Assessing Adaptability

Adaptability is important for a variety of roles, and I've seen hiring teams use all sorts of methods to determine if a candidate is adaptable. Here are some "Don't"s of things to avoid - they don't give you the information you need to make your hiring decision and can also hurt trust with a candidate. 😬
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- Don't Ask "What Would You Do If" Questions - Assuming you're trying to get more out of this than a candidate's functional skills, avoid this type of question. It asks the candidate to guess at what they would do in a hypothetical situation where they're expected to be adaptable, and doesn't give you the information you need to know how they'd actually react. Ask behavioral questions about times where deadlines changed, mistakes were made, or priorities shifted.
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- Don't Lose Trust by Changing the Interview Format Mid-Interview - If you're going to do any type of test mid-interview, make sure the candidate knows about it as early as possible so they can mentally prepare. Don't try to catch them off guard to see how they handle it - even if they "pass" with flying colors, they may be frustrated by the way you tested them.
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- Don't Ask "Unexpected" Questions or Role Play - If you're working in a fast paced environment it can be tempting to try to simulate a tricky situation or ask an offbeat question to see how they respond. These types of questions often confuse candidates, and role playing is really awkward even if you know someone well. Instead, stick to behavioral questions, ask plenty of follow ups and get the real data you need.
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Have you ever been in an interview where you encountered any of these techniques? How did they make you feel? I do think they're less common than they used to be, which makes me happy! It's so important to ensure interviews are a comfortable experience for all.