Jeff Altman - The Big Game Hunter

Obtain More In-Depth Intelligence on Job Applicants

Give Job Applicants Case Studies to Dissect to Learn How They Think

Most interviews that firms conduct consists of little more than a series of predictable questions.

They start with the old standard, "Tell me about yourself," continue on with administering some version of "Can you pull a rabbit out of the hat by telling us the answer to this tricky question" and conclude with, "Do you have any questions for us?"

A person is hired and there is a skill that has not been measured yet-- the ability to reason through a situation.

Case study interviewing was developed by management consulting firms to do exactly that-- see how someone can reason their way through a problem and demonstrate if they know how to follow the steps to determine what the problem is, frame the approach to solving it and show measured reason in developing an effective solution.

They reveal a number of attributes about a job applicant:

How well they identify, structure and think through problems.
Their ability to listen, gather information and present conclusions.
How they identify relevant information and ignore "the noise"
Their ability to "think on your feet".
How well do they react to the unfamiliar
How they ask for additional details?
How well they organize their thoughts?
How graceful they are under pressure?

This case study from McKinsey and Company in their online application process allow them to assess candidates without wasting as much staff time as they would in-person.

You can apply this methodology in almost job to see how someone dissects a problem and can develop a solution to it.

I think this is a lot more effective an interviewing approach than asking why a manhole cover is round and other stupid interview questions.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter*
Concepts in Staffing
TheBigGameHunter@cisny.com

© 2010 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director of Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm. He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in many disciplines since 1971. He is a retired certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

He is the author of “Get Yourself Hired NOW," “Get Your Job Search Organized NOW," "No B.S. Job Search Advice," "The Single Best Question You Should Ask on Any Interview," and, his newest, "Look Me Up: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Social Networking Your Way to Job Search Success," They are available at www.GetYourselfHiredNOW.com, www.Scribd.com and The Kindle Store on Amazon.

*The Big Game Hunter is a registered trademark of The Big Game Hunter, Inc., Milford, PA 2007