You won’t find many newsroom leaders who will argue that hiring is one of, if not the most, important things we do. Selecting the right person for the right job.
It begins with the art of interviewing. Getting to know a candidate by more than clips and resumes. Learning strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes. Discovering idiosyncrasies that may enhance or distract from their performances. And much, much more.
There is no one way to interview. No dead-solid system that is mistake proof. But there are people who do it extremely well and have a successful track record.
We asked editors around the country to tell us their secrets and we are pleased to share them with you.
Gregory Favre
Distinguished Fellow in Journalism Values
What do you look for in an interview?
How would you describe your interviewing style?
What are the most important questions?
What are the most important elements in the hiring decision?
What, if any, are the wackiest questions and answers you have heard?
What do you look for in an interview?
James Amoss, Editor, The Times-Picayune
First, I put the interview at the end of the process. Armed with reference checks (very important and much neglected by hiring editors), an application form that asks detailed questions about education, work history and reasons for applying, and, in the case of writers, clips, there’s more fodder for an interview. I look for people who have a high energy and curiosity level; who are dying to work here; who will add to the diversity of our news operation; who want to excel; who have that indescribable knack for our craft; who are likely to thrive on the idiosyncrasies of New Orleans and stay here a good long while; and who will be fun to work with.
Peter Bhatia, Executive Editor, Portland Oregonian
It depends on the position for which we may be hiring, but I always look for two factors: intelligence and curiosity. If a candidate possesses both of those characteristics, chances are they are or will be a successful journalist. Potential is important, too. We’re always looking for people still on the way up, still interested in improving, still, as a TV commentator once said about an athlete: “who has a future ahead of him!” (As compared to behind him, I guess ..) In other words, we want journalists who can help the paper improve. This might be a young journalist just out of college whose youth, energy or extraordinary background helps us in a unique way. Typically, however, we’re looking for people of experience whose skills as a writer, reporter, photographer, designer or editor build on what we have and/or have a specific expertise that gives us new capabilities. Diversity plays into that as well. Now and again, a superbly talented candidate comes across the transom or otherwise seeks us out and does not fit a specific need we might have at the time. I’m grateful that we have had the flexibility and willingness (at least before the economic downturn) to divert from the pre-planned course and find room for such people who can truly make the paper better, even if they don’t, for example, solve the need of having enough copy editors to properly handle our zone production on deadline at night.
John Carroll, Editor Los Angeles Times
I am never great at interviewing, but I have had some success by using reporters’ techniques to evaluate candidates-checking references closely, finding additional references, etc. An interviewee can put on a good act for an hour, but nobody can erase his actual deeds on the job over a period of years. I do regard the interview as important. I look for some of the intangibles, such as character, passion for journalism, desire to be at my particular paper, and so on. I also like to ask specifically, step by step, how the candidate would start out if given the job; that tends to shed light on how sophisticated he is. Other thoughts: I’m wary when I hear whining about a previous employer (unless it’s over an ethical or serious journalistic issue). For some reason, I like to know how candidates decided to go into journalism. I also ask candidates about their current papers and their best editors; sometimes that can led to future hiring. The main thing I did with candidates over the years in Baltimore was to make sure Bill Marimow interviewed them. He very often picked up things I missed, and his radar for character was almost unerring. Between the two of us, we made some good hires.
Joe Distelheim, Editor, The Huntsville Times
My job interviews are more intuitive than regimented. By the time interviewee’s get to me, we’ve presumably already established their journalistic credentials via resume, clips, reference checks. I want to know about the person: — what kind of coworkers they’re going to be. Energetic? Meticulous? Gregarious? Glass half full or empty? Stickler for rules or risk-taker? Relationships with past supervisors/supervisees. What kind of mind they have. I try to get them talking about outside-the-office interests, reading habits, admired writers, reasons for career choice, family/childhood influences, values. There are no right answers, of course, but this part of the conversation is an indicator of thoughtfulness. What they know about us– city and newspaper. I put great stock in the applicant’s preparation for an interview as an indicator of good work habits and a disciplined mind. I also note the quality of the applicant’s questions of me. I’m not comfortable conducting “stress” interviews; I’m just not built that way. I try to put people at ease enough to carry on a conversation, rather than a grilling, and try to remember to keep my mouth shut and theirs open as much as possible. Unless an interview goes exceedingly badly, the most important element in the hiring decision, I tell people, is quite tangible: What evidence exists that the applicant can do the job? Demonstrated ability to write/edit/illustrate stories for a daily newspaper is the most convincing evidence for me.
Pam Fine, Managing Editor, Star Tribune
Signs of a leader: someone who wants to put their imprimatur on the paper; someone who’s hungry to get stuff accomplished, who will be proactive about working with others to strengthen beats, make sections stronger, take better photos, improve recruiting or whatever the position calls for…and then I try to determine if the prospect’s drive is matched by his or her track record.
–Good communicator..I’m partial to upbeat extroverts who are comfortable engaging with others, expressing their views and can articulate their ideas. I’ve made the mistake of hiring smart introverts. They may have good ideas but staffers would have to be psychics to know it. –Enjoys collaboration. It takes a village, or at least a lot of people working together, to put out the newspaper. I try to assess whether the job candidate is going to be someone who thinks about what his staff or peers need to know from him or her. Is this someone who is about ”me” or is about ”us.” ”Me” is all right for certain jobs but not for leaders. The leaders have to constantly think about how they’re affecting others, or not. Will they use their knowledge, insight and resources to help others do a good job?
–Shares our values. Do we have similar notions about what’s important and where the newsroom ought to be heading. Assuming the core values–accuracy, fairness, balance– are shared. How about the need for diversity, listening to readers, interactivity, mulit-media training, good graphics, storytelling, etc.
Carolina Garcia, Managing Editor, San Antonio Express-News
That they’re bright, have native intelligence, ask questions, show curiosity, ask me hard questions about philosophy of the newsroom. The newspaper’s goal in covering the community, though few ask about diversity. I’m also looking for someone who can carry a conversation, can ask and respond with ease and intelligence. If it’s a designer, I want them to articulate what they’re trying to do on a page. Why did they pick that photo over another, etc. Ditto for a photographer. What was the photographer trying to capture when they took the picture. What did they think about their work after it ran in the paper. We attract a lot of photogs because we tend to run large weekend packages with outstanding art and we’re developing a photo-friendly reputation, I think. For writers, I try to find out what they read, who they read, what they’ve read recently. Can they speak to writing styles, are they familiar with multiple styles, etc. Also, why did they pick a particular story for their clipping file. How did they get a story, why did they write it that way. How did the subject/source feel later. Did they even ask the subject/source.
Anders Gyllenhaal, Executive Editor, News & Observer
I don’t think there’s anything remotely close in importance to hiring decisions, so we spend a huge amount of time on this. We ask folks to do a lot of work, including an essay on themselves and their work, a critique of the paper, a piece on serving the community, and as many clips or photos or graphics as they want to send. I love to see first-person things from writers, because I think that tells you something you can judge any other way. Anybody not interested in doing that work isn’t going to be a person you’d want to hire. With all that background, I find interviewing is a very different process than if you’re coming to somebody cold and you have to cover all that ground.
Charlotte Hall, Managing Editor, Newsday
In the interview, I am looking for intellectual curiosity, a passion for the craft and the ability to engage strangers in meaningful conversation (isn’t that what reporters have to do much of the time?). Not all great reporters do good interviews–so the interview is only one measure, and we have to be careful, as interviewers, not to succumb to charming personalities or be turned off by crusty or reticent personalities.
Craig Klugman, Editor, The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne
I look for intelligence, poise, commitment, and enterprise. Someone who is visibly nervous in my presence won’t do much better in front of the mayor. I usually allot about an hour for an interview with reporter-photographer-copy editor-illustrator type. If the conversation goes significantly over that, I think that is one signal that the interview has been successful. (For people who are applying to be, say, the metro editor, I spend considerably more time with them.) A person who is not committed to newspapers will have trouble getting a job with mine. A person who has not done much homework about Fort Wayne or The Journal Gazette has a strike against him or her. A person who is not interested in NEWS might as well stay home. A good education will go a long way with me.
Bill Marimow, Editor, Baltimore Sun
I look for a record of excellence and achievement in the applicant’s life and work: It could be outstanding grades. I remember being impressed by Tom Pelton’s astronomical average at Georgetown (Pelton was a reporter in New Haven when I first met him; now he’s here at The Sun). Or it could be accomplishments in sports: If someone was an outstanding long jumper or
an All East defensive end, that would tell me that they have the grit and discipline to stand out as a journalist. (Kurt Streeter, who joined The Sun and left for the LA Times comes to mind; he was captain of Berkeley’s tennis team, and was later a pro tennis player). Or it could be leadership: I remember being very impressed by a young woman who was the editor of the student newspaper at Syracuse. Equally important, I believe, are the quality of one’s clips: I look for stories that I wished I had written — stories with great detail in the reporting or a creative use of public records or vivid imagery in the writing. In terms of qualities, I like people who combine tenacity, determination, and ambition with humanism and compassion. That’s often hard to find and — in an interview — sometimes hard to discern. I also like applicants whose parents have been teachers; that’s a personal prejudice. John Carroll also taught me that if people say the applicant is the best reporter at their paper, it is a VERY strong predictor of their potential for success at your paper.
Earl Maucker, Editor, Sun-Sentinel
Generally, the role I play is to make myself the last person in the interviewing process. What I usually tell a candidate is that I let my department heads make the decision, but I am here to explore their longer-term career goals and to make myself available to answer any questions they might have about the Sun-Sentinel or the Tribune company. Because they feel I am not the primary decision-maker in the process, they tend to relax a bit and allow me to get a bit deeper into their thinking. My style is to make them feel comfortable, think of me as a good guy – a friend – an ally in the process. I assume my departments have examined their skills thoroughly. I want to get into their heads. I am not going to test their copy editing skills or reporting skills. I want to know about attitude – instincts – sense of purpose – work ethic – that kind of thing. As we talk I can find out lots of details: Did they do their homework. Do they know our newspaper. Do they know our market. What do they think of the paper. What do they see as its strengths – its weaknesses. How do they think they could make it better. How comfortable are they in a very diverse atmosphere. What is their level of critical thinking. Have they worked the newsroom to find out the thinking of the rank and file. I want to know if they really understand what journalism is all about. I want to know how they feel about readers – about the social purpose of journalism. I want to see passion not only for journalism, but also for being here. In South Florida and at the Sun-Sentinel. I want a sense of commitment – I want to know they intend to be here – not just because it is a fun place to work or an exciting news market, but because they want to contribute to making the Sun-Sentinel a better newspaper. My hope is that they interview me as thoroughly as I interview them.
Gregory Moore, Managing Editor, Boston Globe
I look for fire and passion in the candidate. I am looking for the energy force that drives that person to want to succeed. Another thing that is very important is ambition. Not naked ambition, but I do want people who aren’t afraid to say they want to be great. A person who is properly ambitious will use the opportunity and resources of the Globe to do terrific work that will reflect well on them and the institution. I also look for confidence in candidates and the ability to think through the unexpected. So I always throw in an off the cuff question based on some area we have explored and see what kind of answer I get. Sometimes the best answer is deftly avoiding answering the question. Lastly, I am always trying to get a good handle on why this person wants to work for the Globe. Usually, if it is for personal reasons, a girlfriend or boyfriend, I am less interested in them.
Ed Petykiewicz, Editor, The Ann Arbor News
I want folks, who are bright, have passion in their work and have fun doing it. I also look for traits such as tenacity, depending on the particular job we are trying to fill. More than anything else, I want someone with a strong work ethic and a great attitude. We can teach or improve job skills, but there is not much you can do with someone who is not willing to work hard. I also want folks who are team players with strong, well-reasoned opinions. I look very carefully at resumes, and press on anything that looks odd such as gaps between jobs. Whacky answers? In the last month or so, we asked a job candidate to explain a discrepancy between his resume and how he answered a question. “Which resume do you have,” he asked. “Oh, I sent you the wrong one.” He then opened his briefcase, pulled out a new one. Unlike the one he mailed us, this one no longer had any employment gaps. When asked to explain the differences in the two resumes, he said: “Well, I don’t want to talk about that.” Needless to say, he dropped from our list of candidates in a hurry. He looked very strong until that point.
Mike Pride, Editor, The Concord Monitor
To be honest, the first question we try to answer is whether we like the person. We’re going to be working at close quarters with the people we hire for years. Chemistry is important; professional relationships matter. We also look for ambition. Not ambition to be the editor of the New York Times, but direction and focus. “I love politics and I want to get inside it and explain it.” “I want to write, write, write so I can build on the skills I already have.” That kind of ambition. We look for a life (even if it is a short one so far) of curiosity. About what doesn’t matter much. We look for a record of success — an indication that the applicant has approached some endeavor with zeal and produced results. We try to figure out in interviewing applicants what they have done that might indicate an ability to find stories. This is the most important on-the-job asset at the Monitor. The job for a reporter is to find a story every day. In towns where unintended irony passes for humor and silence is often the first and only reaction to young newcomers, it’s important that reporters have the guile and energy to find things out. We always walk applicants through their resumes and often linger on one aspect or another of their pasts.
Sandy Rowe, Editor, Portland Oregonian
In the interview, I’m trying to determine what I think of the person and his/her chance of success rather than focusing primarily on the specific journalistic skill. I want to get to know the candidate as a person–and sometimes I succeed pretty well. My competitive streak makes me want to find out things about the applicant that the 8-12 others who talk to them don’t find out. I frequently do. The first time I interviewed Janet Weaver for a job (I hired her twice) she left my office and reportedly told someone in the newsroom, “My God, that woman knows everything but my shoe size.” That’s my goal. I want to know what motivates applicants; what has been the greatest challenge or biggest disappointment they have faced (either personally or professionally) and how they dealt with it; what things make them angry or happy; what they are passionate about outside of family; what relationships are most important to them and always, always WHY. It is not unusual for applicants to say later they have told me things in an interview that they had only told their best friend; it’s not unusual for an applicant (male or female) to cry in an interview because of some emotional chord I’ve touched. I try to lead an applicant to be introspective and from that to glean some idea of their values and their level of self-awareness, both of which are critical to success. My questions are open-ended and psychological enough that one applicant, mid-interview, moved from the chair where he was sitting to the sofa in my office, reclined on the sofa, looked at me and said, “Next question, doctor.” I hired him.
Charlie Waters, Executive Editor, Fresno Bee
I once asked Paul Tash, when he was my city editor at the St. Petersburg Times, how the paper got so many talented people. His answer was simple and direct: “We look for smart people.” I would add inquisitiveness and enthusiasm to that, but nothing beats smarts. Just like you can’t teach speed in athletics, you can’t give people brains either. You can only build
on both.
Janet Weaver, Executive Editor, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
By the time a job candidate gets to me, he/she has been through the mill already in my newsroom. I usually feel confident that this is someone who has journalistic skill and that my folks think is a good prospect. So I try to find out a little more about the person and the fit in the newsroom. I’m looking for two things: passion and flexibility.
David Zeeck, Executive Editor, News-Tribune, Tacoma
I’m looking for a responsibility-seeker with critical thinking skills, writing capacity and an appreciation for community journalism (regardless of newspaper size). Also an ability to work in a collaborative way. I want them to be smart and fun to work with. I want them to have good ideas and push for better stories or ways to gather or tell stories (same with photos,
graphics, design, etc).
How would you describe your interviewing style?
James Amoss, Editor, The Times-Picayune
As relaxed as I can make it. Candidates don’t reveal themselves when tense. I spend at least an hour with every candidate for a full-time newsroom job, usually over a meal or coffee. Never across a desk in my office. I try to get to know these people, not cross-examine them, so I want to make it as conversational as possible. I don’t mind being asked questions by interviewees, although the balance of the questioning should be with the interviewer. In those settings, people open up, for better or worse. Recently, a reporter candidate, after an hour in the cafeteria, told me at length about his editor’s request that he appear on an affiliated TV channel to discuss a story he had covered and how proud he was to have refused, because he didn’t think TV could do his story justice. That anecdote gave me pause about the candidate’s willingness to do what was asked of him. Another recent candidate was being driven to the suburban bureau we were considering him for. Three times during the drive, he asked, “How much further is it?” He made it clear, despite protestations to the contrary, that a far-flung bureau would not be a good fit.
Peter Bhatia, Executive Editor, Portland Oregonian
I try to keep interviews friendly and conversational. Again, because I am late in the day, thus being flexible on time and sometimes at the end of two days of interviewing here, I am tolerant of long asides especially if they take us interesting places in the conversation. I always try to find points of common interest ? schools, majors, cultural, geographic, reportorial, common past employers, people we know in common, favorite sports teams, family histories, what have you ? to get insight into them as people. (Having the large hat collection in my office that I do is usually a good conversation starter.) I will ask the more difficult questions that need to be asked about holes in resumes or why they left wherever when they did. But I also want to hear about their hometowns and their kids and their families and what they do for fun.
Pam Fine, Editor, Los Angeles Times
I try to keep make the candidate comfortable by making a connection to where they’re from or something in their background. I like to keep things casual but focused.
Carolina Garcia, Managing Editor, San Antonio Express-News
I try to listen, ask questions. Talk less. I’ve been interviewed by managers for upwards of two hours and barely got in three sentences. I vowed never to do that to someone.
Anders Gyllenhaal, Executive Editor, News & Observer
I like to jump into the middle of things with plenty of time, a very conversational approach, hopping all around. Lots of times I like to walk around the company, if we’re here, which gives you a different sense of a person. I also want to have dinner with people, if it’s a key hire, because you learn so much more over that stretch of time.
Charlotte Hall, Managing Editor, Newsday
I try to conduct interviews as relaxed conversations. I figure the candidate is nervous and, perhaps, shy, so I try to put him/her at ease. I don’t go for “stress” type interviewing or mind-twister questions.
Craig Klugman, Editor, The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne
I’m told I intimidate interviewees, though I try hard not to. I try to find out something about the person that has little if anything to do with journalism. What, I will ask, were your favorite subjects in school outside journalism? Why? I ask what books they read, magazines they subscribe to, interests and enthusiasms they have. If the person is applying to be a sports copy editor, I ALWAYS ask if she or he is really interested in writing and is applying for the open job just to get in the door. I try to get enough information to get at the attributes I mentioned in your first question–how would I assess this candidate’s intelligence, poise, commitment, and enterprise? I would describe my interviewing technique as serious, detailed but collegial and friendly.
Gregory Moore, Managing Editor, Boston Globe
My style is very relaxed. I usually sit on a couch or at a table with the candidate. We start out with small talk: how has the day gone? Do you know anyone at the Globe? how did you hear about the job? etc. Then I go into the more specific interview. I try to make sure to ask pointed questions about stories in the packet: we talk about how a story was written, we talk about leads and use of quotes. I try to ask legally permissible questions about the person — where he or she grew up, number of siblings, what their parents do for a living. And then I leave time for the candidate to ask me questions.
Ed Petykiewicz, Editor, The Ann Arbor News
My interviewing style varies, depending on particular situations and whether I am one of a few folks involved in the interview process or one of many. I tend to ask open-ended questions, and I also put candidates into hypothetical situations. Often, in these, there are no correct or incorrect answers. I look closely at how the job candidates work their way through the situation. I try to figure out if their answers reflect a philosophical approach, if they’re consistent, if they’re willing to state when they are unsure, etc. I think this type of situation is more important when interviewing a candidate for a management position, but it gives insights into just about any candidate. I’ve also asked reporters to interview me, sometimes first sketching a hypothetical scenario. Folks, who aren’t quick on their feet, aren’t going to be great reporters. I also ask general questions about their current job, the things they don’t like about it and the general environment at their current paper. These types of questions give a lot of insight into attitude.
Mike Pride, Editor, The Concord Monitor
Direct, quick-moving, bouncing around, but giving the applicant time to think and respond. If I’m interested in a particular aspect of the resume, even if it doesn’t seem germane to the job in question, I’ll pursue it (e.g., Why did you sing in the chorus, and what did you get out of it?
What was it like growing up all around the world in a military family?) I like people who think before they answer, and often it is the last part of the answer that is the most telling. I also like to spell out the expectations very clearly; I try to be sure we do this at least twice during the interview.
Sandy Rowe, Editor, Portland Oregonian
I would describe my style as conversational but intense. Those being interviewed frequently cite the intensity. I try to help the person relax–just as a reporter does in a story interview, but then I try to get them to spill their guts.
Charlie Waters, Executive Editor, Fresno Bee
I hope it is friendly and focused. I generally spend about 45 minutes with every person we are considering for a professional newsroom position. I try to divide that in equal parts:
1. Just talking about them, their careers, their goals and why they are interested in The Bee.
2. I want everyone who works in this newsroom to completely understand what we are trying to do here, so this part is mainly me talking to them about our values and goals, both for our journalists and for the newspaper and its readers.
3. The last part is generally clean-up, giving them a chance to ask questions about part two, following up on other things that have caught my interest, and/or giving both of us a chance to sell ourselves or “close the deal,” if we are so inclined. I always end each interview by thanking them for coming to see us and for considering The Bee as an employer.
Janet Weaver, Executive Editor, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
My style is to be very casual and conversational, and hope the candidate will be, too. I always talk about what we aspire to for this newsroom and this newspaper; I want to see how they latch on to those thoughts and build on them, if they do.
David Zeeck, Executive Editor, News-Tribune, Tacoma
Free-wheeling. I’ll ask questions all over the lot. I have some basics, but I also think my job is to get to know the person. I want to know their personal story.
I’ll ask people what’s the most important thing in the world to them. (No thinking allowed; what springs to mind.)
I’ll ask whom the most influential people in their lives are, both professionally and personally.
What’s on their bedside table right now for reading.
Ask sports questions of city-side candidates and political questions of sportswriters; interested in their general fund of knowledge.
What are the most important questions?
James Amoss, Editor, The Times-Picayune
I want to know how people feel about their current workplace. Unless it’s known to be a wretched sweatshop, chances are that someone’s who’s deeply unhappy with their situation and colleagues will remain so when they come to us. So I ask: What’s the best/worst thing about your current job? Or: If you had a little sister and she was interested in going to work for the Towncrier-Gazette, what would you tell her about what it will be like for her? I want to know what a candidate thinks he/she does best. I ask them to walk me in detail through an assignment or project they were proud of. It gives insight into their contribution and their ability to work with others. I want to know what makes them tick. I ask: If you weren’t a journalist, what would you be? Other questions: How did you get this scoop? Or how did you report this complex story? How and when did you become interested in journalism? If I interview them after they’ve been here a day or so, I ask: What’s struck you about the town, the newsroom? A good journalist is quick to size up. New Orleans being a strange place, I look for signs that they appreciate it. We’ve put up interviewees in Bourbon Street hotels during Carnival. If they can handle that, they probably belong here.
Peter Bhatia, Executive Editor, Portland Oregonian
Again, it depends on the situation, but I always try to get to the heart of their passion. That is, I try to find out why they became a journalist in the first place and what motivates them in their current job. I always ask about their ambitions and where they are headed, and I ask them to describe what they view as their greatest successes in their current environment. I try to get a sense of their character and almost always ask for a self-characterization – what would your boss say are your strongest attributes and usually follow up by asking what their boss would say are their weaknesses. I may not bore in as much on specifics of “how they got this story,” because other editors will do that, but I will usually have one or two questions about their clips. (One of the “benefits” of the economic downturn and the fact we aren’t hiring right now is that we are reassessing our interviewing process and seeing if we can’t have different people “specialize” in different aspects of the fact-finding with a candidate. It could save the candidate answering the same question a dozen times and allow us to get deeper in different areas.) I also always leave lots of time for them to ask me questions, because – particularly since I am typically later in the day or process – so I can see what they have absorbed about our operation and I can get some feeling about how they work, ask questions, reason through situations. I value those with the courage to ask specific questions (Is your news meeting always that nice?), as compared to the more typical: “What’s your vision for the paper?” That’s not an inappropriate or bad question, but is not a very specific one either.
Pam Fine, Managing Editor, Star Tribune
Why would this job be a good fit for you?
What are 3-4 things you’d like to accomplish early on?
What kind of help would you need from me and others to achieve those?
Describe what you’ve done to help an underachieving staffer get better?
What has been your best work and why?
What do you like most/least about your current role?
What kinds of positions would you like to have in the future?
Do you see any obvious improvements we could make in the paper?
What appeals to you most about the prospect about coming to work here?
If you weren’t a journalist, what would you be?
What can I tell you about the job or the paper that you’d like to know?
Carolina Garcia, Managing Editor, San Antonio Express-News
They are about what the person read that day. It’s amazing how few candidates bother to read the paper that day . The basic question is what did you think of today’s front page? Or did they like the lead story on page one about…. What attracted them to the front page? What did they like best in the paper that day? If a candidate has not read the paper, my ‘openness’ to them tends to shift.
Anders Gyllenhaal, Executive Editor, News & Observer
About the most important question to me comes toward the end when asking the candidate what questions they have. The quality and reach of their questions often tells me more than anything does. If somebody doesn’t have any good questions, that usually signals problems to me. I ask a lot of standard questions: strengths, weaknesses, what they’re after, what they are proudest of, what they’re scared of, what they want to learn, combinations of those. But I also like to look for something to dig into, a story or experience they’ve had where you can really test their idea skills, thinking approaches, motivations, etc. One question I always ask is whether they ever think about going back to school to study whatever might make the most sense and go in a different direction in careers. Or some other question to figure out whether this person is committed, even obsessed enough, to deserve one of the few slots that are open these days. I also like to hear about their families, parents, sisters, brothers, which I think carry lessons of a lot of importance.
Charlotte Hall, Managing Editor, Newsday
I find one of the most fruitful lines of questioning is to get the candidate to talk about some story she/he has done recently, something that the candidate was proud of or that presented a particular challenge. This puts the candidate in a comfort zone–talking about something he/she is interested in and knows a lot about. It allows me to get a sense of how they think about stories, how they get ideas, how they pursue them, and perhaps most importantly, how passionate they feel about their work. It’s important to have read the clips first. It allows you to talk intelligently about the story and to direct the conversation a bit. I also try to find out about their reading habits and to engage them in discussion about their personal interests. I ask them how they got interested in the business–what led them to journalism. And we run through a brief narrative of their career, with comments and questions about each professional step along the way. I’ve also begun to ask them what they think their boss or their associates would tell me about them–their strengths and the areas that need development. This sometimes is a very fruitful line of questioning because it allows them to talk about their strengths and weaknesses (if they’re honest–though many are reluctant to answer that part of the question) from a third-person perspective, without the fear of appearing to brag. I also ask them how they want to grow–where are they currently putting their focus in terms of professional development. Are they working on their writing, their database reporting skills, etc. What would they like to get better at? What would they like their work to look like in a couple of years. I ask them why Newsday and try to find out if they are looking at other papers. This tells me whether they have any knowledge or understanding of the paper, whether they truly want Newsday, whether personal as well as journalistic reasons are in play, or whether they are simply looking to move to any big paper. I ask about language skills, because this gives me an opportunity to talk about the importance we place on covering our whole community–and to see their reaction. My biggest challenge, as an interviewer is not to talk too much. But I think it’s a good sign when they start interviewing me: a sign of curiosity. I always close by asking if they have any other questions about Newsday or the hiring process. The answer to that one can be very revealing.
Craig Klugman, Editor, The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne
The core of my interview is almost always my situational questions. If the candidate wants to be a reporter, I will put her or him in a reporter’s situation. (“You’re alone in the bureau on a quiet summer afternoon when the prosecutor’s secretary calls and says all she knows is that the former mayor is due at the sheriff’s office in an hour. What do you do?” Then I string it out for half an hour or so.) With people who are applying for top editor positions, I am very precise. I ask, what would you do about such and such? If it is at all possible, I’ll use real names, real problems, and real situations. I don’t remember a lot about the interview with the man we hired as metro editor, but I vividly remember how he answered a question about a problem with one aspect of the metro operation.His approach was hands-on (he would come in on his off-hours and see the operation), realistic (he knew that such people who were probably creating the problem were hard to find and hence not reassigned lightly), and appropriately prioritized (OK, it’s a problem, but how big a problem is it compared with other things he would have to tackle).
Bill Marimow, Editor, Baltimore Sun
Several of the most important ones to me are: What kind of work do your parents do? What do your brothers and sisters do in their lives? Who was your best teacher, thinking about teaching in the broadest sense of the word?
Gregory Moore, Managing Editor, Boston Globe
Why do you want to work here?
What do you want to accomplish in your career at the Globe?
What is the most significant thing you’ve learned from an editor?
What is the hardest story you had to do and why?
What do you feel you have to improve upon to be a better journalist?
Which story in your packet are you most proud of and why?
There is a lot of doom and gloom associated with our business. Do you still think newspapers have a bright future?
Can you tell me what the top two or three jobs are that you would like to have in the next 10 years at the paper?
What is the most difficult thing you have had to overcome personally In life?.
Mike Pride, Editor, The Concord Monitor
The ones that prod applicants to tell us what in their experience qualifies them for the job. Since we’re often dealing with beginners, this will seldom be some big story they landed. But it might be an event where resourcefulness and curiosity paid off in some other way.
Charlie Waters, Executive Editor, Fresno Bee
What will you do, specifically, to improve the quality of this newspaper?
What can we do to help you become a better journalist? (After they have answered, I tell them that we have just made a contract, and that we will occasionally talk about how each of us have lived up to our parts of the bargain.)
Janet Weaver, Executive Editor, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
I will put some of the usual questions to them: Why did you decide to go into this line of work? But I’ll also probe, if the answer I get sounds too pat. Why this instead of law school, if you like to ask questions? Why this instead of PR if you like to write? What is it about this line of work that stands out for you? I like to know what they read and what authors they consider their greatest influences. I want to hear them talk about someone else’s words with passion; I think that gives a fair indication of how passionate they’ll be about their own words. You’d be amazed how this question stumps people. If they start naming off non-fiction books by journalists, I ask them about fiction. I think a well-read person is an indication of someone who will be intellectually curious and challenging. I ask reporters how they work with photographers, and photographers how they work with reporters. I want to know about flexibility and teamwork — this is one of the most troubled relationships in newsrooms, and I want to hear from folks about how they negotiate the differences between visuals and words. I light up when I get a print reporter who talks about photographers who have given them great tips or picked up great quotes for their stories on assignments. I always talk about where they come from and their parents. That, I must admit, I picked up from Sandy Rowe. It’s a Southern thing, too, I suspect; family and hometowns are always interesting to me, and if someone can tell their own story well, I think that is a good hint about how they might tell the stories of others.
David Zeeck, Executive Editor, News-Tribune, Tacoma
The most difficult professional challenge you’ve ever faced? How you dealt with it?
Where have you taken an unsolicited leadership role on an issue in your newsroom? (Want more examples from management/editing candidates than reporters or copy editors or photogs, etc.)
Engage them on an issue and see how flexible they are; whether they can see the greys in a situation.
Casually get into the subjects of community, readers, etc… see what their view is of how important those things are to their journalism.
Also I try to gauge their level of general curiosity about the world. What interests them outside newspapering? Where do their passions lie (outside personal relationships)?
Ask them who solve problems in a number of situations common to newsrooms, what they’ve done in the past. If they’re solving their own problems, hire them. If they expect others to solve them, or always turn to others first, beware.
What’s your biggest triumph in newspapering?
What are the most important elements in the hiring decision?
James Amoss, Editor, The Times-Picayune
For all the importance we accord the interviews, the tangible evidence of what someone has accomplished (clips, photos, sections edited or designed) and the opinions of their current supervisors count for a lot. We do at least two, and often more, reference checks per candidate and always assume that negative comments are a gross understatement of the reference’s true reservations about someone. I’m always amazed at how few editors do reference checks before hiring or how cursorily they do them. One of our editors this week was telling me about a call from another newspaper thinking of hiring a reporter who used to work here. “He didn’t exactly embrace the editing process,” my editor said, hinting, albeit understatedly, at the reporter’s obstreperous personality. It was obvious from the reply that the prospective employer had already decided he wanted to hire and didn’t wish to probe anything negative about the candidate. “Oh that,” he said. “It comes with youth.”
Peter Bhatia, Executive Editor, Portland Oregonian
For us, it is the one overwhelming one already mentioned: that they clearly can help the paper continue to improve.
Pam Fine, Managing Editor, Star Tribune
Skills to do the job, always; good fit in terms of personality, track record; frequently gender/race.
Carolina Garcia, Managing Editor, San Antonio Express-News
Their current ability and potential. How far will they go in the business, how long will they stay and how much of a difference will they make at the paper. Will they make us better and are they a better hire reporter/writer/photog/etc. than the person who left? Also, did they have interesting, different, new story ideas. And why do they want to come here.
Craig Klugman, Editor, The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne
Usually, three persons are in the hiring circle here–me, the managing editor, and the department head. Any one of us can veto the hire. Each of us brings different priorities to the table. The department head often wants the person who can hit the job running. Today. Now. The managing editor wants to make sure the person, in her words, “works and plays well with others” and will bring diversity to the office. I look for all those things, as well as long-term potential. Will that person who can hit the job running be doing essentially the same kind of work in five years? Will he have five years of experience or one year of experience five times? Shocking as it may be, I’ve made some hiring mistakes. Almost always, they were made in a rush.
Gregory Moore, Managing Editor, Boston Globe
References
Talent
Writing skills
Where the person has worked
The types of stories the person has written. a mix of news and features, long and short are the best.
How much upside the candidate has: does he or she still feel they have to prove something?
How they will fit in and broaden our newsroom community: diversity but even broader. We like characters and are always looking for talented ones.
Mike Pride, Editor, The Concord Monitor
As a small paper, we’re almost always hiring potential, not proven ability. Once in a while, we see a sure thing. I remember a guy who, for his college paper, had done independent tests of condoms from the condom machines on campus and discovered that a large percentage were defective (some had holes in them). I remember a reporter who had insinuated her way into the New York Times Moscow bureau as a gofer and wound up getting a few bylines on lifestyle-type stories. I remember a fellow who had done a somewhat clumsy but dogged investigative series for a weekly. These were all obvious clues to solid reporting careers. But more generally, a spark in the writing, a flair in the personality and a hunger to engage the world are the qualities we look for. We want reporters who love to call people up on the phone — and love more to go out and talk to them face to face. There is one other big factor. We must know by the end of the process that the applicant wants to live and work here. The quickest way not to get hired is to leave the impression that you know the Monitor is a good stepping stone but you are worried about how long you might have to stay here. It CAN BE a good stepping stone — but only for journalists who embrace it fully and learn to report on things that matter to people here.
Sandy Rowe, Editor, Portland Oregonian
Hiring decisions are tough because they are so important and the close calls are as frequent as the clear calls. I find that the mistakes are most often those in which key people in the decision-making process are lukewarm but still decide to go forward. I hate expediency in hiring but I’m rarely able to stop it. I’d rather be certain and risk being dead wrong than be lukewarm. I also make mistakes when I allow myself to be pushed into hiring decisions by others in the process that I wouldn’t make on my own. In hiring decisions, I think you can’t beat intelligence and integrity. I place great value on talent, either raw or refined. Talent counts, big-time. I distinguish between talent and skill, which can be learned and is valuable but is not the same as ability or capacity. I further place great value on diversity in the largest sense of the word. I want people with a wide range of experiences, backgrounds and interests. I give beaucoup extra points to applicants who have lived through real struggle and who have shown determination amid adversity. I want to know whether they worked as kids and what they did, whether they contributed financially to their college expenses etc. So, work ethic is important. Also, obviously, I want to hire people who can deal with others well even in difficult circumstances and who are driven toward constant improvement themselves.
Charlie Waters, Executive Editor, Fresno Bee
Candidate’s intelligence, and quality of previous work experience. Inquisitiveness and the quality of his/her questions (even more so at times than his/her answers). Does he/she listen, then think before replying, or does he/she just talk? Enthusiasm, for journalism and for coming to work here. And finally, my gut instinct, which is rarely wrong in determining if someone will be happy and productive working for me.
David Zeeck, Executive Editor, News-Tribune, Tacoma
Quality, as a journalist and a human being.
Fit. Before we hire we always ask the question: “Do I want to work with this person for the next 20 years?” Not because we expect that will happen, but it clarifies whether you’re likely to be happy walking into the newsroom and seeing them every day.
Diversity. It takes all kinds to make up a good newsroom. Make sure you have different races, interests, backgrounds, religions, whatever . . . You’re doing well if you’re occasionally surprised by the ideas that bubble up.
Avoid buttheads. Life is too short, and they influence others. There are actually good journalists out there who also are great people. If you want to build a newsroom focused on the journalism and not gossip, etc., then hire people who focus on journalism.
What, if any, are the wackiest questions and answers you have heard?
Peter Bhatia, Executive Editor, Portland Oregonian
Not so much wacky, but I am always annoyed by applicants who say they want to work at The Oregonian (and this was true when I was in San Francisco, too) because the area we live in is so nice. Sure, but what about the paper? Also, I never ceased to be amazed by the number of resumes that came in with San Francisco misspelled. I am always wary of interviewees who immediately begin by trashing the place they currently work. I’m always surprised by an applicant who demands to know what the salary of the job they are applying for in the first round of interviews. And there were the one or two over the years who have wanted to know my salary. My answer (once) was to smile and say, “Not enough …”
Pam Fine, Managing Editor, Star Tribune
Tim McGuire to me: ”Tell me, how does your brain work?”
Carolina Garcia, Managing Editor, San Antonio Express-News
I have asked folks why they want to move here, one person said they wanted to come here because his girl friend wanted to move here. I did not hire him. Many, many more folks say they want to cover a community that is mostly Hispanic and they want to use their Spanish language skills. I remind that they will have to write in English.
Charlotte Hall, Managing Editor, Newsday
I can’t recall off the top any really wacky questions, but I do remember the time an intern walked into my office, put a brick on my desk (it was from a historical farm building he was writing about) and asked, “Can I have a permanent reporting job?” I still have the brick, but the intern is long gone.
Craig Klugman, Editor, The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne
At the end of every interview, I ask: “Do you have any questions for me?” I usually get the same from very earnest young people, “What is your vision for the paper?” (well, I want to cover the news and put it in the paper) or “What are you looking for in a reporter?” (I like the kind who makes up juicy quotes). At the end of one interview, I asked a different interview-ending question, for some reason: “Are there any questions I haven’t asked that I should have?” And the young reporter answered, “Yes….’When can you start?’ ” Once the managing editor and I were together interviewing a candidate for a features writing opening. Keep that in mind. Features writing. Also keep in mind that this candidate grew up in Fort Wayne. At the end of the session–it doesn’t happen often that we interview someone together, but occasionally we do–one of us asked: “So, tell us what ideas you would like to pursue if we hired you? What stories would you do?” He. Had. Not. One. Single. Story. Idea. Not a one. We ended the interview within five minutes of that.
Bill Marimow, Editor, Baltimore Sun
I remember this one: One woman, who we did not hire, told me that her best teacher was her grandfather. What, I asked did you learn from him that might help me in terms of my work and my life, I asked her. She replied: ” He told me that I couldn’t have EVERYthing, but that I could have ANYthing.” I thought that was a great answer.
Gregory Moore, Managing Editor, Boston Globe
I once asked a guy who won a Pulitzer Prize with a colleague what was left for him to accomplish? He said: To win one by myself I have asked candidates how much sleep they get? I have asked them what they do when they are not working? I have stumped them by asking who is the person they most admire who is still alive and not a relative? I have asked them to tell me a joke (journalists are witty but don’t do jokes well).
Mike Pride, Editor, The Concord Monitor
Sorry to say that none of the wacky things I have heard over the years have stuck. I forget jokes within 24 hours of hearing them, too.
Janet Weaver, Executive Editor, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Wacky questions and answers? I don’t know about wacky. But one job candidate and I recently got into a conversation about the meaning of Barbie to little girls, and how our younger sisters used to abuse our Barbies when we were kids. We bonded on that one; we hired her. I’ve also gotten off into discussions about junk food obsessions and learned a lot about the differences between Krystle’s and White Castle.
David Zeeck, Executive Editor, News-Tribune, Tacoma
Q: So, you grew up in the Keys . . . how did you get to the Pacific Northwest?
A: On an airplane.
