In an effort to appear competent and “put their best foot forward”, many recruiting prospects are reluctant to share their problems. When being evaluated, we all have a natural and subconscious desire to become the person a hiring manager is looking to hire. Expressing strengths, describing work experiences related to the new job, downplaying weaknesses, etc. All positive. All good. All surfacy. An effective hiring manager knows better than to play this game. It doesn’t support the objective of building an emotional connection with the candidate. An emotional connection is what’s necessary to sustain a candidate through a long hiring journey lined with competitors. An emotional connection is built through sharing problems, frustrations, and difficulties–not all the surfacy good stuff. Ask directly: What problems are you trying to solve in your life right now?