Yearly Archives: 2021

pre-interview questionnaire

Use a Pre-Interview Questionnaire Survey to Improve the Interview Process and Hire Better Candidates

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A pre-interview questionnaire or survey can assist dramatically in improving the interview process and this leads to better hires.


I have been using the Step One II survey for many years and have found it a great tool to drive better first interviews and to get a good assessment of the attitude of the person towards work. The survey questionnaire takes between 20 to 30 minutes to complete and is available in multiple languages.


The interview report is in two parts. Part One has five sections plus a quick overview about the candidate.

  • Section I – Inconsistent Responses – Any noted inconsistency between two or more responses.
  • Section II – Employment Profile – Essential information regarding his/her employment and termination history with possible follow-up interview questions.
  • Section III – Theft – A summary of self-admissions regarding theft of money, property, data and/ or time.
  • Section IV – Illegal Substance Abuse – Personal admissions regarding the personal use and/or distribution of illegal and/or regulated substances.
  • Section V – Criminal Convictions – Personal admissions regarding criminal convictions if any

Section IV and V are only available in countries where laws permit asking these questions such as in the USA. They are not permitted in Canada where I live.


Part two has two sections and covers the attitude of the person towards work and the workplace.

  • Section I – Attitude Scores – Applicant’s attitudes regarding Integrity, Substance Abuse, Reliability, and Work Ethic along with descriptions of the factors being measured. 
  • Section II – Summary Graph – A visual summary of the applicant’s results

What I find especially useful is that the report brings up things that might concern me about the candidate and it generates good interview questions to explore more in-depth. It does so in a consistent manner.

By having such a tool as part of the hiring process for a position, you keep the same standards and process for all candidates. This helps you to be more consistent in your interviewing process while making it more productive and effective.


Here is an example of a candidate statement from Section II covering the employment profile along with a suggested interview question.


Ms. Sample states that she has had a problem working for a supervisor more than one time.


Interview Question: Your past problems with supervisors could be easier for me to understand if you describe the common issues of the problems, if any. What tends to cause these problems, from your perspective?


This area of concern would not appear on a resume and may not come out in an interview, but it is an especially important matter of concern.


One reason I decided to write this article and make the video is a situation that just occurred with a candidate for a client. The candidate stated in the section on employment profile that he had previously worked for the company (my client). Again, this is particularly important to know and may not have come out in the interview but did in the survey. Now my client can explore this issue and discuss the candidate with the supervisor at the time. Part two of the report provides scores on the attitude of the person in four areas and on a scale of one to nine. It also looks for possible distortion that would make the results unreliable. Certain questions that affect how frank the person is responding to the questions are integrated in this section. If the person is being less when frank answering the survey, then there is reason to believe the resume and interview answers may also be less forthright.


pre-interview questionnaire

Critical issues in this section will be highlighted and suggested interview questions are provided. Here is an example:


Critical Issue: Is the applicant justified for feeling this way?

 Applicant’s Response to: So little of what I do is really appreciated by others. (Ms. Sample agrees)


Interview Questions:

  • Why do you feel that you are not appreciated by others? Can you give a specific example? Is this one time or is this repetitive?
  • What do you mean by “appreciated?”  

My experience with this tool has provided me excellent information to focus a highly productive first interview and improved candidate selection. To request a full sample report please send me an email request.


making better decisions

Making Decisions Timely and Effective using the T Decision-Making Worksheet

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Making better decisions in a timely and effective way is something we can always do better. This is especially true for complex and risky decisions. The more risk involved in a decision the more stress there is.


The T decision worksheet exercise makes it easier to think through the pros and cons of deciding and results in a better decision and less stress.


Most decisions are routine, so this is really for decisions that require more contemplation and taking all available information into account.


The first part of the exercise is to gather facts so you can better weigh the for and against reasons to deciding on what to do. Consider all elements including who the decision will affect or who should be consulted. Think of the timing involved as there may be a deadline to consider.


Writing down the risks is also important to flushing out all the facts. The one-page worksheet guides you through the process.


Once you have considered all the facts and risks, write down the FOR reasons to going through with your decision on the left side of the T and on the right side the AGAINST reasons.


Let the list sit near you for a while and add any items that come to mind. You can also consult with a colleague or friend to help you think through the pros and cons to make your decision.


Once you have gone through these steps write down your decision in the last box and then act.


Watch the video to see how I go through an example of an important decision I wanted to make.


Download the Timely Decisions worksheet here.


making better decisions
continuous improvement

Innovation and Continuous Improvement are Ideal Practices for Employee Engagement

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Innovation and continuous improvement are a must for companies to stay competitive and lead in their category. This applies for both products and services.


True innovations do not happen that often as it takes a great amount of effort, money, and time to innovate. I thought of this while watching a movie from 2012 the other day. They were using smart phones and it made me think that in almost ten years there has not been great innovation in smart phones but mostly continuous improvement.


continuous improvement

If Apple did not apply continuous improvement to their phones constantly, they would be swallowed up by companies like Samsung and others who also practice continuous improvement. Continuous improvement today is a matter of survival and competitiveness.


It is also a great way to engage employees. Everyone in an organization no matter how big or small can practice continuous improvement.


It starts with a mindset and needs to become embedded in the culture of the company.


When employees practice continuous improvement, it makes the work more interesting as it divulges from routine work and gets people thinking both critically and creatively. When done as a team it sparks collaboration.


Continuous improvement is proactive ongoing problem solving. Employees or teams look for problems in things like processes, systems, services and then analyze what is causing the problem and find solutions. This can also be applied to people problems like how to improve teamwork or employee motivation. Checkout my YouTube playlist on problem solving techniques.


Training is recommended for employees to learn the techniques of problem solving. Managers need to learn these skills first and then teach it to employees or work with expert resources in training.


Do your employees regularly practice continuous improvement? Do you challenge them to do so? Imagine if all employees developed a continuous improvement mindset and brought new improvements to their work frequently?


If your answers to these questions are either yes or no, there is probably enhancements you can make to engage employees in continuous improvement and reap the benefits.


don’t bite off more

Don’t Bite off More than You Can Chew!

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The expression “don’t bite off more than you can chew” can apply to many things in life and to sales and customer service.


Customer retention today is extremely important as competition can be fierce and the cost of acquiring new customers to replace those who leave has skyrocketed over the years. People have more choices than ever. Customer service plays a big role in keeping customers loyal and when dissatisfied people are not shy to express their dissatisfaction publicly.


What got me thinking of biting off more than you can chew is my experience with our snow removal company for our condo complex. They are a new supplier this year and the service is terrible. They come long after a snow fall and then do a poor-quality job, leaving snow build up on the sides of the driveway where you step out of your vehicle. In contrast our neighbouring condo building has a different company, and the quality of service is far superior.


I left a critical review on the snow removal company’s Google listing and noticed that in the past they had particularly good reviews and lately the reviews are bad. This made me think that they may have taken on too many customers and cannot handle the workload or cannot find competent staff.


Taking on too much always spells disaster unless you can quickly find a way to remedy the situation, which this snow removal company has certainly not done as the service has not improved even with many complaints from our management and condo owners.


If you find yourself biting off more than you can chew, and it is affecting your business or personal relationships here is what to do.

  1. Acknowledge to yourself and your team that you are aware of the situation.
  2. Communicate to your customers there is a problem that you are working on fixing asap.
  3. Find the true cause of the problem.
  4. Workout possible solutions.
  5. Apply the solutions with solid action.
  6. Measure the outcome and adjust your actions.
  7. Keep in touch with your clients to make sure they recognize the steps you are taking.

Taking on too much happens to everyone at one time and responding to the situation intelligently is key to managing the negative impact it could have on you and your business. Think strategically and act wisely.