How many degrees are there between a clock's two hands when the clock reads 3:15? If you were a cookie what kind would you be? How many gas stations are there in the United States? There are all kinds of theories as to why such brainteaser-style questions should be posed to job candidates during interviews. The reality is one question isn't the "magic bullet" to selecting the right candidate; nor is a neat list of interview questions.

To make interviews most effective, there's up-front work that must be done before interviewers ever set eyes on a job candidate, explains Nicholas Russo, corporate manager of human resource effectiveness and organizational planning for Formosa Plastics Corporation in Livingston, N.J. Understanding the time constraints of Formosa executives and managers, Russo creates competency-based behavioral interview guides for them use when filling open positions. Once a candidate completes an application and is screened by HR, the next phase is evaluating how candidates stand up against the competencies needed for the open position. This screening process can take as little as 20 minutes because the competencies have already been identified through rigorous research, which included interviewing employees in each particular position. The critical success factors for a job at Formosa will be different from the success factors of the same job at another employer, Russo explains.

Because there's a consistent process to conduct initial screenings, narrowing down the pool of applicants to interview face-to-face becomes much easier and quicker. "Using e-mail or telephone, a vice president who travels a lot can easily do this candidate screening while on the road," Russo says.

At Biogen, a 2,500-employee biotechnology company in Cambridge, Mass., a mix of staff and contract recruiters work predominantly by telephone to select the most qualified applicants for face-to-face interviews, says Keith Hall, Biogen's associate director of employment. A very rigorous, well-planned and consistent screening process--based on lots of research and benchmarks specific to each job function--is followed.

"We hire very seasoned recruiters and it is important (from a cost standpoint) for us to limit their time on the telephone," Hall says. "We also want the first contact a candidate has with Biogen to be a first-class experience. We are diligent about making the application process a good one and we want to respect the candidate's time as well."

But once applicants are selected for onsite interviews, Hall is quick to point out that cutting corners on interview time doesn't make for a more efficient interview. As he point outs: "Interviewing takes time and it's critical to the success of our company."

On-site Interviews

Besides pre-screening, systematic question development and other prep work, there are techniques that hiring managers--and others who pulled are into conversations with candidates--can use so interviews flow smoothly and garner maximum information. According to John Seres, a psychologist and principal with Sadler and Associates, an executive search and recruiting firm in Oakbrook, Ill., there are some basic rules of the road that are often forgotten, such as:

When Seres conducts interview training, he uses videotaped interviews as a tool to get participants to understand weaknesses in the process and individual interviewer weaknesses. "You would be surprised how when viewing the tapes participants hear things mentioned on tape differently," he said. "In the training, we have the luxury of hearing the tape again so participants can see critical points or comments made during the interview that they missed the first time."

Matters of Ethics

In the past several months, we've watched major corporations crumble because of deceitful actions. Now, more than ever, trust and honesty are big qualifiers for candidates seeking practically any type of employment. Research by HireRight, an Irvine, Calif. Internet-based employee screening firm, shows 34 percent of job candidates provide incorrect information about experience and education.

To tackle honesty and trust issues, Mark Goulston, UCLA psychiatrist and expert on corporate governance and ethics, suggests asking hard questions. He suggests saying to the candidate: "I've never seen a resume that doesn't have some exaggeration in it or attempt to make the candidate look more favorable. Please pick up something on your resume that fits that description." A follow-up or wrap-up question could be: "What else should you be telling me that might come up in the reference check?"

Jim Kennedy, president of Management Team Consultants Inc., a San Rafael, Calif.-based firm specializing in interviewing, recommends three ways to delve deeper into potential issues of trust and honesty:

1. Be alert for fast answers and nonanswers: If a candidate answers questions without taking a breath, be wary. They may be giving you a prepared answer. Also, be on the lookout for nonanswer responses such as, "We've already covered that..." or "I answered your question before."
2. Downplay negative disclosures: Minimize your response if you hear a negative disclosure because if you don't overreact, candidates are more likely to elaborate. You can also encourage them by choosing your words carefully, notes Kennedy. For example, a good response: "We all make mistakes. What caused you to handle the situation the way you did?" A follow-up question: "What did you learn from that experience?"
3. Challenge suspicious stories: Kennedy recommends that if you hear a doubtful story from a candidate, ask yourself three questions: Does the story make sense? Does if feel right? Is it doable? If you can answer this question with a "yes," then ask the candidate-in a friendly but serious manner--to repeat the story in reverse.

What About Those Brainteasers?

The clock question mentioned at the beginning of this article has been used by investment banks to explore candidates' analytical skills. The cookie question has been used to learn more about a candidate's personality, and how one responds to a difficult and odd question. And, the gas station question is supposed to reveal individuals' reasoning skills.

A few years ago, brainteasers were an interview fad, but most employment experts believe these questions tend to entertain the interviewer more than offer insight into the personality and behavior of the applicant. Or the reverse, the applicants are entertained because brainteasers get a short shelf life. For example, McKinsey & Co. and Microsoft Corp. used to show up at a college campus in the morning with a specific brainteaser. By noon, students would who interviewed with them would have posted the question on the Internet, which meant afternoon candidates knew the answers.

When asked about the usefulness of brainteaser, Biogens' Hall explained: "Neither I nor my employment staff, nor any hiring manager at Biogen would use these sorts of questions in interviews. They might produce some value for other organizations, but not ours."

Michelle Martinez is a Leesburg, Va.-based writer specializing in recruitment, human resources and workplace management issues.