How to get the info I want from phone interview
How to get the info I want from phone interview
(OP)
I will be conducting a series of phone interviews for an engineering position. I would prefer to stay rather vague about the position.
My employer is based in the middle of nowhere. Good engineers that will come here and stay here are hard to find. Consequently, we cannot be overly picky about specific knowledge and experience. Most candidates with an applicable engineering degree should be able to adapt to the needs of the position. The bigger concern is longevity.
I am not an experienced interviewer, but I know certain things are inappropriate to ask, so here is what I want to ask - is it appropriate?
How do you feel about moving to a small town? Have you ever lived in a rural area and did you enjoy it?
Basically: Do you plan to make this a career or a stepping stone? - although I'd prefer not to be quite that blunt.
Anyone with experience or insight into this kind of question? From the asking or the receiving end? Please weigh in. Thanks!
My employer is based in the middle of nowhere. Good engineers that will come here and stay here are hard to find. Consequently, we cannot be overly picky about specific knowledge and experience. Most candidates with an applicable engineering degree should be able to adapt to the needs of the position. The bigger concern is longevity.
I am not an experienced interviewer, but I know certain things are inappropriate to ask, so here is what I want to ask - is it appropriate?
How do you feel about moving to a small town? Have you ever lived in a rural area and did you enjoy it?
Basically: Do you plan to make this a career or a stepping stone? - although I'd prefer not to be quite that blunt.
Anyone with experience or insight into this kind of question? From the asking or the receiving end? Please weigh in. Thanks!





RE: How to get the info I want from phone interview
Anyone worth hiring will outgrow any position. If you want someone perpetually indentured you should have located your company in pre-1865 southern U.S.
RE: How to get the info I want from phone interview
I grew up in a rural area and moved to a large city for my first job out of college. I was asked how I thought I'd like living in Big City all the time and didn't have a problem with that. Nobody wanting a job will say "oh, I'm going to stay a year and then bail" so I think your approach is a good one.
Good luck with the interviews!
Please remember: we're not all guys!
RE: How to get the info I want from phone interview
Just be aware that interviewing is like dating; everyone is going to pretend that they don't fart, and when they do, it smells like roses.
Maybe you can interview this guy: thread731-428437: Was laid off. Looking for advice on switching from US nuclear industry to a new US industry.
TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg
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RE: How to get the info I want from phone interview
RE: How to get the info I want from phone interview
RE: How to get the info I want from phone interview
Questions I've gotten during interviews that I read as gauging my "flight risk" -
1) How do you feel about moving to an area like this?
2) How do you feel about moving to a small town?
3) Do you think you'll be able to keep up your hobbies in this new environment?
4) Have you lived in this part of the state/country before?
5) How did you search for jobs in this area, what geographic filters did you have?
6) Do you have a family that you'll be moving with? **Marriage status is protected in some state in the US, don't ask this unless you are sure you can!**
RE: How to get the info I want from phone interview
RE: How to get the info I want from phone interview
if you're being required to perform interviews as part of your job, may not be unreasonable for employer to provide you some training
RE: How to get the info I want from phone interview
RE: How to get the info I want from phone interview
RE: How to get the info I want from phone interview
Yea right, that's the standard excuse given by every company with the low pay and lousy culture typical in rural areas today. Personally, I've heard it many times and even accepted the 20% salary cut once as the position involved relocating near my elderly parents. As is typical, I quickly discovered myself on the losing end of not only income but long-term personal stability despite the company's oft-repeated desire to retain employees. When you havent grown-up locally and didnt start with that employer shortly after college you have little possibility of vertical promotion to management and you are perpetually the first considered for headcount reductions. You also find that regardless of how antiquated and expensive the business and engineering practice, your outside experience and ideas are deemed irrelevant and heaven help you if they make the company money. Talent expects proper compensation and a welcoming culture, I'd suggest improving those before hiring in more help.
As mentioned above, withholding details about the position is a great way to alienate most candidates. If you do this you are literally going to be scraping the bottom of the proverbial barrel in interviews.
RE: How to get the info I want from phone interview
If this seems like overreaction to your sarcasm, feel free to skip this post
I know you said you aren't a seasoned interviewer, but you did get some lecture/PPT/handout from HR or Legal that told you the federal and state regulations regarding employment right? I don't want to come off as an alarmist, but as interviewees become more savy about this area of the law and are more willing to sit and wait for an opportunity they like, you don't want to wave red flags to the good eggs that come in by asking illegal questions.
I worked as a supervisor for a brief while and despite how cheap that company was, they made sure I didn't get them sued when I interviewed plant operators with comprehensive interview training.
RE: How to get the info I want from phone interview
RE: How to get the info I want from phone interview
RE: How to get the info I want from phone interview
Your company wants a commitment, but what are they willing to give on THEIR side? If I'm being told I need to stay there for 10+ years, I want a solid plan, in writing, of how they intend to train me, move me up through the ranks, support me financially, etc. Commitment used to work both ways 30-40 years ago. These days, commitment is "We'll hire you until it doesn't help our bottom line".
Dan - Owner
http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com
RE: How to get the info I want from phone interview
When I had my interview, they invited me over, paid the return ticket and the hotel.
They paid for my wife as well, as they realized and told me, she has to feel at home here too.
That was 13 years ago and still working at the same place.
If you want people to commit, can you AT LEAST commit to paying a return ticket and meet them in person?
If not, how can you expect them to lie to you about where they will be 10 years from now?
Other question, what is the value of an interview when you can't see the other person's body language?
RE: How to get the info I want from phone interview
RE: How to get the info I want from phone interview
I am based in the UK, but currently work in a small company in a Rural location, and I must say that I can feel the pain. Both as someone who has been in the position of having to interview engineers with zero training and very little notice, and as someone who has had very little training and had to fight reasonable hard to get my pay where I wanted it.
The MD does not, as far as I can tell, wish to appear off-ish and uncaring, almost the reverse. However he has been in his position for half his working life, doesn't come from the engineering, and I think is rather out of touch with the state of the workplace. Even little things like providing safety glasses, forklift training, fire extinguishers for the new office building, seem like a challenge. Where he is on the flip side very happy to spend thousands on high grade equipment we have never used.
A job interview I went to before this one was for a larger but still small family firm who where more than a daily commute from my current house and place of work, and they where very blunt in asking what my living situations where, my plans to re-locate or weekly commute, etc, stating that they where looking for someone long term. They then internally promoted someone into the role, and offered me a far more junior role which I declined.
Interestingly, and reasonably independently bar the fact I ask they recruiter I went through if he knew anyone looking for a job, we now have one of their engineers who left because he was suitable unimpressed with the person they appointed. Small world.
All the best with the interview!
Daniel