Fast Co: 5 Questions to Uncover a Candidate's Leadership Talent

Barry was recently interviewed by Stephanie Vozza, a freelance writer who covers productivity, careers, and leadership. She's written for Fast Company since 2014 and has penned nearly 1,000 articles for the site’s Work Life vertical.

People are often on their best behavior when they’re being interviewed. They’re trying their best to impress a potential employer, and they’ve likely rehearsed answers to the most commonly asked questions. If you’re the interviewer, it can be hard to know who’s really the best fit for your company.

“We’re deluding ourselves if we think we are discerning great insights about leaders through a face-to-face interview,” says Barry Conchie, coauthor of The Five Talents that Really Matter: How Great Leaders Drive Extraordinary Performance. “The big problem with face-to-face interviews is that it’s difficult to park our own biases.”

When crafting interview questions, Conchie says companies often focus on the wrong thing. “It’s not the strength of the interview question that’s important; it’s knowing what you’re listening for,” he says. “Most people are clueless about that.”

You can find the full article and five interview questions to test for leadership talent here: https://www.fastcompany.com/91180852/these-5-questions-can-uncover-a-candidates-leadership-qualities