54 This week, I discovered someone who shares my philosophies and feels like a kindred spirit. Lou Adler announced that after “10 years of trial and error” he eventually discovered “the only inter- view question that matters.” Read the full arti- cle from Inc: "The Only Interview Question That Matters." So here’s the magic question: “What single project or task would you consider your most significant ac- complishment in your career to date?” Pretty good stuff, right? If you’re a manager who interviews recent college graduates, you could modify the question to ask, “What single project or task would you consider your most significant accomplishment to date?” After the initial question, he suggests the follow- ing follow-up questions: • Can you give me a detailed overview of the accomplishment? • Tell me about the company, your title, your position, your role, and the team involved. • What were the actual results achieved? • When did it take place and how long did the project take to complete? • Why were you chosen? • What were the 3 or 4 biggest challenges you faced and how did you deal with them? Those are just the tip of the iceberg. Imagine what you could unearth after 15 more minutes of delving in to this single, meaningful, magic ques- tion! As I’ve written before, finding the right person for an open position can be really hard, and it can be very tempting to rush through the pro- cess or take shortcuts when possible. But making the wrong hire can cost your company up to five times their annual salary – and once you finally get rid of them, you’ll find yourself back at square one, sweating over your hiring process again. If you don’t have time now to do it right, when will you have time to do it over again? Save yourself the headache and do it right the first time! Beth Sunshine Partner, VP Talent Services The Center for Sales Strategy