Face-to-face interviews are not nearly as effective as most people like to believe — as I explained in this recent post on "unlearning the interview." Nevertheless, if you are bound and determined to conduct one, I recommend turning the interview process on its head and conducting what I call an "unterview." Below are a few starter questions to get you on your way:
1. What isn't on your resume? The purpose of this question is find out whether the person "knows what he or she doesn't know."
2. Name one thing you have unlearned in the past year? An alternative question would be: "What is the most important thing you have unlearned in your life?" The response (or lack thereof) may provide a hint to how open-minded and flexible the person is and whether they are capable of change.
3. What do you find un-interesting? This question is really just the opposite of the old "what are your interests/hobbies" question, but I believe that you can find out just as much about a person from what they don't like — or find interesting — as from what they do.
4. What book have you wanted to read in the past year but haven't? As regular readers know, I'm a huge fan of starting an "anti-library" but this question may offer some insight into the depth of a person's intellectual curiosity.
This, of course, is just a beginning list. If you have other questions that would make for a good "unterview," I would love to hear your suggestions.
