1. A seasoned human resources professional with more than 20 years experience in several different employment environments, Victor Melendez heads International Consulting Associates, a Los Angeles-based management and HR consultant firm specializing in human resources and related issues. Adept at interviewing job candidates and identifying their strengths and weaknesses, Victor Melendez is a certified Lominger interview architect.

2. Developed by Drs. Michael Lombardo and Robert Eichinger, who combined parts of their last names to name the program, the Lominger interview is a behavioral structured process designed to help businesses identify the core competencies of successful leaders. Nearly 70 positive characteristics were identified in years of research; that same research also identified nearly 20 traits considered negative, which the researchers called stallers. 3. One of the essential elements of Lominger interviewing is to ask open-ended questions, which require some thought to answer, and then to ask follow-up questions. For instance, the interview might ask about a situation that tested the candidates conflict management skills. Once the candidate is done responding, a follow-up question might be Why did you take that approach? or What did you learn from that incident? 4. Lominger interview questions are designed to elicit responses that highlight aspects of candidates personalities, such as flexibility and adaptability to change, both considered positive competencies. Stallers, which generally indicate a trouble with people or trouble with results, can also be identified through this process; for example, inflexibility is considered a staller, as is an inability to change direction when necessary. Other positive competencies include interpersonal savvy, good business acumen, ability to delegate, career ambition, intellectual horsepower, and the ability to listen, among many others. 5. No two jobs require the same competencies. A proficient Lominger interviewer will identify the 20 or so competencies specifically sought for a position and develop interview questions whose answers will demonstrate the degree to which a candidate possesses those competencies. In addition to identifying good job candidates, the Lominger competencies can also be used to evaluate executives in place. Where weaknesses are found, training can help strengthen competencies or eliminate stallers.