As start-up specialist I have done a great deal of hiring throughout my career. While I recognize the value of recruiters, I have never used one for a hire. At two of my start-ups, I was fortunate enough to have a great HR person do the initial screenings for the hundreds of Resume that come through, but in my latest role, I did all the initial screening of submissions myself from an ad on LinkedIn. Keep in mind these are typically senior level or assistant level positions that require experience.

From the hundreds of applications received I whittled them down to 20 phone interviews and then 5 candidates for the initial face to face interview with me. I did not include the phone interview questions in the list. From there I refined it down to the final three that I had the rest of my team interview. All three were stellar and there was no way to make a bad decision.

Before getting to the interview questions some advice to candidates on preparation:

1. Read the job description and match your qualifications point for point on your resume. Yes it is a pain, but you will likely need to customize your resume for each application you make. If you don’t your submission is just a waste of electrons and ends with SHIFT DELETE.

2. Write a cover letter and get straight to the point on why you would the BEST candidate for the job. No fluff. There is no time. For most resumes, I hit the delete button within 30 seconds.

3. Don’t bother applying if you don’t meet the qualifications. If the employer is looking for someone with 10 years of experience, or a specific skill set that you don’t have, do yourself and the screener a favor – don’t submit your application.

4. The one exception I take into consideration is education. Experience counts more than anything. Unless I am hiring a Medical Director where an MD is an absolute requirement, I have no issue with considering a candidate that took their education in the workplace. So while the job description typically requires a Bachelor’s Degree, I will overlook that if the candidate has the actual experience to do the job. I really don’t care if the candidate read the Catcher in the Rye 20 years ago… But if they were a non commissioned office in the military and acquired the leadership skills I need, the sheepskin becomes much less important.

5. For any candidate that makes the phone interview cut, I check out their LinkedIn profile if provided and likely run a quick Google search. So make sure your digital footprint is clean. Again, time is crucial so make sure YOUR first page Google Search Page Returns (SERPS) are not embarrassing. I have never disqualified anyone from a search, but why risk it? Other’s who screen will likely not be as fair as I am…

Start-up is a unique environment. Every single position counts and people need to be smart, able to pivot, live with constant stress, handle conflict and be thick skinned. Founders often have BIG IQs and egos, so need folks around them with BIG IQs and EQs to make the company succeed. Often times the candidate’s EQ is more important than the IQ. The things I am looking to probe include:

• Analytical Skill

• Speed and Mental Processing

• Ability to Work with Others

• Ability to Take Direction

• Dealing with Conflict

• Optimism

• Hunger to Succeed

• Unshakable Belief in One's Self

I prefer open ended probes. You spend more waking time working than any other activity so getting along with co-workers and loving what you do is essential. Here are the QUESTIONS and they are not in any specific order:

• Why are you interviewing with us or why are you looking for a new job? (I have typically already asked this on the phone, but will have a colleague ask this question in one the team interviews to compare notes later
• How would you describe the ideal job for you?
• What work interests you most?
• How many levels of management did you interact with?
• What was the job’s biggest challenge?
• If you were hiring for this position what would you be looking for and what questions would you ask? (This is always a great conversation starter)
• Tell me about some of the initiatives you have taken?
• Tell me about yourself and what special characteristics I should consider about you?
• How do you plan your work week? I might also ask how they plan their work day.
• How do you determine priorities?
• What happens when two priorities compete for your time?
• Tell me about the toughest communication problem you faced and how you handled it? (I give a lot of latitude on this one, the communication problem could be in their personal or professional life.)
• When do you feel a verbal communication should be followed up in writing?
• Have you ever been in a situation when someone lost their temper?
• How did you handle it? How did it make you feel?
• Define cooperation.
• What have you been most frequently criticized for?
• Tell me about your toughest manager.
• Tell me about your best manager.

Depending on the position, I may also ask the candidate to bring some work samples along. For example, if I am hiring an iOS developer, I might ask to see an app made or helped made on the iTunes store.

Interviewing as a candidate sucks. It has been years since I was on the other side of the desk as a candidate, but I can say if you are good at sales, you can sell yourself. The one bit of advice I would give candidates is to make sure you want the job and the culture is a fit for you.

Don’t forget you get to ask questions too! So make them count. You will be judged just as much by your answers as by the questions you ask. Also you get to judge right back. If you don’t like the interview process, you can always tell the company you don’t think it is the right fit for you and feel free to tell them why. Just remember, if you have talent, you have power.