As soon as upon a time, you had a gap in your content material advertising and marketing group.
Combing by way of the resumes, you winnowed the pile to a half dozen potential unicorns who ought to know learn how to craft content material that grabs (and retains) your viewers’s consideration whereas maintaining the model’s objectives high of thoughts.
On the appointed day, you clicked on the video convention hyperlink and, up popped one of many finalists. In fact, you requested a bunch of questions. In spite of everything, you had been on the lookout for solutions.
However there could also be higher interviewing methods for a content material advertising and marketing emptiness than bombarding candidates with questions.
Bombarding candidates with questions might not be one of the best interview method for #content material entrepreneurs, says @AnnGynn through @CMIContent. Click on To Tweet
My recommendation? Don’t ask them any questions.
Sure, you learn that proper – cease with the questions. Kick the Q-and-A format to the curb.
As a substitute, flip it right into a storytelling train and provides story prompts to the candidates.
Why? You possibly can assess their capability to weave collectively a narrative. Given you wish to rent somebody to inform tales about your model, their capability to inform tales about themselves offers you an ideal understanding of their expertise (or lack thereof) that their resume can’t.
Storytelling additionally lets you higher distinguish one candidate from one other. In spite of everything, two candidates could regurgitate the identical years of expertise and the identical titles held, however once they inform their experiences as a narrative, you’ll keep in mind their variations. Why? It’s science. Individuals keep in mind tales. Individuals overlook details and stats.
A Stanford research carried out a long time in the past requested college students to memorize 12 phrases. Half studied the listing for 2 minutes. The opposite half turned the phrases right into a inventive narrative. Nearly all (93%) of the scholars who informed a narrative recalled the phrases. Solely 13% of those that studied the listing may do the identical.
Extra not too long ago, Make It Stick authors Chip and Dan Heath additionally did an experiment at Stanford. They requested college students to offer a one-minute speech about violent crime. College students used a median of two.5 statistics of their speeches – solely 5% of the viewers may recall any statistic. One in 10 college students informed a narrative – 63% of the viewers may keep in mind the tales.
(And sure, I see the irony in utilizing statistics to assist make my level on the facility of storytelling.)
However you most likely didn’t want these numbers to understand the facility of tales. Simply take into consideration the final time you interviewed candidates for a content material advertising and marketing function. You well scheduled all of them in a single day. By 5 p.m., those who stood out most likely weren’t the candidates who spouted perfunctory details and figures. You possibly can’t recall – with out studying your notes – who wrote weekly newsletters or who did a every day weblog. No, the memorable candidates informed a narrative (or tales) you would simply recall and join with their faces.
Content material entrepreneurs inform tales across the model. Job candidates for #ContentMarketing ought to be capable to inform tales about their skilled experiences, says @AnnGynn through @CMIContent. Click on To Tweet
Ask no questions, and also you’ll get greater than details
Whereas what you wish to study from a candidate could differ based mostly on the function, firm, tradition, and so on., you need to use these tricks to customise the muse in your interviews.
First, pull collectively a listing of verbs that elicit tales. A few of my favorites embrace:
- Inform me …
- Describe …
- Clarify …
- Exhibit …
- Spell out …
(Use “spell out” when the candidate cuts their story quick or doesn’t flesh out the required particulars.)
Now, it takes slightly follow to make use of lively voice in declarative sentences in interviews. That will help you get began, contemplate these prompts (and modify for the function as vital) for some typical “questions” in your subsequent interview for a brand new content material advertising and marketing group member.
As a substitute of questions, use declarative prompts with verbs that elicit tales, says @AnnGynn through @CMIContent. Click on To Tweet
State of affairs 1
Don’t ask: What did you do at your final firm?
Immediate a narrative: Inform me about whenever you joined your final employer and the way that led to the place you might be as we speak.
This immediate takes the candidate away from regurgitating their resume and into an area of reflection. As they go from the start to the center to the tip (or their present standing), you’ll be able to uncover how they view their development, altering duties, and some other takeaways from the job expertise.
You additionally will study what they most wish to spotlight – what they prioritize. Do they focus extra on the method or the outcomes? Do they go too deep into the main points or not sufficient? Are they circumspect and insightful, or do they take a just-the-facts strategy?
State of affairs 2
Don’t ask: How do you develop story concepts? or How do you strategy your writing?
Immediate a narrative: Stroll me by way of the method – from thought to manufacturing – of making the final article you wrote.
Nebulous questions concerning the inventive course of can lead candidates to wax philosophically or converse in generalities. The immediate can elicit a extra concrete response as a result of they may speak about a latest expertise. You possibly can find out how they view their function within the inventive course of and perceive the opposite roles with whom they work.
State of affairs 3
Don’t ask: How do you deal with suggestions?
Immediate a narrative: Describe a time whenever you obtained suggestions that you just didn’t agree with.
For those who ask the suggestions query, you’ll discover that each candidate appreciates suggestions as a result of it helps them ship higher work sooner or later. It’s a non-starter query, type of just like the basic interview query – what’s your greatest weak point? Any candidate price their salt will flip their “weak point” right into a energy.
Utilizing this immediate once more permits for specificity. Extra importantly, it allows you to see how the individual handles a detrimental scenario. Did they converse up and share their disagreement with the suggestions giver? Did they clarify why or why not? (In some instances, it may not be price addressing the distinction in opinion as a result of the boss would react poorly.) What occurred ultimately?
State of affairs 4
Don’t ask: We provide each distant and in-office work environments. Which do you favor?
Immediate a narrative: Clarify what a super work surroundings appears to be like wish to you.
Candidates need the job supply – even when they later flip it down. So they may give the reply that greatest correlates with the corporate’s office surroundings.
The immediate offers a greater glimpse into how properly they could match into your organization’s tradition. The small print of their story spotlight what’s most vital to them – location, folks, versatile schedule, and so on.
Be a great listener too
Don’t overlook {that a} good viewers additionally motivates good storytelling. Pay attention actively. React nonverbally – head nodding and smiles encourage the storyteller to proceed – and verbally – recap or repeat some extent from their story to share how which may work at your organization.
In fact, chances are you’ll discover a candidate who tells a narrative that goes on and on. First, mentally notice how properly they perceive the viewers and storytelling objective. Then, interrupt once they pause to maneuver the story alongside by saying one thing like, “Oh, that’s actually fascinating. Inform me the way it ended up.”
With these story-prompt interviewing methods, you’ll be able to accomplish two issues directly. First, you’ll study concerning the candidate’s expertise and perception as you’d in a conventional question-and-answer interview. However you’ll additionally uncover if they’ve that hidden unicorn horn – they’ll inform good tales that at all times maintain their enterprise objective (i.e., getting the job) in thoughts.
HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT:
Cowl picture by Joseph Kalinowski/Content material Advertising Institute
