Illustration: Dean Rohrer/theispot.com
KEN CHEN ’06,
CO-FOUNDER AND CMO
NatureBox
Q: My favorite interview question is not actually a question. I express my genuine gratitude for their time, tell them how excited I am to learn from them, and share what the role means for the company.
WHY I ASK IT: Being young entrepreneurs, we often meet candidates with more experience and expertise than we have. Our gratitude for their time shows that we have humble roots, and how each candidate responds to this compliment shows us how well we will work together.
SUSAN DUFFY,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership at Babson
Q: What would you do in this job if you had a completely blank canvas and all the resources in the world?
WHY I ASK IT: I want to see how big the person thinks and to assess whether they see the job as a starting block or a finish line. I am most interested in candidates who see the job as a launchpad to whatever is next.
POLINA RAYGORODSKAYA ’08,
CO-FOUNDER AND CEO
Wanderu
Q: What do you like to do for fun?
WHY I ASK IT: Our team is like a family, and when we bring a new person on board they are becoming a part of our family. I like to know more about the person and what is great about them aside from just what they do in their professional lives. We look for people who are passionate, excited, and active. For us, it is extremely important that a candidate be a good fit within our team and culture.
J.B. SCHNEIDER, MBA’05,
CO-FOUNDER
P’kolino
Q: What was your favorite toy as a child?
WHY I ASK IT: The toy they name and the ensuing conversation about why it was their favorite gives insight into their core passions and how they have learned to think.
ANTONIO TURCO-RIVAS, MBA’05,
CO-FOUNDER
P’kolino
Q: If you could choose one thing and one thing only to do inside this organization, what would it be?
WHY I ASK IT: You want to know what moves the candidate, what he or she is really passionate about, what he or she likes doing.—Sharman Andersen