Fistful of Talent

What To Do With a Workhorse Who Never Shows Up.

I recently had an interesting conversation with a hiring manager.  He wants to interview a current contractor on his team for a full-time role.  However, he is having some reservations. 

Mainly...this guy has trouble showing up for work.  When he does come in, it's usually around noon or so.  He's missed meetings, missed 1:1s, and is often hard to find.  Hearing this, my immediate thought is, "Why are we even talking about this guy and, more importantly, why is he still contracting on your team?"

The reason this guy is still around is that, when he is working, he's a freakin' machine!  He may not be at his desk, but he's putting in the hours.  Much like me in college, he's often online at midnight or 2 in the morning.  He's still putting in 50+ hours per week.  And, the work he cranks out is great.  He's found and fixed problems that could be major. He's stepped up to work on new challenges facing the team and had great success.  In general, he's impressed a lot of people with his raw talent and abilities.

But, then...he misses an important AM meeting, and everyone goes, "Gawwww!" 

So, what to do? 

We don't work in an environment that expects you to be chained to your desk from 9-5.  We encourage people to set their schedules and just do a great job.  Telecommuting is made very,very easy for us so that, on a fine sunny day when we would rather work outside than in our office, we can.  Or...we can just work from home and start our weekend a bit early, as long as the job is done.

Still...even with our work-life balance and telecommuting capabilities, we're still expected to be team players.  We're still expected to be with our teams when it's important.  Results are often driven by these team efforts. 

I think, if one decides to go forward in a situation like this, two things are important. 

--First, from an HR point of view, it's important for me to outline what our culture expects from our employees.  Sure, we make it easy to work from home.  But responsibilities don't lie only in your production.  Senior people are expected to serve as mentors to more junior people.  We want to grow the talent on our team, and that will be a real challenge if you're always working remotely. 

--Second, it's really important that the hiring manager sets expectations around what defines success in a particular position.  Practices that can be tolerated by a work-horse contractor cannot become practices of a full time employee, of which much more is expected.  Success in this role is defined, not just as being a kick arse programmer, but also in being a rock star teammate who helps the team become better as a whole.  

If we decide to move forward, are we essentially condoning his behavior?  By knowing beforehand what we're getting and hiring him anyway, are we telling him that we'll continue to look past his absence?  Maybe.  But, an important factor about making the switch from contractor to FTE is that your overall performance affects your bottom line.  Raises, bonuses, stock and promotions are all dependent on your total contribution.  If we're condoning it by hiring him, he'll see a big rebuke come review time. 

Editor's Note - Jason Pankow is a Senior Recruiter for Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE and Xbox Software groups.  Jason supports the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft, bringing in technical, as well as creative, talent to Redmond.  Look him up on Xbox Live, where he'll ring you up for a triple-double as Steve Nash on NBA 2K8 or kick it old-school via a 7-digit score on Galaga...  

That's All You Got? What's Really a Perk and What's a Stretch?

There is a reason I write for FOT and not for Benefits Buzz.  Personally...I find benefits to be ridiculously boring.  I'm glad I have them and God bless the people that secure them for me.  But, you will never find me sitting with the Benefits department. 

However, I was recently discussing with someone what should be considered an honest to goodness "perk" and what is stretching it a bit in order to find something that makes you sound better. 

For example...I once talked to a company that listed "Free Parking" as one of their benefits.  Now, if this company were located in downtown Seattle or another urban location, that perk might be appealing.  But, this company wasn't located downtown.  It was located in Auburn, Washington, about 20 minutes South of Seattle...population just under 50,000.  There are no parking problems and there are no paid parking spaces or parking lots.  All parking is free, not just the on-site parking.    

There is no doubt that benefits are a big part of the compensation package and should be discussed when rolling out the offer.  Key benefits are medical, 401k, and time off.  Here are some real benefits I have seen that I feel are better left off of the pitch:

Free Parking - I mentioned this earlier, but personally, I think if an employer isn't either letting you park for free or offering you some kind of parking stipend, this should count against them more than Free Parking should count for them.

Free Soda -  My company will often list this one, as well.  While I love my free soda benefit and I would miss it if it were gone, I'm not weighing this as a reason to take or decline a job offer.  Plus...it rots your teeth, so don't forget to plug the dental plan. 

Free Coffee - Okay, really? 

Birthday Celebrations - Hopefully this company has a Party Planning Committee. 

Companies often do have benefits that are unique or "above and beyond."  Free coffee is not one of them, but here are some I have seen that are:

Tuition Assistance - Many people are interested in furthering their education and not all companies assist with this.  If yours does, sell it.

Matching Gifts - Socially conscious people love to know that any contribution they make is doubled by the company.  Twice the effect without any further hit to your time or pocketbook.

Paid Parental Leave - The government mandates unpaid time off.  If your company wants to pay someone to make babies, you should flaunt that.

If you are stretching for things to list on your website or flier, and you decide to add things like Halloween Party or your Birthday Off, I think it's time to loop in your favorite benefits person to start looking for some new perks.  While I think all of these are hunky-dory, if I am hearing them in an offer or a sales pitch, my immediate thought is, "That's all you've got?"  It's great that you offer these benefits.  But, if you need to use them in order to make the close, it's time to improve your perks.  

Editor's Note - Jason Pankow is a Senior Recruiter for Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE and Xbox Software groups.  Jason supports the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft, bringing in technical, as well as creative, talent to Redmond.  Look him up on Xbox Live, where he'll ring you up for a triple-double as Steve Nash on NBA 2K8 or kick it old-school via a 7-digit score on Galaga...  

You Want My Hiring Manager? You Gotta Go Through Me First...

There are a couple of recent posts that had me thinking about this topic.  It started with a comment posted at one of KD's entries.  The next was an entry by Tim Tolan.  Both had me considering...when should I, as an internal recruiter, give an external search partner access to my hiring manager? 

My first thought was NEVER, you Scurvy Cur!  This is MY hiring manager and you will do all things through me!

But, in reality...this isn't how it works, nor should it be.  What's the point of working with a third party recruiter if all I am going to do is babysit them through the process?  If I am reviewing every resume you send, why aren't I just doing the job myself?  Still...as an HR partner, I need to be involved.  Not because I don't trust the TPR (at least, usually not because I don't trust the TPR), but because I need to make sure our processes are being followed. 

I guess my role here would be more like the third wheel.  The big brother who's making sure you're the right guy for my sister.  After all, no matter how many times I have heard how a third party person has just the right candidate for my team, and how you know the industry backwards and forwards, the fact of the matter is, I know my client better than you do.  We've been together for 4 years, you just got here.

So, before letting my client get into your Honda Civic with the spoiler on the back, I'll want to have a little conversation.  Don't worry, I won't bring my shotgun.  Typically, this conversation will be around our processes.  Being that I work for a huge company, our rules are many.  And, you need to know them because we get in trouble if you break them.  I'll also give you any info about the team that may help.  A common piece of knowledge is, "He says he will consider someone without practical game design experience, but reality is that he has not interviewed a single person that didn't have it."   

Then...I'll proceed with setting up a meeting with the hiring manager and let you take it from there.  But, like the annoying big brother, I will be omnipresent.  Not because I want to check your work, but because I want to make sure all our steps are being followed.  The more you do on the recruiting side, the more time I have to focus on other positions.  But, if you've forgotten to attach your interview notes, I'll be following up to collect.   

Now, just so you are aware, there is a time when contact with the hiring manager will abruptly end.  As the in-house recruiting partner, I am also the bearer of bad news, to both candidates and TPRs.  People don't like giving bad news.  But, HR does, right?  If a hiring manager has decided that they have not seen anything good from a TPR, they will frequently ping me to let that partner know that they're done talking to you.  That's right, much like a wronged girlfriend, a hiring manager will frequently have someone else tell you it's over.  So...keep that in mind before sending over the recent college graduates for our position that required 5+ years experience. 

Like Tim said...we need to work together.  This means all three of us.  Exclusivity with the hiring manager won't happen.  But, we can still have a successful partnership.

Editor's Note - Jason Pankow is a Senior Recruiter for Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE and Xbox Software groups.  Jason supports the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft, bringing in technical, as well as creative, talent to Redmond.  Look him up on Xbox Live, where he'll ring you up for a triple-double as Steve Nash on NBA 2K8 or kick it old-school via a 7-digit score on Galaga...  

FOTv Show #3 - Is a One-Page Resume the Secret to Job Search Success?

FOTv IS BACK.  And we're pissed off, and we're not going to take it anymore.

OK, I jest.  A little.  But we are eating our own today.  The target of our dining experience?  Jason Seiden, who had the audacity to say that in order to have a successful resume, you need to keep it to one page.  Here's what the human lighting rod had to say on his own blog on the topic:

"Looking for a job? Submitting your resume to recruiters, hiring managers, and HR departments?

Let’s get clarity around something: your resume needs to be one page. ONE. See for yourself why:

(Note: I assume that we’re talking about a hard copy resume in this video because my experience is that many people still print these things out and read them over lunch or on the train or other places where they are not plugged in. If you think your resume is going to be read online only, then this advice applies double: make all relevant information fit on ONE SCREEN, without shrinking the font to anything below 10 points.)".

Jason's, the camera's on, so defend yourself.  All the rest of you, click through to see what the FOT team thinks of Jason's latest deep thought, and hit us in the comments on who you agree with:

The Plusses and Minuses of Rehires...

I am going to take a page out of the Kris Dunn handbook, today. 

I am a big Seattle Mariners fan.  Like many people in Seattle, I am a transplant to the city. I jumped on the Mariners bandwagon in 2001, the year they picked up Ichiro and won 116 games. 

In 2000, the Mariners traded their "home town hero" Ken Griffey, Jr.  Coming late to the game, I have a slightly different opinion of whether or not the Ms should fork over millions of dollars for an aging outfielder who so unceremoniously complained about everything until the team traded him.

All the recent rumors of a 2009 Griffey acquisition have me thinking about rehires.  It's not uncommon to hire someone back into your company.  It's easy to see the advantages to rehiring someone.  They know the culture, they know the tools, and they know the key players.  But, we should always exercise some caution.  These people left for a reason.  That reason can be one of a million things.  But, it's important to make sure that the reason is either now irrelevant or that it's not a concern to the candidate, anymore.

We should ask potential rehires, "Why did you leave?"

If they respond with, "Well...I was concerned that the new ballpark was too big and I couldn't hit home runs," this may be a flag if your company works out of the same ballpark.  We don't want to bring a person back if they are still unhappy with their work environment.  If they left due to a poor manager, is that person still in the chain of command?  If they left due to limited upward mobility, what does their career path look like, now? 

We should ask, "Why are you leaving your current company?"

If they respond with, "The company doesn't want me anymore because I cost too much money for what I contribute," you should be concerned if he is trying to negotiate an $8 million dollar offer from you.  At many companies, there is often a perception of "I have to leave to get a good raise."  While pay is a legitimate reason to want to change companies, how long will it be before you are potentially, once again, not paying the person enough to keep them?  5 years?  1 year?    

Finally, we should ask, "Why do you want to come back?  What is different now from 9 years ago?"

If their response is, "The fan base from my last companies have turned against me, so I want to return to the comfort of the blindly loyal fan base I have here," then you can hold that in your pocket when they tell you they want to make $5 million more than you want to pay them. 

Rehiring Griffey could be huge!  With him, we could get a rehire like Steve Jobs.  Someone with a huge name, who has done a lot for the franchise, and who will bring in lots of money.  Or, as a friend told me, you could get an ex-girlfriend.  It's easy to remember the good times. 

But, soon after, you're reminded of why it didn't work.  

Editor's Note - Jason Pankow is a Senior Recruiter for Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE and Xbox Software groups.  Jason supports the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft, bringing in technical, as well as creative, talent to Redmond.  Look him up on Xbox Live, where he'll ring you up for a triple-double as Steve Nash on NBA 2K8 or kick it old-school via a 7-digit score on Galaga...   

Cold Calling in Recruiting and Why I Don't Do It...

A while back, I was listening to a brilliant recruiter named Jennifer McClure, on an internet recruiting talk show.  When Jennifer mentioned that she didn't cold call, there seemed to be an air of disbelief.  How in the name of Jehoshaphat can you be a recruiter without cold calling?

Well...I don't cold call either. 

*Grumble, grumble, that's because you're a corporate recruiter, grumble, grumble*

Sure it is.

The decision not to cold call has little to do with being a corporate recruiter.  Instead, it has everything to do with the fact that I hate receiving cold calls almost as much as I hate making them.

Picture this...you're sitting at your desk, feeling good, steadily progressing toward your goals.  The phone rings.  "Hi there...this is So and So from Such and Such and I am calling about an amazing opportunity with Who'sHisFace and Associates.  I am wondering if you are interested or perhaps you know someone who is?"  

Feels very similar to another situation that involves dinner time and a long distance telephone service.  In fact, some people see recruiting as another form of Spam.   

Look...I'm not knocking cold calling.  Lots of recruiters do it and are great at it.  Personally, I am not.  It makes me uncomfortable and I do take no for an answer.  My point isn't that cold calling is bad.  Only that it's not the end all be all of recruiting.  I made an exceptional number of hires from outside the company last year and not a single one of them was from a cold call.  Not one.

Instead, I prefer to focus on the relationship.  Every candidate we hire and every qualified person we interview has a stack of friends, coworkers or college buddies.  I'm not going to be sitting there drooling over their contact list.  But, I do make sure that I maintain a relationship with those people I feel are connections to other potential hires.  Maybe at the next conference, my new hire will introduce me to his favorite former coworker.  Instead of standing there ready to pounce with a rundown of our benefits package, I shoot the breeze.  They clearly know who I am and what I do.  If they want to talk about opportunities, I am more than willing.  If not, that's fine, too.  I'll see you on Facebook. 

Kris Dunn had a great post last year illustrating a "sales funnel" he built.  It starts with 423 total candidates and ends with 9 accepted offers.  An excellent method if you need to fill lots of heads in a very short amount of time.  In my world, however, if I'm looking at 423 people for 9 jobs, I'm pretty much spending my time confirming words on a resume.  This could make the close more difficult as I am not going to have much info other than how much money this person wants.  Plus, it leaves no time to develop the relationship beyond recruiter/new hire.  It's much easier for me to get passionate to and about someone to whom I have given time and effort. 

If you are good at cold calling, I salute you.  You probably make more money than me.  But, I am quite content exceeding my numbers without taking someone away from their Kraft dinner. 

Editor's Note - Jason Pankow is a Senior Recruiter for Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE and Xbox Software groups.  Jason supports the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft, bringing in technical, as well as creative, talent to Redmond.  Look him up on Xbox Live, where he'll ring you up for a triple-double as Steve Nash on NBA 2K8 or kick it old-school via a 7-digit score on Galaga...            

A Small Req Load Doesn't Mean You Shouldn't Be Busy...

If your company is anything like mine, req. loads are down.  I went into FY09 with 90 reqs.  Now...I have a fraction of that.  Why?  It's the economy, idiot...or, it's the economy, moron...something like that!

Anyway, what is a recruiter to do when they aren't recruiting as much?

Aside from the obvious (clean up e-mail, audit your compliance reports, score some achievement points on Gears of War 2), there are a couple of key things that every recruiter should be doing.

Make sure that you keep your star candidates warm.  Just because things are slow doesn't mean people aren't hiring.  Many companies are indeed still hiring, just not at the rapid pace that they have been previously.  What this means, however, is that we can all afford to be picky.  So...when you find that Rockstar that you absolutely must have, chances are, one of your competitors has found him, too. 

Keeping a candidate warm does not have to entail calling them every day at dinner time to see how he's doing.  It can be a quick e-mail to say, hi and here is the status of things on my end.  What's up on yours?  This way, the candidate always knows where he/she stands in your process. We may not have the req open this second, but we are still very very interested and want to maintain this relationship.  It also keeps the door open for them to let you know if/when they have received an offer from another company. 

Also, this is a prime time to do some client management.  Learn the business.  Learn the people.  You already know about the product...learn about why a particular group within the team is exciting.  Learn about how test for this teamis different than test for that team.  Add to your knowledge the stories of some of your star clients.  Why do they love their jobs?  What have their paths looked like?  This is great material to share with that rock star you are trying to bring in.  Candidates love to hear stories of success within the company.  It helps them foresee future success for themselves.    

Finally, this is an opportunity for us to become true partners in the decision making process.  We have much more opportunity (time) to screen the heck out of potential new hires.  Instead of sending a group of 10 qualified people to our hiring managers, why not send 2 or 3 rock stars that we feel really strongly about.  It's a great time to move beyond keyword resume searches and our favorite behavioral interview questions and really dig into past projects and future goals.  Recruiting isn't all about the numbers...especially when you're not paid per hire.  

We're recruiters.  We recruit.  But, we need to accept that our 2009 hire numbers won't be like our 2008 hire numbers.  This year, let's shoot for higher client and customer satisfaction numbers!   

Editor's Note - Jason Pankow is a Senior Recruiter for Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE and Xbox Software groups.  Jason supports the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft, bringing in technical, as well as creative, talent to Redmond.  Look him up on Xbox Live, where he'll ring you up for a triple-double as Steve Nash on NBA 2K8 or kick it old-school via a 7-digit score on Galaga...            

Nobody can do my job but me... NOBODY!

I've been off the scene for a little while, now.  Apologies for my absence.  My wife recently underwent a medical procedure to remove a parasite that she has had for about 40 weeks.  Don't worry, the doctor says both she and the parasite are healthy and they are both at home, now.  Plus, he's the cutest parasite I've ever seen.

But...on to talent issues. 

Before I took off on my leave, I was struggling.  I am one of those people who believes that if I am not the one doing my job, it's not getting done.  I know that I have very competent co-workers and leaders.  Yet, still...I sit at home with this nagging feeling that a candidate was dropped or a start date was missed.  Or, that my hiring managers, in general, are mad that I am not there.

Well, it's been 5 weeks, and, at least according to the news, Microsoft and Xbox are still standing.  Is this because of my wonderful pre-planning?  Maybe the exceptional expertise of those who are covering for me?  Maybe.  What I know for sure is that this has been a much easier break than I anticipated.  For all you workaholics who are interested...here is how I have dealt with it. 

First things first!  I let everyone know that I would be available for urgent matters.  My Out-of-Office asks people to mark e-mails "important" if they absolutely needed me to get back to them.  In the 3 weeks I have been off, only one person used this, and it was about my vanpool.  Plus, I am able to delete any non-urgent e-mails from my phone, limiting the amount of e-mail I have to fish through when I return full time.  

I do NOT give my cell phone number out to anyone who doesn't already have it.  I have found that, if presented with the option of contacting a new person or contacting me via cell (even if I say "only for urgent matters"), people will call the person they know (me) before reaching out to my backfill.  Still...I have made sure that those filling in for me have the info they need, in case something urgent does come up. 

Last...I check in via IM or e-mail.  Each time I do, my manager assures me that everything is under control, and I should go spend time with my baby.  This is very reassuring to me.  It takes that little annoying "something is getting screwed up" voice out of my head for at least another day or two.

Surviving my leave has involved a little bit of ego swallowing.  I am sure I am not the only one out there who is slightly obsessed with their work.  As HR folks, we contently preach work-life balance, but we have trouble practicing what we preach.  We are attached to our mobile devices, connected to e-mail 24/7, and always have part of our brain on the job.  It's taken some adjustment for me to take this long off.  Adjustment and a kick to the head from my wife.  But, it's been worth it.  Even with 2 hours of sleep every night, I feel like this has been the most productive time off of work I have had in a long time.  When I go back, I can jump in knowing that my responsibility to myself and my family has been fulfilled without work interfering.  

Now...if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a nap.  

Editor's Note - Jason Pankow is a Senior Recruiter for Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE and Xbox Software groups.  Jason supports the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft, bringing in technical, as well as creative, talent to Redmond.  Look him up on Xbox Live, where he'll ring you up for a triple-double as Steve Nash on NBA 2K8 or kick it old-school via a 7-digit score on Galaga...           

Fishing Through the Fancy Titles On the Recruiting Scene...

I was talking to a blow hard potential candidate the other day.  He had introduced himself to me as the "Senior Vice President of XYZ Studios."

Ooooh...sounds catchy.  Sounds like someone I may be interested in.  

Then, we chatted.  It quickly became apparent to me that his job was the equivalent of a Business Development Manager.  Basically...he found external game partners to work with publishing their products.

In our world, this is a great job.  But, it's not a VP.  I quickly mentioned to him that this position within my group would not be executive level.  His response?  "Well...I may not be a VP, buy I should certainly at least report to one." 

Um...no.  Sorry.

I see this fairly frequently.  Often, particularly with smaller companies, if one is a good negotiator, you can go into a new job with a killer title.  A friend of mine, also a game recruiter, recently joined a new company as their sole recruiting person.  She mentioned to me that she could call herself anything.  Staffing Manager.  Director of Recruiting.  Vice President of Talent Acquisition! 

Heck, back in my bank recruiting days, it was standard to offer a person one title (Associate Vice President of Radical) with the understanding that they were welcome to use a title up to three above their official one for doing business with groups outside the company.  It was clearly a status thing.  Who wants to do business with any person even a step under the role of Senior Vice President of Executive Radicalness?

To my recruiting friends...Beware of the fancy pants title.  Despite the fact that Presidents are everywhere, titles do not always reflect reality.  Unfortunately, while not reflecting reality, they often inflate egos.  It can sometimes be tough to convince someone that what a Vice President does at their small corporation is not what a Vice President does at my large corporation.  Seriously, dude...the VP that I support has a team of 1500 people.  His direct reports each manage 100 or more.  Compare that to your team of 2.  

Now, don't get me wrong...I'm not all Mr. Cranky Man when I talk to Vice Presidents of UberSpecialness.  I simply address the situation up front.  At my company, while your title may not be as fancy as the one you currently have, you will be working on much larger products, with larger teams, contributing to a larger goal. 

Some people get it.  Others, if they're worth pursuing, need their egos stroked, just a little bit.  "Right now, people find your resume through a key word search online.  Or, maybe through a friend of a friend.  When you're done with my product...they will find your name after specifically buying the game just so they can pull names from the credits.  Well...that, and because the game rocks." 

Many titles just don't mean what they used to.  For another view, head on over to the HR Capitalist.  Kris has some ideas for why this is happening so frequently, nowadays.  In the meantime, don't offer an additional $100k to someone simply because they are leaving behind an "executive" title.  

Now, how am I going to fit my title, Extreme Super Jedi Master of Recruiting Brilliance, onto a resume?

Editor's Note - Jason Pankow is a Senior Recruiter for Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE and Xbox Software groups.  Jason supports the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft, bringing in technical, as well as creative, talent to Redmond.  Ironically, Jason's just submitted a business case for becoming the Regional VP of Editorial Services-Northwest here at FOT.  That one's bogged down in the approval process.

Mr. President...What is Your Biggest Weakness?

Look...my friends...I'm a political junkie.  I've been carefully watching both campaigns and all of the debates.  Politics and the Mariners: the two topics that will earn eye rolls from friends and family on a daily basis.

During the VP debates, Gwen Ifill asked Senator Biden and Governor Palin, "What is your Achilles heel?"

During the second Presidential debate, a town hall format, someone asked the question, "What don't you know?"  (I have a feeling this person works in HR.)

Is it just me, or does this scream of the common, and pointless, interview question, "What is your biggest weakness?":

"Senator Pankow...you are running for the most powerful position in the world.  Keep in mind, that your opponent will twist anything you say to make you sound like a complete fool who is out of touch with every single person in the United States.  With that said...What is your greatest weakness?"

"Well...I sometimes work too hard.  I don't take vacations, even if it would involve Camp David.  I'm a perfectionist, so I sometimes become WAY too committed to making things work, whether it involves the economy, energy, or meeting a deadline."

Seriously?  What do we expect from this question?  Do we expect an interview candidate to spill their guts and tell us, "Well...I crack under too much pressure, so I don't like to work a minute over 40 hours a week, no matter what the circumstances are?"  Do we expect John McCain to say, "I have anger management issues," or Barack Obama to say, "I'm pretty new to this whole thing and have an awful lot to learn?"   

Still, so many of us expect a straight answer to this question.  We ask, we get the canned, "I work too hard" answer; we smile, nod, and wonder why we even still ask this question, as it's just a waste of time. 

There is a point to asking the question.  We're not just trying to find out what someone sucks at.  We want to know how they have worked to fix it.  You want to know about their greatest weakness?  Ask them about a time when they missed a deadline.  Why did they miss it?  What was the result?  Ask them about a time when something they were responsible for failed.  What was the cause?  How did it impact the business?

Questions like these may not solidly identify a specific weakness, but you can certainly look for patterns.  They can also tell you how much responsibility the candidate put on themselves for the lack of success.  If the candidate passes blame, that should be a concern.  They also leave the door open for follow-up questions like, "What did you learn?" and "What will you do differently next time?" 

So, "What is your Achilles heel?" doesn't work too well, as we saw from the debates.  Unfortunately, since the moderators, so far, have done a crummy job following up to actually get an answer, I am not sure a question like, "Name something you have supported that resulted in a negative impact on the country," would get us very far either.  They'll still manage to only talk about how McCain is 4 more years of Bush and Obama doesn't wear a flag pin. 

Maybe Kris Dunn should moderate the next debate.

Editor's Note - Jason Pankow is a Senior Recruiter for Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE and Xbox Software groups.  Jason supports the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft, bringing in technical, as well as creative, talent to Redmond.  Look him up on Xbox Live, where he'll ring you up for a triple-double as Steve Nash on NBA 2K8 or kick it old-school via a 7-digit score on Galaga...