HOW TO INTERVIEW A MENTORING CANDIDATE

It’s a thrilling moment in any career—the day you decide to mentor someone. You’ve scratched and struggled to get where you are now, taken the good with the bad. You’ve hung in there long after most would have quit. Now you’re ready to foster someone new and share your expertise, leaving your mark for posterity.
But how do you choose just the right person? What criteria do you use in your selection process? How do you know if your favorite has the IT factor?
Interviews are an essential step in choosing a qualified candidate for any position. This is especially true when choosing a protégé. Love it or hate it, you can’t skip the interview process.
After all, if you’re going to invest your time and hard won experience in someone, they’d better be worth it. Remember that when you mentor someone, you are leaving a legacy. This person will be privy to the treasure trove that is your priceless experience. Shouldn’t you at least like them?
Likewise, you don’t want to make a commitment to a protégé who isn’t a good fit with you and your personal culture—letting them into your private world when they’ve virtually got one foot out the door. They can’t just go through the motions with you. The commitment has to be mutual.
And now we find ourselves at the dreaded crossroads: ah, yes, the interview. Some people find this process thrilling, like a brisk downhill run on skis. Others find it as chilling as a snowball down the pants.
Whichever camp you find yourself in, there’s no getting around the interview process. It is a must. With that in mind, here are tips for helping the interview process go smoothly.

Making Sure the Door Swings Both Ways

Interviewing your prospective protégé gives you the chance to interact with a candidate in a dynamic situation, one on one. It lets both of you find out if you’re comfortable with each other and have the same goals for your effort.
So then the question is, how do you want to conduct your interview? Can you get by using electronic media (like phone, Skype or Zoom), or should you meet face to face?
Having a face to face meeting gives you insight into the candidate’s sense of style and methodology—much more than you can glean from documents and reference checks. There’s no substitute for asking a candidate direct questions and getting their answers, sweaty palms and all.
If you have decided to mentor someone long distance, bear in mind that it’s tough to have a true sense of their personality strictly through written communication. Even if you’re planning to keep in touch by email and social media, do an interview by phone or Skype first. A live conversation will help you determine whether you and your protégé are a good match.

Do’s and Don’ts, Ins and Outs

Finding the right protégé takes a combination of research, reference checks, and interview results. Pay attention to gut feelings as well.
Just as you would in a job interview, ask both open and closed questions. Here are some sample questions for your interview.
Mentor Screening Interview – Open-ended questions:

• What would you like to change about this industry?
• In what area do you believe you can make the greatest contribution?
• What is your learning style: hands-on? Observatory? A combination?
• Why are you looking for a mentor?
• What do you expect to accomplish by working with me?
• Name three benefits you would like to enjoy as a protégé.
• What are your greatest strengths?
• Name one of your weaknesses and tell me how you will compensate for it.
• How do you intend to apply what you learn to your career?
• How do you respond to constructive criticism and decide whether or not to apply it?
• How do you respond to working under pressure?
• What do you believe are your most important qualities?
• What qualities impress you the most in others?
• Where do you see your career in five years?

Mentor Screening Interview—Close-ended questions:

• How did you hear about this opportunity?
• What is your availability for the program (days/hours)?
• Do you have a college degree or relevant experience?
• What was your major in school? Your GPA?
• Do you have hobbies or activities that relate to this opportunity?
• What are your qualifications?
• Have you received any awards or commendations?
• Do you have references?
• What are your personal characteristics that will help you in this situation?

During your interview, pay close attention to the way your candidate answers the questions. Are your prospective protégé’s answers clear and logical? Do they align with your goals? Is there any hesitation in revealing certain information? Do you sense that they’re hiding something?
In your interview, avoid asking personal questions that can only be applied to certain groups of people. Don’t ask about race, religion, or social activity. These things might be appropriate to discuss in the course of time, but including them in an interview can get you into trouble. Keep the discussion to professional topics.
Take into account that it’s natural for the interviewee to be nervous. They may stumble at first or take extra time to formulate an answer. If it’s a good match, though, the two of you will have some degree of comfort by the end of the conversation.
Using an organized selection process will allow you to find a base line to evaluate your candidates and make your final decision. It’s a brisk and refreshing feeling when you can confidently reach out your hand and say, “Welcome aboard!”