Is This Candidate Interested of Not?

I'm a sucker for the bargain books at Barnes & Noble. I always cruise over to that section. Call me cheap, but don't most of the books in the store end up there anyway?


My latest purchase was the intriguing and maybe over the top "You Can Read Anyone!" by Dr. David Lieberman. Its tag line on the cover was "Never be Fooled, Lied to, or Taken Advantage of Again." (Ok, Paranoid Much?)

The book was definitely worth $6.98 though, as one chapter focused on tactics you can use to determine whether or not someone is interested in your offering. Related to recruiting, these tactics can be used to find out if your candidate really wants the job, or is just kicking tires.

Here are three of the methods mentioned:

1) Where Are Their Priorities? Often times we are so clouded by our own desire for a person's interest to be genuine, that we can't decipher if someone is seriously engaged. To find out, ask the person to invest something, such as time, money or energy. (In Recruiting: How about a requesting a proposal from the candidate on how they would be productive in this new role?) As life is about priorities, if you get back nothing but excuses for why the person can't comply, chances are this new opportunity isn't of interest.

2) How Curious Are They? Simply put, a person interested in something wants more information than someone who is not interested. In your next interview take a timeout once or twice to ask for questions from the candidate. Or consider explaining a key aspect of the job in a vague and open-ended way. If the candidate has no specific questions, or don't question your clouded explanation of the job, they probably won't care if they get the position.

3) Take Back the Job. Also known as one of the oldest sales tactics, it works great for recruiting and determining interest as well. As you continue along the interview, offer information that suggests that your candidate may not be the right fit for your open position. If the candidate responds with reasons why he/she would be successful, you have somebody who is very interested in the opening. If they agree with you, they may be relieved that you're letting them off the hook from declining the job anyway when the offer is made.