Interviewing for "The Book"

Gathering data & interviewing H/R Managers, middle managers, and President/Owners has been most fruitful. My purpose is to determine what exactly is going on in the trenches of the best companies. In this manner, I will not make the same mistakes Samuel Culbert made in his book, "Get Rid of the Performance Review".

Not only will I be accurate, factual, and unemotional, I will be able to document what I say while helping others to understand the "why".

To prepare the approach, as well as assist those willing to be interviewed, I made a list of questions, which also ensures that nothing is missed in the intensity of the interview itself. Starting in this way also allows me to stress confidentiality for them, their people, and the company itself.

Here's the list:

Questions for Book interview 11/10

Confidentiality – Whatever you share will be “scrubbed” taking persons, places, and companies’ identity out. You will be given full recognition to the extent you approve. You will also approve, before publishing, any & all manuscripts. This is being recorded with your full knowledge and approval.

Tell me about your background in management and H/R.

How do you get the most out of your people?

How do you help them find satisfaction in what they do?

Is their happiness important to their performance? How do you help them find it?

Can you give me a story regarding the above?

How would you characterize your management style? Why are you in that certain mold?

How does the Performance Review (PR) fit in?

What is most troubling to you about using the PR? Can you illustrate with a story?

Would you stop using it (the PR) if you could? Why?

How would you replace it?

If you had the power, what would you change about it?

What do you especially like about it?

If you had the power, how would you best make use of (this) these thing(s)?

How does the manager rating the employee help or hinder the process? Example?

What would you change about how the rating manager administers the PR? Why?

Talk about top management’s involvement. How does it affect the PR? Example?

Would you like to see change in your boss’s support, or lack thereof, of the PR?

Do you believe that H/R Managers as a profession support the PR? Why or why not?

What else would you like to say that hasn't been asked? Thanks so much.