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Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover

I am a great interviewer—not just good but great. I know how to pick people clean. Regardless of how much someone prepares, that person will end up talking about things he or she never dreamed of or intended to talk about. I know how to size people up, read their minds, and see their characters. I know what’s important to them, and then I determine if they can do the job.

Some people believe that creative types such as designers need to look the part. I disagree. Some of the best people I’ve ever hired in creative design were only five feet tall or 100 pounds overweight or were individuals you wouldn’t want to sit next to you at a dinner table, but they were creative geniuses. Therefore, when you’re evaluating people, you need to get past how they look and find out whether they have what it takes to succeed in the position for which you’re interviewing them.

I begin every interview in the same manner. If you got to sit in front of me; if you made it through the screening; if you were recommended by an associate, friend, family member, former colleague, senior executive, corporate executive, or CEO; or if your résumé caught my attention, you are going to be interviewed seriously.

First and foremost, the law correctly outlines what you can and cannot ask in an interview. Most people know these subjects and questions. They are designed to eliminate bias from the process. If you are senior enough, you may want to share some details of your life to give your interviewer insight into who you are. I, for one, will ask, “Is there anyone in your immediate family who might be employed who would be a competitor of the company you’re interviewing with?” Another question I typically ask is, “This position requires travel. Is there any reason you may not be able to travel?” I’m not interested in the details of people’s personal lives, but I do need to know if they can fulfill the demands of the job.

I begin every interview with a plan, which I share with the candidate. I explain the interview process along these lines: “First I’m going to tell you something about myself, and then I’m going to tell you something about the company and the position you’re interviewing for. Then we’re going to talk about you. Afterward, I’ll summarize and let you know where you stand.” I do this because I want people to know precisely what I thought, what may or may not have resonated well, and, most important, whether they will be considered for the position. Many people are uncomfortable stating the facts and being this direct, but I feel that a candidate wants to know all this.

I like to start by opening up and giving people some insight into me so that they will be comfortable and more inclined to talk about themselves. I’ve never been a salesman, but I can sell the company with the best of them. Before they talk, I want them to want this job. When I interview people, that means they sufficiently impressed my colleagues who interviewed them before they got to me, and so I take these candidates seriously. They may be great for the company, and so I want them presold on the job for which they’re interviewing.

I then ask them whether they have any questions, which I will answer in depth. You learn quite a bit about people from the questions they ask. Then it’s my turn to ask questions. My job is to determine if this person would be right for our company. Will he or she be successful in our company? I take hiring as a serious responsibility and a personal burden. If you hire someone who is not working, you may have less responsibility because at least you gave that person a job and some dignity. However, if that person turns out to be wrong for the job, you have wasted his or her time, which could have been used to pursue the correct opportunity, and that person is out of work again.

Hiring someone who is already well positioned and working is a tremendous responsibility if that person fails. Yes, we’re all adults, and ultimately that person agreed to take a risk and change jobs, but it is the interviewer’s responsibility to outline clearly and succinctly what’s expected and to truthfully detail the company and its style. I take this process very seriously. I do not like playing with people’s lives. It’s a burden I don’t like, but it’s one I have to accept; therefore, I make it clear to candidates that they should not try to convince me if they are not what they say they are.

There is a series of standard questions I may ask any and all candidates. For specific responsibilities, I ask very specific questions. If you are in U.S. sales, who do you know? What level of executive will return your call? If you are in global sourcing, in what countries are you most comfortable producing? Are there countries whose infrastructure may prohibit you from placing orders?

For example, let’s discuss interviewing a creative director or head of design for a fashion company. Keep in mind that I am the president and/or CEO, not the senior creative person in the company. Therefore, as the head of a business unit, I am looking at a candidate as a creator and my questions are couched in that vein. Creative managers have already met these candidates first, and I interview them as a final arbiter.

Here are some of the questions I would ask: Where do you get inspiration? How do you begin to put a collection together? If I said to you that we are an urban brand, city, modern, and we want a collection for day into night, where would you begin? What is the first presentation you would make to management with your ideas? In what format would it be? Where would you find color? How would you determine style? Do you have an idea of what the fit of the product might be? Is there any special trim on the collection? Do you have any new ideas for buttons or labels? What prices do you see the collection selling for? Where do you envision the production being done? Whose design ethos do you admire, and why?

These are a sample of the questions I ask, and each one has follow-up questions designed to engage and challenge the candidate. Each of the follow-ups is aimed at learning the candidate’s point of view. Are you a visionary? Can you handle pressure? That’s important because this is a pressure business.

For me, the process—the way you work—is most important. If I don’t like your methods, I won’t hire you. I have seen both men and women cry in interviews. I have heard confessions of doubt; I have seen confidence erode. I have learned a lot from candidates. I interviewed a guy who said he hated women: wrong company, wrong country, wrong century. I’ve interviewed people whose role was to travel to Asia to negotiate manufacturing agreements but they could not travel because of family responsibilities. In another interview, I discovered that a merchant was color-blind, and this was after the candidate had been interviewed by my other colleagues. Obviously, that discovery made me lose faith in those colleagues who interviewed this candidate before me in the interview process.

Just for good measure, I have questions designed to trick candidates.

My advice: whether you’re the interviewer or interviewee, have a plan and be precise. When you’re the interviewee, keep in mind that the company needs you more than you need the company. That won’t stop them from trying to trip you up. Be confident but don’t lie. If you have a discipline you need to learn but are strong in critical areas, a well-run company should provide infrastructure to support you. In the end, a good interviewer is protecting the company and you. If you’re the interviewer, be responsible: you’re playing with people’s lives.