A recent article was published regarding a new interview methodology, and it sparked several conversations about our recruiting and interview methods at Acquirent. The concept consists of providing candidates two interview questions before the actual interview takes place.
The 2-Question Performance-based Interview concept was designed by Lou Adler so that recruiters are able to quickly and accurately assess candidate competency and talent.
The concept highlights the strengths of such a performance-based model:
- Determines candidate’s ability to think strategically and process information.
- Displays candidate’s ability to present answers/material.
- Determines what information a candidate elicits from the information provided and what they deem important in a job overview.
- Allows for the interviewer to evaluate areas the candidate puts precedence in an area they deem less valuable. This could show that an area of importance in the job does not resonate with the candidate.
While Acquirent subscribes to the performance-based behavioral model of interview, we do not subscribe to this particular discipline and have never sent candidates interview questions before the interview takes place. The reason being is because all we do is sales. While those areas of strength highlighted in the article (Strategic thinking, process information, etc.) can be a benefit in sales, we value additional aspects of a candidate’s abilities.
We look for the following abilities in a candidate looking for a career in outsource sales to include:
- Ability to have a natural conversation.
- Ability to process information QUICKLY and respond QUICKLY and effectively. (In the above method they have time to think through and formulate thoughts – that will not work in fast paced B2B sales).
- Analyze how a candidate can navigate different business entities and identify key decision makers through situational questioning.
- Allow candidates to do independent research/preparation with little direction.
While we’re excited Lou Adler continues to innovate and bring new ideas to the interview process, we’ve learned that our method of interviewing works very well when hiring inside sales teams. Our track record of recruiting and hiring talent has kept us going strong for more than 11 years, supplying dozens of clients with strong sales teams.[/fusion_text][/fullwidth]