. Honestly. Most interviews are painful because of the quality of questions you are (or are not) asking. Most people are easily seduced by an impressive resume, so most interviewers ask the customary questions: “Why did you leave your last job,” “What are your strengths, weaknesses, etc.” It’s pretty hard to raise any major red flag in this manner.
This morning I was supporting an attorney in conducting phone interviews for a paralegal position. In reviewing the candidate's resume, I was pumped – with her current company for 12 years, previous company for seven years and the bullet points describing each position were beautifully crafted to articulate leadership and self-direction.
Ten minutes into the phone interview I was feeling so hopeful for the attorney. The candidate spoke of how she is financially free, house paid off, husband successfully running the family business. Sweet, I thought, the money conversation should go fairly smooth, since she’s not afraid to talk money and clearly is not primarily motivated by it. “Fantastic”, I said, “You have such an impressive financial outlook. You’re leaving a company after 12 years and your husband and father are doing well running the family businesses. I’m hearing that money is not a primary motivator for you; what about coming into the estate & elder law industry excites you enough to make an industry shift, if not solely for the money?”
An awkward long pause. And then LOTS of choked up tears. “I don’t appreciate you saying I am wealthy and spoiled,” she replied. “I take huge offense to this and I am hanging up on you now.” CLICK. Clearly I triggered something BIG for her. It's amazing how people show their true colors when the questions have some heft and depth to them. It is very hard to have canned answers for how to respond. Google won’t come up with questions like these on the Top 10 Interview Questions lists. I had never been so happy to be hung up on when I began to visualize how this gal would have handled the first challenging call from an upset, scared, confused baby boomer client who pushed buttons she didn’t even know she had.
To say the attorney was happy when I followed up with my notes is an understatement. The truth is very seldom revealed when we are asking safe, standard questions. To request a free copy of “The 5 Minute Phone Interview” script, please contact me at mhall@lawyerswithpurpose.com
If you are interested in attending our Practice With Purpose Program, register and reserve your spot today! This event always sells out and will teach you all you need to know to run an efficient and successful estate planning / elder law practice. We look forward to seeing you in the room.
Molly L. Hall, Co-Founder, Lawyers with Purpose, LLC, and author of Don’t Be a Yes Chick: How to Stop Babysitting Your Boss, Transform Your Job and Work with a Dream Team Without Losing Your Sanity or Your Spirit in the Process.
Add a Comment