HIRE SUCCESS^® EMPLOYMENT TESTING SYSTEM
PERSONALITY PROFILE
SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Rem: 99

Prepared For:
John Smith

Strength Of This
Personality Is:
37.1%

The questions were developed to assist in  the interview and highlight only the personality traits that are very strong toward one end of the trait scale or the other.  This is not an implication that there is any problem with having a strong tendency toward that trait, since there is no way for the system to know what you might be seeking from this particular applicant or for the job which he applied. 

Questions are also generated if the system's confidence factor is below average or low in any one or more of the Trait Scales.  Although the scale value is probably quite accurate, the low confidence indicates John tended to describe himself in more extreme terms representing both sides of the scale.  That is, he may feel he possesses characteristics that represent traits on both sides of the scale. This is most often the result of viewing these characteristics and traits as "situational"; that is, he could be more like one trait or another on the scale depending on the situation. Though not unusual for people to describe themselves this way, it is good to discuss these situations in the interview so they can be resolved to your satisfaction.

Scale Value: 9
Confidence Factor:
*****

John is extremely extroverted and will be very quick to introduce himself to others. If the job requires this type of personality, you may still want to make sure John knows how and when to apply this trait, as he may have a tendency to socialize at work.

• Do you often find you don't seem to have enough time in the day to get everything done you might like?  If "yes", then please expand on this. (What you will want to discover is if he tends to socialize with others, and does that effect his productivity, and perhaps the productivity of others. This would also be a good question to ask previous employers.)
• When you're around a group of people, especially people you are acquainted with, do you ever find it difficult to just sit back and listen without interjecting your thoughts, ideas and comments?  (Some jobs not only require someone with an outgoing personality, but also require them to be a good listener. You may want to discover if John has learned how to be a good listener as well as a good talker.)

Scale Value: 9
Confidence Factor:
*****

John is an extremely organized person. His attention to detail will most likely mean he will be very uncomfortable unless everything is in its place at all times. Although this can be a beneficial trait in many jobs, you may want to consider asking the following questions:

• Would you rather have a project done a little late, but with everything in perfect order, or would you consider it more important to turn it in on-time even if it wasn't perfect?  (Sometimes highly organized people may not get as much done because of the time them spend paying attention to details, that in the big picture, may be nice, but not essential. You want to try and find out if this would be a problem or if his organizational skills will help get things done better, faster and more efficiently.)
• Do you have your own "system" for filing and organizing things in your office? (Some people are so organized, only they can understand their complex system of keeping everything in its place.)
• (If being considered for a management position: ) How do you feel when people who report to you don't seem to do things as neatly and orderly as you? Do you try to get them to improve their organizational skills? (What you may want to qualify here, is if he may try to force good people, who aren't as organized, to change their personality to be more like him. In some cases, this can cause problems and conflict and cause productivity, and perhaps morale, to diminish. If this could be the case in the position for which he has applied, be sure and probe even further if you believe this could be an issue.)

Scale Value: 7
Confidence Factor:
**

The following questions are based on the fact that the Confidence Factor for this trait is lower than expected. Although the Scale Value may still be very accurate, questions should be asked to determine if this is the case. Refer to the System User's Manual for details about Confidence Factors.

• Do you perceive yourself as a "Cautious Risk Taker"?   Please Explain. (Note: If John says "yes", his Trait Scale Value should be in the range of 4-6. Since the Trait Value is higher than that, indicating more of a tendency to take risks, you might also want to ask if he believes this job requires a cautious person or a risk taker in case he may have answered based on what he thinks is needed for the job.)
• How do you decide when something is too risky, even if the rewards are great? (If his response sounds very cautious, he may not be as much of a risk taker as indicated and you may want to probe further.)

Scale Value: 6
Confidence Factor:
*

The following questions are based on the fact that the Confidence Factor for this trait is lower than expected. Although the Scale Value may still be very accurate, questions should be asked to determine if this is the case. Refer to the System User's Manual for details about Confidence Factors.

• Do you sometimes get concerned before making a decision that there's something else you need to know, but just don't know what it is? (If "yes"), Do you tend to delay your decision in those cases or do you go ahead and make it based on what you have, because you can hopefully change the decision later if other information is found? (The objective here is to open up some dialog to get him to talk about his approach to making decisions so you can verify this trait.)
• Do people ever say they think you make decisions too quickly and should take more time to think things through? If so, why do you believe they think that way?

Extremely Analytical
Confidence Factor:
*****

John is extremely analytical, which in many cases, can be an asset. However, when taken to an extreme, it is possible to fall into what is commonly described as "analysis paralysis". This is an area you would probably want to consider questioning John to discover if you have any concerns in this area.

• Do you often feel as though you are being rushed or pressured to make a recommendation or decision before you feel you have thoroughly analyzed all of the information and facts concerning the issue?  Is so, please explain. (Try to get him to open up and try to discover if his strong analytical nature will be a benefit or a problem in the position for which he is being considered.)
• Have you ever missed opportunities because you had not fully evaluated and analyzed the facts and the risks before the decision deadline? (If you are able to discover instances of this, it is possible that he focuses more on analyzing the facts rather than the opportunity itself, which in many cases, may be what you are looking for. Try to get him to talk about some examples of this if he answers "yes".)

Very Deliberate
Confidence Factor:
*****

• When suggesting an action or an idea, do you like trying new things that just seem to "come to you" at the spur of the moment, or do you like to think about them more and develop a strategy before suggesting an action? (Being a planner, he one would expect that he would prefer to plan. However, if he indicates that it depends on the situation, try and provide an example that may come up in the type of position he is being considered for just to make sure you are comfortable with his response.)
• How do you feel when people want to deviate from a plan because they want to try a "short cut"? (The true planner will most likely not care to deviate from the planned path.)

Very Goal Oriented
Confidence Factor:
*****

John is very goal oriented and very likely has both short and long term goals well defined. This may only manifest itself as a problem if his goal orientation is so strong that he loses interest in the immediate, tactical issues preferring instead to focus more on the strategic objectives. If you believe this could be an issue in the job for which he is being considered, you may then want to consider the following questions:

• Do you believe long term goals (strategic objectives) are more important than the short-term achievements (tactical objectives)?  (Try to develop some conversation to help determine if he may have a tendency to let the means justify the end. Keep in mind he is a "deliberate, planner" type and may enjoy planning the actions rather than carrying them out.)

Somewhat Proactive
Confidence Factor:
**

The following questions are based on the fact that the Confidence Factor for this trait is lower than expected. Although the Scale Value may still be very accurate, questions should be asked to determine if this is the case. Refer to the System User's Manual for details about Confidence Factors.

• What do you normally do if someone were to make you angry about something they did to you on the job? (The purpose here, if applicable, is to learn if he reacts in a retaliatory (negative) manner or would take a more positive, proactive approach to solving the problem.)
• Would you prefer to react to something known or try to prevent something that might not happen? (Try to develop conversation to verify to what degree he tends to be proactive.)

Extremely Impatient
Confidence Factor:
*****

• How do you normally react toward people, especially coworkers, who just seem to be slow at getting things done that you may need or be waiting for?  (Try to develop some conversation in this area so he can open up and give you a better sense of how his impatience may play out on the job.)
• Do you ever get angry when some people just seem too slow? Do you hold your anger inside or let them know you're upset? (If he answers that he gets angry, see how he handles it. Even if he keeps it to himself, it may cause him a problem. Ask him to expound to whatever degree you believe is appropriate for the situation.)

Very Persuasive
Confidence Factor:
*****

John is very persuasive. Being persuasive is generally considered a good trait in business, but it can have its "down side". When combined with the "Promoter" score, he may be viewed by some as being a "hype" artist at times. You may want to make sure he is as believable as he is persuasive.

• Have you ever been told you could convince anybody to do just about anything? (Here, you'll be looking to see if he says "yes" and is proud of it. This is not necessarily bad, but make sure this is what is needed for the job for which he is being considered.)
• Here's a question to ask previous employers if applying for a sales related position: "After John  persuaded a customer to do our buy something, did you ever experience customer dissatisfaction where their expectations were not met by what John  told them up-front? ( Here, you want to find out if John is so persuasive, he can persuade people to do or buy things they don't really want or need or if the product, for example, didn't meet the expectations John set during his presentation.)

Very Detail Oriented
Confidence Factor:
****

John is very detail oriented. Note, he is also analytical as well. Although this is important for many jobs, you may want to make sure he doesn't get bogged down in details. Also, if the job requires him to teach or help others solve problems, for example, you may want to determine if he may tend to go into more detail than others, who may have less understanding of the subject, can comprehend. This may be something to discuss with his references and/or previous employers as well. Consider the following questions:

• Do you find it hard to just summarize things and not cover every detail you think others need to know? (Often, very detailed individuals don't want to appear to be hiding anything or to have left something out and thus go into considerable detail, if for no other reason than they would want that much detail themselves.)
• Briefly tell me about the greatest accomplishment in your career? (See how much detail he gives you about this topic.)

Works Very Well Under Stress
Confidence Factor:
*****

John is good at handling stress and may be the type that "thrives" on stress. If the job has a lot of pressure, this may be what you are looking for, but if so, you may still want to inquire to make sure he doesn't create stress when little or none exists just because he enjoys those conditions. Others may not.

• Since you seem to handle stressful situations well and work well under pressure, how do you like a low-key environment where there doesn't seem to be very many demands made on you?  (Just try to determine, to your satisfaction, that he won't get bored or try to create pressure when little or none is present.)
• Some people seem to think they work best under a lot of pressure. How do you view yourself in stressful situations?

Extremely Self Confident
Confidence Factor:
*****

John  is extremely self confident, which may be what you are seeking, but you may want to make sure that his self confidence isn't viewed by others as arrogance. Many people with this high level of self confidence know how to manage it so it doesn't turn from a positive into a negative. Consider the following questions:

• Tell me about the most important qualities or assets you believe you will bring to this job? (How he responds may provide some insight as to whether or not pride and arrogance seems to be involved, or if he just knows his own talents and traits and is confident they will benefit your company.)
• How do you feel about people who often seem unsure of themselves? (Most people won't be as self-confident as John and you may want to make sure he doesn't hold a negative view of people who appear to him to lack confidence when compared to his very high level.)

Extremely Intolerant
Confidence Factor:
*****

• How do you feel when other people seem to not be following proper procedures or not perform up to your level of expectations? (Try to get an understanding of his perspective so you will have a better idea as to whether or not his intolerance could be viewed negatively in the workplace.)
• When you believe you are right about something, how do you react to people who may question your logic or disagree with you? (Sometimes intolerance will manifest itself with some level of anger when other people are not agreeable.)

Independent
Confidence Factor:
*

The following questions are based on the fact that the Confidence Factor for this trait is lower than expected. Although the Scale Value may still be very accurate, questions should be asked to determine if this is the case. Refer to the System User's Manual for details about Confidence Factors.

As applied in this system, Independence is ones ability, and often desire, to work alone or with little or no supervision. The opposite of desiring to be independent, or alone, is to be with others, and thus working in a group or in a "team" with people. This is not implying that someone who is Independent can not be a "team player" in the sense of supporting and working for the goals of the "team", but rather prefers doing things their own way, or without being supervised. Therefore, when describing a person who prefers to be in part of a "team" or "group", is indicative that they work better with the support system of others around them for feedback, encouragement, as well as supervision and direction.

With this in mind, you may want to develop some dialog with John to be sure you know just how independent he really may be in your work environment. Consider the following questions:

• Do you prefer to be a supervisor or be supervised?
• How do you feel when a manager is always looking over your shoulder and reminding you of what and how you should be doing your work?
• Do you feel more comfortable working with or around others for support, encouragement and their ideas and feedback on day to day issues?

Extremely Aggressive
Confidence Factor:
*****

John is extremely aggressive in his approach, which can be good for many jobs providing he doesn't appear pushy or threatening. This would be a good issue to discuss with his former employers. Consider the following questions:

• If you need information or an answer from someone right away, what would you normally do to get that from them now even if they aren't willing or interested in dealing with the issue or you at the moment? (Try to get him to expound with enough detail that you can be comfortable he won't appear obnoxious to the people he may deal with. Try to use examples from the job for which he has applied.)
• How do you feel when a "high pressure" sales person keeps trying to "close" you on the spot? (Even though they may not give in, highly aggressive people will probably know what they're up to and have some degree of respect for at least trying.

Good Promoter
Confidence Factor:
*

The following questions are based on the fact that the Confidence Factor for this trait is lower than expected. Although the Scale Value may still be very accurate, questions should be asked to determine if this is the case. Refer to the System User's Manual for details about Confidence Factors.

• Do you get more interested and excited about products, ideas and concepts after hearing someone talk about it or after analyzing the facts and details?
• When someone is trying to sell you on something, do you tend to believe them until something proves otherwise, or do you tend to doubt what they say until you have sufficient evidence to support their claims?