7 Interview Questions To Help You Hire Superstars

Whether you’re a two person startup still operating in
your garage or a 500-person corporation, one thing
should remain consistent: your focus on hiring
superstars.
When my co-founder Eddie Machaalani and I started our
commerce platform company, we made a pact to
personally interview the first 100 people we hired. It was
hard, but we stuck to it and spoke to every person who
joined our team during that two-year period.
Through that process, we created a foundation of
amazing talent and set the bar high for new
employees and hiring managers who still adhere to our mo
hire someone who is “good enough;” always wait for the
best. Waiting to hire the right person for a role is painful,
but will save you time, money and your sanity in the
long run. They are out there and you will find them.
More than anything else, hiring the right people can
determine the destiny of your business. Hire superstars
and they’ll get behind your vision and make it a reality.
Hire the wrong people and you’ll find that as your
business grows, you’ll have a culture of average
performers who watch the clock and aren’t motivated
nearly as much as you are.
So, how do you ensure you hire the right people? Ask
these seven questions:
1. What do you like about our business?
How would you change what you don’t
like?u
This question does two things. First, it gives you insight
into how a candidate will verbalize something they don’t
like. Will they talk about the problem and then
immediately suggest a solution, or will they tell you that
your business is perfect when in reality, it probably isn’t?
Look for people who talk 5 percent about the problem
and 95 percent about the solution.
Related: 6 Tips for Hiring at Your Small Business
By asking how they’d change what they don’t like, you
get a chance to hear how they’d go about solving
problems. For example, if they say your customer
service stinks but can’t suggest even a basic idea to fix
it, what chance do they have of fixing problems when
they’re working for you? Will they just give up and move
on to something else? Probably. The best employees
solve problems fast and on their own.
2. Which book are you currently reading?
Passionate people tend to read books or listen to audio
books to improve their skills. Whether the books are
specific to a skill such as sales and marketing or they’re
reading a book focused on self-development doesn’t
matter, they are all good signs.
If they’re reading a fiction book and haven’t read an
educational book for a while, that’s a red flag to me.
Superstars are always looking to better themselves, and
the smartest people I know are always learning and
absorbing new information.
3. Tell me about a problem you were
tasked with solving in your current job.
How did you fix it?
Again, this surfaces their problem solving and creative
thinking skills or lack thereof. Did they have a thoughtful
approach to solving the problem or did they pass it on to
someone else?
4. What’s the one thing you’ve
accomplished in your career that you’re
most proud of?
This gives you insight into what makes them tick and
also lets you assess how they define success. If, for
example, they worked at their previous company for 12
years and their biggest accomplishment was beating
their sales target in a single quarter, they may not be a
superstar.
On the other hand, if they were promoted five times in
their previous role during a two-year period, then you
may have a superstar on your hands.
Related: 7 Traits of Truly Sensational Startup
Employees
5. Have you played any team sports
before?
People who play team sports such as basketball, soccer
and rowing are driven, focused on achieving goals and
physically fit, which helps keep their mind in peak
condition. Generally, they will also be great
communicators, cope well under pressure and perform
well during team events.
6. What do you do for fun?
Balance is an important part of success, and I’ve found
that superstars strive to do well in most, if not all, areas
of their life including physical fitness, relationships
contribution and learning.
As an example, if someone hits the gym three days a
week, volunteers on Saturdays and is learning how to
play the piano “just for fun,” then it’s fair to say they
value achievement, goal setting and are continually
looking to improve themselves. This will translate into
their job.
7. 'I’m not sure you’re a fit for the role…'
This one works best when you’re hiring people with
strong personalities that need to push through constantly
hearing “no,” such as for sales reps or sales leaders, and
it’s more of a comment than a question. By simply
making this statement, they can do one of three things.
They can ignore you and skip over the comment. They
can agree and try to move on. Or, they can try to sell
you on the benefits of bringing them into your business,
specifically focusing on the main reasons you can’t
afford not to hire them.
These questions aren’t a silver bullet for hiring
superstars, but they’ve allowed me to better decide
between people who will and won’t be a fit in the
business, and their ability to achieve success in their
role.
Outside of asking questions, never overlook your gut feel
during an interview. If something doesn’t feel right or
you’re not absolutely certain about hiring someone, then
say no -- every time.
It will take longer to hire the right person, but you want
to build a company full of people that are right for their
roles, instead of people that came along at the right
time.
Related: The 3 Secrets to Building An All-Star Startup
team