Business owners and managers often believe that if they bark the right orders, everyone will fall into line to accomplish key tasks. Hardly. One person told me that I was lucky to be a CEO because if I told someone to do something, things would happen. I replied, “Do you think just because I say something it gets done?”

Many older workers need to stay in the workforce as a necessity to get by. Others simply prefer working full or part time. Some employers are reluctant to hire older workers.  If you are a senior, you need to learn how to use a key advantage to overcome this obstacle.

Most positions involve knowing how to delegate work and responsibility to others. You can’t do everything, every time. Moses provided a model when he instructed, “The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.” (Deuteronomy 1:17, NASB)

When interviewing for high level positions, I like to pose realistic situations and ask prospective candidates for solutions. Asking a candidate to offer real answers to real problems is very helpful in assessing ability and learning how they think.
When someone leaves a position, they usually leave problems that the next person will need to solve. Management is wise to present one or more of these problems to prospective replacements. Existing managers want new senior people to start contributing immediately.  Asking for solutions as a part of the interview process is one way to gauge how a candidate might perform.  

One time I was considering several internal candidates for a high level position that had been recently created. As part of the interview process I made an assessment tool. I outlined the major problem this new position needed to solve and gave each candidate four days to write out a plan to address the issue. I received very useful feedback, helping me in the assessment process.

You can use the same process for a variety of positions. If you are hiring an executive chef, ask the candidate to critique the current menu and suggest changes. When interviewing a sales manager, outline your current process including results.  Ask how they would improve the plan.

Jesus said, “Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly." (John 7:24, NLT)   Using real workplace situations in your interview process will provide you with great insight, and help you judge applicants effectively.

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Evaluating staff performance is always challenging. It is easy to focus on small details and lose the big picture. When working with clients, I suggest they stay focused on the important issues:  the quantity of work, its quality and dependability. To do that you must establish expectations for each key category.