My new favorite question in hiring interviews

There are some typical interview questions I skip because unqualified candidates learn slick responses to fake competence, while the good ones—the gems you really want—find them dull and uninspiring and choose to work elsewhere with more dynamic folks.

I never ask, "Tell me about yourself." It’s too vague, too open-ended.

I never ask, "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" I’m after the strengths you’re oblivious to, and probing for weaknesses is pointless. If it’s relevant, you won’t spill.

I never ask, "Where do you see yourself in five years?" The truthful answer is, "If your company’s great, I’ll be climbing one rung higher; if it’s not, I’ll be out the door." I’m not here to waste time on diplomatic dodges, around what’s plainly sensible. Instead of these, I’ve got my own curveball questions to keep candidates on their toes and let the real deal shine through, but that’s a story for another time.

But for now, I want to zoom in on one of these questions that’s rocketing to the top of my list:

Adaptability is the name of the game in today’s world. Everything’s changing at breakneck speed. I need to hire people who can roll with it. Adaptability isn’t just a skill; it’s a character trait. Some folks might throw a fit if their daily 12:45 lunch shifts to 12:30. Those people? They’re out. They’ll be too stressed and unhappy working here.

But among the ones who can bend without breaking, how do you spot the true adapters?

Here’s the kicker: To truly adapt, you must learn. You might be as flexible as a rubber band, but without new knowledge, you’ll keep doing the same dance.

The ones who adapt are the ones who learn relevant stuff. So I ask:

• How many hours a week do you dedicate to learning (whether it’s through videos, books, chats with suppliers, or conference hopping)?

• What did you learn last week?

• What was the last book you dug into?

• What knowledge gaps are you trying to fill?

• How do you decide what’s worth knowing?

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These questions are dynamite. They challenge candidates and swiftly sift out those who can’t back up their adaptability with real, recent learning.