LESSON 4 OF 6 · INTERMEDIATE
Discover before comparing
Explore what works today, what creates friction and what the person wants to preserve. Ask for a concrete recent example, the effect on the business and the candidate’s preferred future. Summarize their priorities before proposing changes. A complaint does not automatically mean a move is right; some problems are temporary or solvable at the current employer.
Draft five discovery questions and a two-sentence summary you would ask the candidate to confirm.
About 2 minutes reading + 12 minutes practice. Take longer when needed.
Apply the method
Use a question ladder. Begin with the current business, then ask about a specific difficulty, its frequency and effect, what has already been tried and what an acceptable improvement would look like. Explore what the person would not want to lose. Summarize the top two or three priorities and ask the candidate to rank them. Only then decide whether your organization has a relevant answer. A complaint is not automatic evidence that the company is a poor employer or that moving is the best remedy. Sometimes a clarification, internal conversation or temporary adjustment would solve the issue with less disruption.
A worked application
Fictional worked example: Sam says pricing is the problem. The recruiter asks about the last example and learns that the real concern is not receiving a timely answer on exception scenarios. Sam values the current processor and is wary of losing that relationship. The summary becomes: dependable scenario answers and preserving a strong support partnership matter more than a headline compensation increase. The next meeting includes an operational owner. If the proposed process cannot address those priorities, the recruiter says so rather than changing the subject to a different benefit.
Common mistake to avoid
Do not hear one keyword and immediately launch a canned solution. Test whether the proposed answer addresses the actual cause and the candidate’s priorities.
Work through the case
FICTIONAL SCENARIO
An LO says pricing is the issue. Further discussion reveals that slow answers on exceptions cause lost confidence with partners. The next discussion should involve the relevant operations owner, not just a compensation sheet.
Make it practical
Draft five discovery questions and a two-sentence summary you would ask the candidate to confirm.
Compare your reasoning with a worked response
Ask what happened, how often, what effect it had, what already works and what a better outcome looks like. Confirm priorities in the candidate’s words.
Takeaway
Use the method to explain your decision, identify what you still need to verify and choose an accountable next step.
Treat the response as a model for reasoning, not the only possible wording. Adapt it to the role, evidence and appropriate organizational guidance.