There’s more to interviewing than just looking for a new job.
Interviewing is a conversation – an investigation even – but we never stop and think about the mechanics of it. It’s not just about asking questions and receiving answers, but about reading between the lines and understanding what’s not being said.
Usually when you’re interviewing someone, you’re trying to learn more about them. When Incept interviews a client, we’re looking to better understand their needs. We want to ask them questions that show them as more than just a client or an account, but as a person. By focusing on their goals and concerns, it lets us help them on a more personal level. Their clients, concerns and goals become ours as well. Our goal is to becomepartners with our clients, not just their vendor.
What keeps a client up worrying at night can be a great indicator of something we can work to fix.
During the interviewing process, we want to ask questions that will elicit emotional responses. What are you excited about? What’s going well for you? What keeps you up at night? What are you least excited about for the coming year? These are all questions that will help us gain insight into who the client is and what’s important to them.
Most of the clients we work with are blood banks, so it’s important for us to remember that their clients are the hospitals and patients who need blood. By remembering that, it lets us focus on what’s most important: the patient receiving the blood. The client’s goals become our goals.
So the next time you’re at an interview or maybe interviewing someone yourself, think about what drives the interviewees. It’s a whole new perspective that will help you find the best way to work with them.
What are some things that you think about going into an interview?
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