At a Dead End
At first I balked at the idea. I thought that there wouldn't really be enough
material and that the concept had been written about on numerous other
occasions. A day later a light bulb went off. I remembered a conversation I had
with a retired police officer at a holiday party four weeks earlier.
Asking the Right Questions
Donald Clark was the police officer. He had worked as a patrolman and
detective in my village for many years. After retiring from full time police
work, he decided to start his own business. Donald was smart. He used his many
years of police experience to start a company that does pre-employment testing,
polygraph work, psychological testing and scientific interviews. Some of the top
companies in Cincinnati use his services before they hire anyone.
At the party, Donald told me some stories I couldn't believe. He mentioned
that the key to obtaining information is in how you ask the question. "We all
like to talk about ourselves," Donald said. How true that is!
Over the years, Donald has perfected the art of asking questions. For example,
don't ask if a person has committed arson. You say, "Have you ever set fire to
an object worth more than $10,000?" A person might respond, "No, but I once
started a trash dumpster on fire." Answers spew out from people's mouths like
that all day long!
I Became the Lab Rat
I decided to interview Donald for this column and bulletin. Donald agreed and
asked me to come to his office. Once there, we chatted for a few moments. He felt
that the best way for me to understand the effect was to conduct an actual
interview with me. I agreed to be grilled.
The first few questions were routine. But then, he started throwing curve
balls. When he asked me tough questions, I could feel my skin crawl. I told the
truth throughout the entire interview. He wasn't pleased that I had driven down
Section Road 25 miles over the posted speed limit! Well, I told him I wasn't
going to lie!
If you want to hire the best employee or find out if a current one is still
on the straight and narrow, call Donald Clark. He is simply superb! You can
reach him in Cincinnati, Ohio at 513-891-8869.
See also 50
Contractor Interview Questions for questions to ask.
