AmiSight 8/11: How the Answer to One Interview Question Can Determine Success

Eli Rubel has conducted around 500 interviews during his time as a serial entrepreneur and CEO of Profit Labs in Denver. While his go-to question has evolved over the years, it still focuses on workplace energy.

In an essay in Business Insider, Rubel shares his interview strategy and how the way candidates respond is almost always directly related to what he sees in performance.

Originally, he asked candidates, "have you heard of the zones of genius" – a concept that everybody has a zone of excellence, competence, and incompetence. Noticing that not all candidates were familiar – or comfortable – with the concept, he revised the question.

Now his favorite question is, "What gives you energy and what takes away energy in a working environment?" He says there is no right or wrong answer because ultimately, I'm looking to figure out if this person is going to be well-aligned for the role.

Webinar of the Week: August 14, 2025

BUSINESS LATE NIGHT: How Xpertek Construction Tripled Revenue and Doubled Margins by Rethinking Incentives

Featuring: Ben Hansen & David Ryan

Date: Thursday, August 14, 2025

Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET

What You’ll Learn:

Come Join Us for Happy Hour with Ben Hansen (moderator) and David Ryan, founder of Xpertek Construction, in this talk-show-style conversation. David Ryan's company scaled from $4M to over $13M in revenue by redesigning how project teams and admin staff are rewarded.

🔗 Register here